The City of the Future - Active Mediapartner Nordic AB

Transcription

The City of the Future - Active Mediapartner Nordic AB
–The City of the Future
CROWN
PRINCESS
VICTORIA
moves to Haga
Page 16
Two of Sweden's
largest investments
for the future
SWEDBANK
ARENA AND
THE NEW
KAROLINSKA
SOLNA
Page 3 & 18
SUSTAINABLE
SOLNA
is taking shape
Page 15
Karolinska Institutet
WORLD LEADERS
IN RESEARCH
for life
Page 4-5
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
1
Solna has great
pulling power
A
s Chair of Executive Board of
the City of Solna, my objective
is for Solna to become the best
city in which to live and work
in Sweden. We offer a wonderful
environment to live in as well as a competitive
business climate, satisfying both residents and
businesses. We have a wealth of evidence to indicate we are on the right track.
Solna has had the fastest population growth
in Sweden over the last six years. For the third
year in a row, the city has topped the ranking
produced by the Confederation of Swedish
Enterprise as Sweden’s most business-friendly municipality. No other municipality has
achieved three consecutive firsts and Solna has
never fallen below fourth place.
Of course, not all of this is down
to luck we have been working towards this
goal for many years. A healthy business climate
provides more job opportunities and this, together with an expanding population, creates
opportunities to develop the first-rate social
conditions that we want to be able to offer
Solna residents, not least within education and
care and nursing services.
Our work to meet the current demands for
living and working in Solna has been intensive.
Using our vision of a sustainable Solna as a
starting point, we are building on the qualities
of Solna, and our city is growing in a way that
is eco-friendly, pleasing and safe.
Six new city districts are being established,
which will incorporate a mix of attractive living accommodation and workplaces. These
districts will be linked to the rest of Solna by
extending the Tvärbanan (Lateral Line) light
rail service, thereby strengthening our existing
public transport facilities, which are already
good. At the same time we are working to improve the quality and range of services available
to the residents of Solna.
We can only conclude that Solna has
In 2010, work will start at the other end of our
city on the New Karolinska Solna, which will
be the most modern hospital in Europe. This
new hospital, combined with the investments
made by Karolinska Institutet, now celebrating
its 200th anniversary, will lay the foundations
for the area to become one of the world’s leading
locations for life sciences for the future.
As you can see, there are many exciting things
happening in our city and Solna certainly has
something for everyone: residents, visitors and
businesses. You will receive a warm welcome
when you come and visit our city! n
more to offer than other places. Solna is a place
where many people of all ages want to live, including young families and older people. Their
Lars-Erik Salminen
CHAIR OF THE SOLNA MUNICIPAL BOARD
Questions concerning this
broschure:
Kristina Tidestav, Deputy Chief
Executive Officer
Tel. +46-8-734 20 00
CITY OF SOLNA
2
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
Royal Highness, Crown Princess Victoria and
Prince Daniel will also become Solna residents
when they move into Haga Castle Palace after their wedding. I am, of course, extremely
pleased about this.
Before the royal couple move in, Haga
Park, the world’s first National City Park and
a unique recreational area for visitors for generations, will be given a major facelift, which
will benefit everyone.
Two of Sweden’s largest future investments,
the New Karolinska Solna and the Swedbank
Arena, are being built in Solna and will truly
consolidate Sweden on the world map. By constructing Arenastaden and the Swedbank Arena (the new national football stadium), Solna
will lift its status as a sports and events venue.
Arenastaden will be a vibrant city district offering a sustainable and good environment.
PRODUCTION:
Active MediaPartner Nordic AB
Jörgen Lundh
Tel. +46-18-18 34 00
EDITOR: Per-Åke Hultberg
LAYOUT: Magnuson Media AB
REPRODUCTION/PRINT:
Bildrepro Sthlm AB
PHOTO FRONTPAGE:
Jeanette Hägglund
ILLUSTTRATION: Tengbom arkitekter
PHOTO: PETER KNUTSON
“The New Karolinska Solna
and the Swedbank Arena are
being built in Solna. These
are two of Sweden’s greatest
investments in the future and
will truly consolidate Sweden
on the world map.”
