The GOLD PAGES 12-16 Paves the Way for New Cooperation PAGES 4-5
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papAnnual Reporter 2017 province COOPERATION OVER NATIONAL BORDERS PAGE 7 Test beds accelerate innovations The GOLD PAGES 12-16 paves the way for new cooperation PAGES 4-5 development - networking - innovation - meeting places - marketing CONTENTS 4-5 The gold label Paper Province was awarded the gold label in the EU’s cluster evaluation. Paper Province on route to 6-11 Projects 36 Examples of projects the cluster is involved in. new misty peaks 12-16 Test beds UMV, LignoCity, The Wood Region... several test beds are supported. like walking in the mountains, which unfortunately I sel- cus on flow of by-products to the paper and pulp manu- 17-18 Financial support dom have time to do. But I often long to pack my ruck- facturing in the Nordic countries, and it is significant for Read about BioExpress and how innovations can be supported sack with coffee, a few sandwiches and perhaps some example that Mestä Fibre in Finland talks about invest- with coaching and contributions. chocolate for extra energy, and to tie up my hiking boots ment in a new factory for bio products, where the great- 10 Ion a bright morning, just as the mist clears and sun starts to est value is still in pulp production. It is also clear that 24 19-20 Equality warm. And then to go up over the wide open spaces and the focus is on increasing the total refinement value by The key to growth is equality at producing forest-based fuel and green electricity. the workplace perhaps work my way up towards a peak, where a slab in the sun is waiting as a perfect picnic place. 21-25 Young people are Today Paper Province has over 100 member in a broad spectrum, from innovation-based upstart companies important Sometimes the sweat pours out on the way up, on the Hotspot, The Paper Province rough tracks and slopes. When it feels most difficult and world leading carton makers, to forest land own- journey, Technical college and and the goal seems almost unachievable, I usually stop ers and electricity producers. What we all have in student competitions. to turn round and look down over the valley to see how common is that we are striving to develop the sustain- far I’ve come and the challenges I’ve already overcome able, forest-based bioeconomy. Through funding from 26 Travel abroad Paper Province has been on the way. Region Värmland and Vinnova and with a professional abroad this year. organisation as its base, Paper Province has developed I think that it’s also important to do the same thing into an important and renowned hub that can pilot 27-29 Research in everything we do at work, not least when we are in the development of new solutions. It broadens and Films and the opening an intensive period of change. If here in the middle of strengthens the region in the increasingly forest-based of research exhibitions 2018 we turn round and look at what has actually been economy of the future. are examples of how research is brought into achieved since Paper Province was established almost focus. twenty years ago, we have a lot to be happy about. Paper Province is mentioned today with respect both in Sweden and abroad as a good example of a success- 30-31 Sustainability Paper Province was created in 1999 for the purpose of ful cluster, and as an opportunity to actually be able to Read about Agenda 2030 and a reinforcing cooperation between different activities in influence development. The establishment of the Sting seminar with experts in sustain- the region, above all in terms of supplying com- incubator in Karlstad, and that Paper Province has es- 12 5 ability. petence. The original skeleton consisted of tablished itself with Gold Label status, are just two 32-33 Municipal meetings seven companies in the paper and pulp contemporary examples to confirm that we have Rewarding workshops in Säffle, industry in Värmland and the surround- come a long way since the beginning in 1999, Grums and Hammarö ing districts. The activities broadened out and that we are going in the right direction. and more and more members joined. The 34-35 Networking cluster has become a meeting place for And so now it’s time to tie on the snow Papermakers Night and cluster the knowledge and forest products that shoes and straighten up for the rest of the lunches are examples of network- uphill hike, towards new misty peaks. For Pa- ing meetings that have been exist in the region, and has helped create arranged. the broad collaboration between regional per Province the challenge is to support more associations, municipalities, academies good ideas for their actual establishment and, 31 36-37 New members and companies that characterises Paper just like at the start of the journey, to find Eleven new members joined the