Introducing the New Ignite Corporate & Public Members

These are A2A, CMPC, Electrification Hub, Getinge, HBV, Kraftringen, Stockholm Exergi, SKR and Borlänge Municipality (as part of Omställninglyftet initiative).

“We look forward to working with all these corporations leading industries including environment, pulp and paper, energy, healthcare, and housing, as well as with these three brave public organizations paving the way to addressing societal challenges together with startups,” says Sara Hamlin, COO & Director Partners and Engagement at Ignite Sweden. “They have all shown a real interest in meeting and collaborating with innovative startups to accelerate their pace of innovation and foster business partnerships.”

Throughout the year, the Ignite team will dive deep into their strategic areas and identify startups developing solutions with the potential to solve their innovation challenges.

“We hope that this will generate many collaborations between these organizations and our Swedish startups,” adds Sara.

Access to Cutting-Edge Technologies

One of the new corporate members is Stockholm Exergi. Viktor Grindestam, Business Development – Customer Offering Portfolio at the energy company, states that they decided to join Ignite Sweden with the goal of fostering a culture of innovation and entrepreneurship within the organization through partnerships with startups.

Their objective in collaborating with startups is to develop new solutions, gain access to cutting-edge technologies and accelerate time-to-market.

“We are interested in collaborating with startups for their potential to bring innovative solutions, fresh perspectives and cutting-edge technologies. Startups are willing to take risks and experiment with new ideas, which can help larger organizations overcome the fear of failure and embrace a culture of innovation,” explains Viktor.

For Peter Dahlström, Strategist at Kraftringen, Ignite Sweden creates the opportunity for many new meetings with startups that can help his energy company in its innovation work.

“Startups can be a great complement to us as a mature company, helping us to go beyond our current horizons. We can learn from startups to be more adaptive and fast, as well as bring new capabilities to the table. We aim to be part of the future sustainable energy system. New startup collaborations can enable us to take the next steps in transforming the energy system and market,” says Peter.

Addressing Societal Challenges Together with Startups

For public organizations, finding startups to collaborate with is crucial for solving the various societal challenges they are currently facing.

“We have joined Ignite Sweden to find innovations and new technologies that can contribute to the agenda 2030,” says Ville Gruner, Business Developer at HBV, an organization that serves as the purchasing arm of Sveriges Allmännytta (Public Housing Sweden).

The organization has already participated in many matchmaking events together with members including municipality-owned housing companies Mimer, Stångåstaden and Öbo.

Klas Danerlöv from SKR, the national association that represents the interest of all of the municipalities and counties in the country, recognizes the significant challenges that the welfare system in Sweden is facing and acknowledges the need for assistance from various actors to further develop their operations.

“We have become a member of Ignite for two reasons. Firstly, as an interest and development organization, we want to contribute to a stronger interaction between companies and municipalities and regions. Secondly, we want to test and learn more on how the matching process works in practice,” says Klas.

The objective of the association in collaborating with startups is to explore innovative approaches for conducting trend analysis and environmental scanning.

“I believe that these interactions with startups can also contribute to their learning about how public organizations function, the regulations that impact them, and what it is like to work in a government-controlled organization,” he concludes.

International Interest in Collaborating with Swedish Startups

Among the new members we find not only companies established in Sweden but also in countries such as Chile and Italy.

“This is fantastic as it allows us to continue helping Swedish startups in the commercialization of their solutions to international markets,” says Sara.

A2A is Italy’s largest multiutility, dealing with energy, water and the environment, through a circular use of natural resources. Their Innovation Ecosystem Lead, Luca Volterrani, believes that Ignite is an ideal partner as it helps them explore the Swedish cleantech ecosystem and enables them to join forces with startups that can can contribute to their strategic objectives.

“Sweden has emerged as a global leader in renewable energy, with Stockholm ranking third in the Global Cleantech Ecosystem ranking by Startup Genome. As we at A2A strive towards achieving the ecological transition, we believe that partnering with Swedish startups is key to tapping into cutting-edge solutions that will enable us to transition towards a circular economy and sustainable energy future,” he says.

Luca explains that at A2A, they strongly believe in the power of collaboration and shared participation to foster an open, widespread and interconnected culture of innovation that supports the sustainable growth of their country.

“To survive in today’s fast-paced business world, corporates need to invest in the latest technological innovations and digital tools. By developing and implementing high-impact projects with startups that have a concrete effect on the quality of people’s lives and the growth of industries, we support the group in its journey towards the ecological transition,” he adds.

These are the new Ignite Corporate & Public Members:

A2A Spa: A Life Company that deals with the environment, water and energy, the necessary conditions for life. The Group, which is listed on the Italian stock exchange and employs about 13,000 people, manages power generation, sales and distribution of energy and gas, district heating, the waste cycle, electric mobility and smart services for the city, public lighting and integrated water services.

Borlänge Municipality: It is the second-largest municipality in Dalarna County with a population of 52,034. Its central town, Borlänge, has 42,839 residents and is situated along the Dalälven river. It is the largest urban area in Dalarna and the 27th largest in Sweden.

CMPC: A Chilean pulp and paper holding company established in 1920 that produces and markets products derived from fibers originating from sustainable, certified plantations and recycled materials. Operating across eight countries, the company boasts a workforce of over 20,000 employees stationed at 44 industrial mills.

Electrification Hub: A cluster of innovative organizations with the power to enable smart and sustainable transportation through electromobility solutions. Its primary objective is to accelerate the transformation to a sustainable electrified society through collaboration, innovation, research and competence development within electromobility.

Getinge: Founded in 1904, Getinge is a Swedish healthtech company providing products and solutions for intensive care, cardiovascular procedures, operating rooms, sterile reprocessing, and life science. The company has today a global presence spanning across 40 countries and over 10,000 employees.

HBV: The organization serves as the purchasing arm of Sveriges Allmännytta (Public Housing Sweden). Their primary role is to conduct procurements of goods and services pertaining to property construction, renovation and maintenance, helping its members to manage and improve housing for their tenants.

Kraftringen: An energy company that provides electricity, heating, cooling, gas, fiber and other energy-related services. The company is owned by the municipalities of Lund, Eslöv, Hörby and Lomma in Skåne county.

Stockholm Exergi: An energy company that supplies heat, cooling, electricity, and waste management services to the residents of Stockholm. Their district heating network connects over 800,000 Stockholmers and 400+ facilities, including hospitals and data centers.’

Sveriges Kommuner & Regioner (SKR): The Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions. All municipalities and counties in Sweden are members of the association, making it the largest employer organization in Sweden. SKR actively represents and advocates for local government, addressing issues, taking action, and promoting public awareness.