Building work starts at the New Karolinska Solna
world-class
ILLUSTTRATION: Tengbom arkitekter
university hospital with
human approach
The New Karolinska Solna
The hospital will provide tertiary and specialist care, with a focus on efficient patient
flows, high standards of patient safety (including single rooms for in-patients) and more collaboration between the areas of healthcare,
research, training and education.
The construction
work has started and the aim is
to admit the first patient in
December 2015.
The time has finally come, all of the decisions have been taken and
the construction of the New Karolinska Solna will start in the summer.
This will be one of the world’s best and most modern university hospitals.
The hospital, which will open in 2015 and operate in close collaboration with Karolinska Institutet, will offer healthcare, conduct research and
provide opportunities for education and training.
T
The name ‘Karolinska Hospital’ is synonymous
with highly specialised healthcare, where quality is guaranteed. The New Karolinska Solna,
which is being built in the existing grounds of
the hospital adjacent to Karolinska Institutet at
Solnavägen, will no doubt live up to and exceed
the reputation of the old hospital. This is a guarantee given by Lennart Persson, Administrative
Manager.
“It will be a world-class university hospital
that together with Karolinska Institutet will be
the driving force behind the entire life science
sector in the Stockholm region,” says Lennart
Persson.
“As the New Karolinska Solna will be a
highly specialised hospital, this not only means
that we will be caring for the most seriously
injured and sick people, but also that healthcare, education, training and research – both
academic and industrial research – will be
fully integrated and that there will be quick
and efficient exchange of knowledge between
the hospital and KI. In other words, the New
Karolinska Solna will play a major role in con-
tributing to both high quality research and the
development of new pharmaceuticals. This
will in turn mean that the hospital will have
rapid access to new knowledge, new pharmaceuticals and new care methods. It is all about
the fastest route to the patient,” Lennart Persson explains.
“This will be a dynamic and creative environment, where doctors and other care staff
will work alongside professors, researchers and
technical staff to create the conditions required
to ensure the optimal development of all concerned,” Lennart Persson says.
During the planning stages, the motto
for the project has been that ‘The patient comes
first’. This means that when planning the hospital, account was taken of what is best for individual patients. The patient must receive the right
care from the right person at the right time.
“This involves providing the highest poss­
ible level of patient-centred care, focussing on
patient safety, integrity and comfort in a way
that is more clear and tangible than is currently
possible,” says Lennart Persson.
The total area of the hospital will be
320,000 m2 and will include a patient hotel.
There will be 600 beds in total, 125 of which
will be intensive and intermediate care beds
and 75 of which will be post-op beds. There will
be approximately 100 beds for outpatients as
well as 100 beds in the patient hotel.
Investment costs of SEK 14.5 billion will cover the costs associated with construction,
property development, borrowing, demolition,
etc.
The construction iwork has started and the
aim is to admit the first patient in December
2015.
This means, for example, that patients will
become much more participative in their healthcare and will have the right to quick and accurate
diagnoses as well as receiving care unfettered by
waiting times. All patient accommodation will
be provided in single rooms, harmoniously designed with space for relatives. This will not only
provide security and privacy, but also reduce the
spread of disease.
One major advantage for both patients
and staff is the fact that the New Karolinska
Solna will be considerably more centralised
than the current hospital, which is spread over
an area as large as Stockholm Old Town. This
will create close links between clinics, wards,
laboratories, operating theatres and so on.
“But above all else the new hospital will be an
environment – both externally and internally –
which will instil a feeling of peace and security in
patients, a modern and attractive environment
with lots of light and space, quite simply a hospital that has been created for people,” Lennart
Persson concludes. n
PER-ÅKE HULTBERG
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
3
“Along with
PHOTO: LErik Mårtensson
the other universities
involved, we want to
help Sweden to compete internationally
within the field of life
sciences,” says Harriet
Wallberg-Henriksson,
President of Karolinska
Institutet.
Joint drive puts
Swedish research
back at the top
Solna is at the centre of Europe’s most dynamic life science cluster. With Karolinska Institutet and Karolinska University Hospital at the
core, there is an intense concentration of research and entrepreneurship within the areas of biotechnology, biomedicine, pharmaceuticals
and medical engineering.