Province. solutions for the supply of compe- cluster in 2017. tence in the future. The activities have have been 38-41 Success further evolved over the years Examples of successful member to focus on the development of companies. forest bioeconomy in a wider perspective. In this respect Paper 42 Staff Province has evolved in line with the development of society in 29 34 43 Web statistics general, but also its members. ERIK KORNFELD Today there is a much sharper fo- chairman 2 PAPER PROVINCE 2017 PAPER PROVINCE 2017 3 GOLD TO PAPER PROVINCE At the end of 2017 Paper Province received confirmation that we had been awarded the EU’s distinction for a cluster – the Cluster Management Excellence Gold. Thanks to this gold the doors to new projects and cooperation are opening, both nationally Cluster excellence Paper Province has had the gold as its and internationally. “It feels really good and proves that we do high quality work”, says goal since we started the EU project Magnus Persson, innovation advisor. “Towards Cluster Excellency 2016”. Great joy broke out For two days in December, Paper Province was visited by independent international cluster experts from the European Secretariat for Cluster Analysis (ESCA). Together here with part of the Paper Province team just after the advance confirmation had been issued – “you did it”. Stamp of quality “When other clusters in Europe are looking for partners, they look for gold clusters”, says Magnus Persson. he ESCA (European Secretariat that can offer even better services, says for Cluster Analysis) consists of a Magnus Persson. network of cluster experts from more than 30 countries. They With this award we have shown that we Thave created a system of awards to inspire have achieved the set targets in terms of and to produce first-class cluster organisa- the 31 different indicators involving strate- tions. There are over 60 clusters in Europe gies, documentation and the quality of our at gold level, but just now in Sweden we members’ activities. alone have received the award. “Paper Province’s ability to motivate What does it mean to get the gold? members to buy into a new strategic idea – It’s a stamp of quality that increases is a great success story, in what is a very our status internationally. We stand out traditional and not so innovative industry”, more, and when other clusters in Europe writes ESCA in its motivation. are looking for partners, they look for gold We now have two years to improve clusters. For our members it means that we ourselves even more before it’s time to be have become a more effective organisation judged again by ESCA. 4 PAPER PROVINCE 2017 PAPER PROVINCE 2017 5 COOPERATION OVER NATIONAL BORDERS In the interior of Scandinavia there are exceptional opportunities to develop the bioeconomy and to replace oil with the forest as a raw material. The project The Bioeconomy Region initiated in 2017 aims to offer support to small and medium sized companies to speed up the development and commercialisation of new products, new technology and services in bioeconomy. Many activities Peter Edberg, to the left on the sofa, talks about Climatsmart Innovation for business neighbours in Innovation Park. aper Province cooperates in the in today’s products with biobased pri- people together from the Norwegian oil project with Region Värmland (which mary products. Through cooperation with industry with Swedes who are knowledge- is project owner), Region Dalarna Norway, Maria Hollander is hoping that the able about the forestry industry, and I’m and four counties in Norway. combination of experiences and knowl- convinced we will find new product areas THINGS ARE HAPPENING IN P– Paper Province will be a leading global edge will stimulate new ideas. Ultimately and business opportunities, says Maria player within forest-based bioeconomy and it’s about facilitating the conversion pro- Hollander. this is a natural step for us to take, says cess to a fossil-free society by encouraging CLIMATSMART INNOVATION Maria Hollander, CEO of Paper Province. the establishment of completely new types Paper Province will also reinforce coop- of products, services and companies. eration during the project with industrial Paper Province was granted SEK 12.4 million in 2015 by the Swedish Agency for A large part of the development towards forest companies in Dalarna, which is a bioeconomic society is strongly linked – We need to speed up the restructuring also expected to open up new opportu- Economic and Regional Growth. Financing that runs over four years and which has to the replacement of primary oil products to a biobased society. We are bringing nities. been given the project name Climatsmart Innovation. Peter Edberg, who is project manager, describes in brief some of the activities that took place in the project in 2017.