O
One important component of this exciting development is the Science for Life Laboratory,
at Karolinska Institutet’s campus in Solna,
which was inaugurated in May 2010. Harriet
Wallberg-Henriksson, President of Karolinska
Institutet since 2004, is one of the champions of
the project. She became a Professor of Physiology in 1998 and has been a member of the Nobel
Assembly at Karolinska Institutet since 2002.
“It is an incredibly exciting project and we are
extremely happy about the initiative," she says.
"Along with the other universities involved,
we want to help Sweden to compete internationally within the field of life sciences. We are
convinced that Sweden has the potential to lead
the way when it comes to knowledge-intensive
and knowledge-generating operations and entrepreneurship.”
The major effort made by the Government in the form of a Research Bill and SEK
5 billion in funding for the higher education
sector could not have come at a better time.
The largest share of the pot went to the field of
4
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
molecular biosciences at Karolinska Institutet,
KTH Royal institute of Technology, the University of Stockholm and Uppsala University.
“The investment made by the Government
has been unique in many ways. Sweden has
historically been known for its biotechnology
and life sciences, with Pharmacia and Astra as
major Swedish flagship companies. Although
they no longer exist in quite the same form
today, their knowledge and skills live on.”
Research in recent years has provided
new unique opportunities to map diseases by
studying human and animal genes. We can use
sophisticated techniques and methods to investigate large patient populations and simultaneously examine genetic predispositions and the
behaviour of individual proteins.
“We find ourselves in an era where we are on
the way to discovering completely new treatment methods that will be able to help people
with serious diseases that we have previously
been unable to cure or relieve. I believe there will
be many new research breakthroughs thanks to
1000 seats
The new lecture theatre will seat 1000 and be
used for Nobel Lectures, large
symposia and events, as well as
lectures linked to the research
and education performed at
Karolinska Institutet.
the technical platform offered by SciLifeLab,”
says Harriet Wallberg-Henriksson.
She hopes that medical science will in time
be able to focus on prevention, rather than on
solely curing diseases.
“Then we will all be able to live healthier
and longer lives, which is an enormously stimulating target to work towards,” says Harriet
Wallenberg-Henriksson. n
Charlotte Lund Phalén
The lecture theatre angled towards
the future
New buildings at the KI Science Park, a new lecture theatre
Y
“Yes, we are certainly experiencing extremely rapid expansion at the present time
and have been very fortunate in getting
the funds necessary to develop," says Rune
Fransson, Director at KI responsible for
innovation and infrastructure.
Karolinska Institutet, together with
the New Karolinska Solna, is playing a
key role in regional efforts to realise the
vision of making the area around KI one
of the world’s leading areas for life sciences
by 2025. This work is being conducted in
collaboration with, among others, KTH
Royal Institute of Technology, University
of Stockholm, City of Solna, City of Stockholm and Stockholm County Council.
The major investments and support at KI both now and in recent years
mean that KI is on track towards realising
this vision. These investments relate to
both new funding for research, where KI
has received a substantial reinforcement of
its resources, and to new infrastructure.
“Not only are there several new buildings that are essential to the growth of KI,
but we also need to replace some of the current buildings that have become run-down
and outdated," says Rune Fransson.
The latest addition is a new building for Karolinska Institutet Science Park,
which is home to some 50 businesses. In-
novation activities started at Karolinska
Institutet in 1996, the aim of which is to
nurture and further develop research findings into commercial products.
The pharmaceuticals company Biovitrium recently relocated to the KI area and
will occupy large part of the building. The
new Science for Life Laboratory research
institute will occupy the remainder of the
building (see article on page 9). A third
building will be ready for use at the science
park by the start of 2013.
A new lecture theatre is also being constructed. This has attracted a great deal of
media attention and the build has been
made possible by a record donation of
SEK 350 million from the Erling-Persson
Family Foundation. The building was designed by the leading Swedish architect
Gert Wingårdh, and will be a triangular
construction made of glass reaching for the
sky. It is certain to be a prominent landmark, which is essential in the opinion of
Rune Fransson.
“The new hospital will be so large that
the new lecture theatre, which is located at
the boundary of the hospital and KI campus grounds, has to stand out. We want to
make it spectacular,” he emphasises.
The lecture theatre, which will seat
1000, will be completed in 2012-2013 and
it is intended to be used for Nobel Lectures,
PHOTO: JEANETTE HÄGGLUND
and a huge investment in research, including a new research
laboratory – together these mean that Karolinska Institutet,
which celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2010, will have the
capacity to further consolidate its position as one of the world’s
leading medical universities.
New investments
– “Not
only are there are several new buildings that are essential to the growth of
KI, but we also need to replace some of
the current buildings that have become
run-down and outdated,” says Rune Fransson, Director at KI responsible for innovation
and infrastructure.
large symposia and events, as well as lectures
linked to the research and education conducted
at Karolinska Institutet. It will also house some
of KI’s administrative functions.
“We certainly have an exciting future ahead
of us,” concludes Rune Fransson. n
PER-ÅKE HULTBERG
KAROLINSKA
INSTITUTET
Karolinska Institutet, ranked 42nd
among the world’s top 100 seats of learning, holds the highest position in Sweden.
This ranking is produced by the Jiao Tong
University in Shanghai and is based on research performance, measured by Nobel
Prize awards and other recognitions as well
as articles published in scientific journals.
Biovitrum moves to the new Karolinska Science Park
Biovitrum, a pharmaceutical company with around 300 employees,
moved into Karolinska Science Park in January.
B
Biovitrum has specialist expertise in the area of
blood disorders and was established as a spinoff company from Pharmacia in Uppsala. Today the company conducts research and drug
development in areas such as haemophilia.
“One of the reasons behind the move was
its proximity to Karolinska Institutet and the
wealth of other research,” says Erik Kinnman,
Head of Investor Relations & Public Affairs
at Biovitrum.
“Here we have much better premises that
are completely new and have been designed
and optimised for research. We had been
looking for large, open spaces such as these,
and the move also means that we can also accommodate our newly acquired pharmaceutical company, Swedish Orphan International
Holding AB.” n
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
5
Solna – one of Sweden’s municipalities
of the future
Solna, together with Stockholm and Gothenburg, lies at the top
of the most recent barometer assessment of Swedish municipalities
conducted by Kairos Future, a research and analyst company. Solna
is an attractive location for both residents and businesses.
S
“It is a matter of making the most of
opportunities as they arise. Solna is conducting
more building work than other municipalities and is also successful in relation to emerging entrepreneurs, business development and
especially at attracting businesses from the
Skill - "Solna has all of the external growth
factors required and has also been particularly
adept at exploiting these factors,” says Mats
Lindgren, CEO of Kairos Future AB.
outside,” Mats Lindgren emphasises. “Some
municipalities have had external conditions
that are as good as Solna, but they have not
used these external factors with the same strategic acumen,” he says.
“Being at the top is not something that
should be taken for granted, despite being located in the Stockholm region. Solna, which
is the municipality ranked second in Sweden, could just as easily be in, for instance,
47th place if it weren’t for the purposeful
and long-term commitment to making the
most of its favourable preconditions and always being forward thinking. That applies
to both politicians and management. They
have clearly been able to improve a municipality that is already good," concludes Mats
Lindgren. n
PER-ÅKE HULTBERG
The ‘Framtidsbarometer’
• The ranking is based on a comprehensive analysis of some fifty or so factors that according to research and historical correlations have proved to be very significant in terms of the
ability of municipalities and regions to attract people and promote the growth and development
of businesses.
• The ranking indicates future potential – not how good or bad the municipalities are.
6
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
PHOTO: ANNA DIDRIKSSON
The study shows Solna lying at the very
top alongside Stockholm and Gothenburg.
Only Uppsala, out of the top ten municipalities, is located outside the local labour markets
of the three metropolitan areas. According to
Mats Lindgren, this is explained by factors
such as proximity to colleges and universities,
the breadth of the labour market and a rich
variety of accommodation.
“It is evident that people prefer to move to
the more densely populated regions, to areas
where a large number of people already live
– regions with high employment rates and
highly skilled people,” says Mats Lindgren.
He also points out that Solna in particular
has managed its assets well and thoughtfully
over several decades, especially over the last
ten years.
PHOTO: Kairos Future
“Solna has all of the external growth factors
required and has also been particularly adept at
exploiting these factors,” says Mats Lindgren,
CEO of Kairos Future AB.
What potential for growth is offered by
the municipalities of Sweden? What generates growth and what potential do these
municipalities have to attract people and allow businesses to grow and develop? These
were the questions that formed the basis of
Kairos Future’s Report ‘Framtidsbarometer’
(barometer for the future).
Illustration: Magnusson Source :SCB
75 000
60 000
45 000
YEAR
År
DIAGRAM:
9
201
5
201
1
201
7
200
3
200
9
199
5
199
1
199
7
198
3
198
9
197
5
197
197
1
30 000
7
future
90 000
196
s
Invånare
Population
Population trends in the city of Solna
A systematic investment
in the future
The transformation of Solna over the past decade is the result of
strategic decisions and hard work. Solna has transformed from being
a municipality with problems to a city with real confidence and strong
development at all levels.
G
‘Growth’ and ‘success’ are words that are synonymous with Solna. However, this has not always
been the case. Many people won’t recall how
bad things were in the 1980s. Solna had social
problems with many people living on social allowances. Construction tailed off and the population reduced by almost 10,000 in just a few
years. Solna was a municipality with problems.
Something had to be done. It was not possible to solve the problem by making savings and
raising taxes. The city had to grow and start to
build. A strategy was initiated that would in time
prove to be a goldmine for the City of Solna.
Central government -owned land was
purchased, plans drawn up and the land was
then resold at a good profit. Land at Frösunda,
Ulriksdal and Västra Järva has now, or is in the
process of being, transformed into new and
attractive city districts.
“This was the moment when the entire
development we are now in the midst of was
founded,” says Lars-Erik Salminen, Chair of the
Executive Board of the City of Solna. “Population trends were reversed and the city started to
grow, businesses moved in and confidence began
to return.”
“Since then we have seen enormous city-wide
growth at all levels. People and businesses are literally queuing up to move here. As we usually say,
we are making a systematic investment in getting
to the future first,” says Lars-Erik Salminen.
Solna’s recipe for success is founded on
growth through collaboration with the
business community.
Together with representatives of different
sectors of the business
community, academia, culture and sports
and other active stakeholders in Solna, the
City has produced a
common vision for
the future of Solna,
which is gradually First to the
future – “As we
being achieved.
usually say, we are mak-
Everyone benefits by working
ing a systematic investment in coming first to
the future,” says LarsErik Salminen, Chair of
the Executive Board of
the City of Solna.
together to create attractions and excitement in Solna. Lars-Erik Salminen explains that
this involves generating a creative environment,
where exciting things are continuously happening and where there is confidence and a desire
for perpetual renewal, development and growth.
This is the kind of environment that people want
to live and work in.
“My task as Chair of the City Executive Board
is to contribute to the city’s growth and development and ensure that we have an environment
that is safe and secure. All of our residents should
be satisfied and happy here.” n
PER-ÅKE HULTBERG
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
7
The school of
PHOTO: Jenny Thorell
the
future
is being created in Solna
A great atmosphere: Nada Toubi, Monique Sall, Daniel Sundgren, Saleh Sadi and Godfrey Collins are in their final year at Solna Gymnasium. They have seen how the college has developed during the three years they have studied there and believe the focus on ethics and morals
has led to a great atmosphere at the college. “Everyone is friends here and if a problem comes up it is dealt with,” says Nada Toubi.
Dedicated teachers A fine sense of community spirit. A good at-
mosphere. These are all terms used by students at Solna Upper Secondary School (Solna Gymnasium) to describe their school. Although
it is doing extremely well, Solna Upper Secondary School will become
even better through learning from other successful schools in Europe.
H
Head teacher Eivor Kebert’s room has one window that looks out onto the school corridor.
”I work on the principle that I can see everyone and they can all see me, which leads to
interesting meetings and discussions. I regard
myself as an educationalist and want to interact
with the students,” says Eivor Kebert.
Eivor Kebert believes that the success of
the school can be explained by the good dialogue
between staff and students and a drive to clarify
fundamental human values. And Solna Upper
Secondary School is certainly a success.
Between 2007 and 2009, there was a 30 per
cent increase in the number of students completing their upper secondary school programmes
with a pass or better grade, and Solna Upper
Secondary School is now the first choice for an
increasing number of students. Eivor Kebert
8
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
emphasises the importance of having the right
staff in the right positions and who apply clearly
defined procedures, following up the results of
every student.
“You can’t just say that students should shoulder their own responsibilities. You have to provide them with the tools to succeed,” she says.
The students also talk about the dedication of
the teachers and the ability of staff to cope with
problems when describing their school
“The teachers considerable expertise, they
are dedicated and helpful and want you to succeed," says Monique Sall who is in her final
year of the civics programme specialising in
economics and whose timetable includes toplevel football.
Over the period of a year, Solna Upper Secondary School participated in an initiative to im-
prove the school, where all of the head teachers in
the City of Solna, together with City executives,
visited schools in other European cities to gather
knowledge and inspiration. Eivor Kebert looks
on this initiative as a means of finding new pearls
of wisdom for the school.
Solna Upper Secondary School also
gives students the opportunity to choose sportsoriented courses, where they train with clubs
working with the school for three lessons during school hours. This cooperation with Solna’s
top level sports activities is reflected in the results
of sports successes at Solna Upper Secondary
School. The boys’ football team has qualified for
the World Championships and the girls’ teams
in both basketball and football will play in their
respective Swedish Championship finals.
Despite things going so well for Solna
Upper Secondary School Eivor Kebert doesn’t
want to rest on his laurels.
“We will never stop trying. New students and
new challenges are coming along all the time and
we must always be receptive and aware of what
is happening around us." n Jenny Thorell
PHOTOS: Erik Mårtensson
“Largest ever budget allocation – the centre received the largest ever budget
allocation when the Government granted funding for
strategic research – almost SEK 400 million for the period up until 2014, which is absolutely fantastic,” says
Mathias Uhlén), Professor of Microbiology at KTH.
“This is a
unique research
The building
environment that
understands the
importance of joining
forces in order to
move science forward and conquer
problems,” says
Jochen Schwenk,
above, a biochemist
from the University of
Tübingen.
blocks
of human life are being mapped here
The Science for Life Laborato-
ry opened in Solna in the spring
of 2010. This is an international
research unit and a hub for life
science research throughout
Sweden.
R
“Research into the processes that jointly constitute life has seen enormous progress over the
past ten years,” says Mathias Uhlén, Professor of
Microbiology at KTH Royal College of Technology. He is responsible for the strategic research
area around the Science for Life Laboratory
(SciLifeLab).
SciLifeLab was initiated by the Presidents of
KTH and the Karolinska Institutet and the ViceChancellor of the University of Stockholm and
represents a unique joint initiative.
“The centre received the largest ever
budget allocation when the Government
granted funding for strategic research – al-
most SEK 400 million for the period up until 2014, which is absolutely fantastic,” says
Mathias Uhlén.
“The centre is located in one of the modern
buildings known as ‘the Eggs’. Each building
covers an area of 3500 m2 and they lie just outside the Karolinska Institutet,” Mathias Uhlén
explains. “Here the architect has tried to create an open environment that functions as a
meeting place for both researchers and visitors.
The purpose of the unit is to be a resource for
scientists from all over the world who need an
infrastructure for their research into molecular
biosciences.”
The core of the initiative consists of an infrastructure for many different methods, such
as DNA sequencing, protein analysis and microscopy. SciLifeLab will be able to offer largescale analysis of biological material with high
accuracy and capacity.
“For me as a researcher educated in
Germany, this is a unique research environment
that understands the importance of joining forces in order to move science forward and conquer
problems,” says Jochen Schwenk, a biochemist
from the University of Tübingen.
He joined Mathias Uhlén’s research team in
2005 and became part of the largest research
project undertaken in Sweden to date – the mapping of human proteins.
“The primary objective of the project is
to profile proteins in blood from biobanks at the
Karolinska Institutet. This is done to enable us
to identify the parts that can be used to describe
differences between various health conditions.
Humans offer a unique source of the reagents we
need to be able to search for proteins in blood
plasma,” says Jochen Schwenk.
“This is an extremely unique era where all of the
building blocks of human life are being mapped
– genes, DNA and proteins. SciLifeLab will
play a leading role in this mapping," concludes
Mathias Uhlén. n
CHARLOTTE LUND PHALÉN
Karolinska Institutet – 200 years of serving life
Karolinska Institutet is a world-class player based in Solna.
The Institute celebrates its 200th anniversary in 2010 and there will
be a number of meetings, events and activities involving research and
education to mark this throughout the year.
K
Karolinska Institutet (KI) is one of the world’s
leading medical universities. The mission of the
Institute is to contribute to improving human
health through research and education. Forty
per cent of Sweden’s medical research is conducted at KI and the university has the country’s
widest range of medical courses.
Karolinska Institutet largely represents the
history of medicine in Sweden. The Kungliga
Carolinska Medico-Chirurgiska Institute was
founded in 1810, when the decision makers of
the day established a “seat of learning to benefit
those with skills in the field of medicine”. KI
was the first Swedish seat of learning to focus
exclusively on medicine and is currently the only
university in Sweden to be centred purely on
medicine.
The Institute integrated for the first time
in Sweden practical medical training and research with theoretical disciplines. This integrated approach laid the foundation for most
of the advanced healthcare currently offered
in Sweden.
In 1895 Alfred Nobel entrusted Karolinska
Institutet with the responsibility of awarding the
annual Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine.
Many of the discoveries made at KI have been
of major international importance, such as the
pacemaker, the gamma knife, the erythrocyte
sedimentation rate test, the Seldinger technique
and the purification of insulin. n
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
9
PHOTO: Katarina Fast Ehrlén
Kulturskolan
– a school with a living cultural heritage
Playing in an ensemble
requires concentration. It is even more exciting if there are 150 parents in the audience.
Kulturskolan has been selected as one of the best performing
arts schools in Sweden. Head teacher Inger Carlonberg is justified in
feeling proud of the school that she heads. For the City of Solna, the
award is proof that they are working on the right lines.
W
“We are a school where the cultural heritage lives
in constant symbiosis with modern technology
and contemporary methods of expression. We
are always trying to improve our activities; there
is always more to do," says Inger Carlonberg.
Kulturskolan in Solna is a municipal school
where 1,600 pupils attend courses in music, art,
dance and theatre.
The school also works closely with schools
and pre-schools in Solna, something that is
reflected by the ‘Startskottet’ initiative, where
children between the ages of five and eight can
take part in a varied cultural programme.
Startskottet has been around for a
number of years now. The initiative aims to give
all children the chance to experience culture and
be introduced to the opportunities offered by
10
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
culture. It is well thought of and the work was
rated highly following an evaluation.
Most of the activities at Kulturskolan revolve
around music, with more than 800 pupils enrolled. There are courses available for most instruments and musical styles, and six-year olds
and pensioners can come to play and have fun
together.
“It is really cool to see small children
performing with older people and in this way
Kulturskolan has become a place where children
and adults meet up and where age isn’t important,” says Inger Carlonberg.
Students can also take courses in theatre, art
and dance at Kulturskolan. Solna has a long tradition in dance, with the first municipal school
of dance opening 40 years ago.
“Our dance classes are constantly improving.
I would say that this is the most modern discipline at Kulturskolan. We have 450 students
between the ages of four up to upper secondary school level who are studying artistic dance.
There is an exciting gender perspective in this
discipline, as dance is about daring to use and
express your body as a human and not as a girl
or a boy,” says Inger Carlonberg. n
Emma Fahlstedt
KULTURSKOLAN
In 2009, 1,600 students were enrolled
at the school, which has 40 members of
staff (36 of these are teachers). Kulturskolan is run from the old Huvudsta folk
school and adjacent annex. In addition to
the courses on offer, students at the
school arrange a number of performances, concerts and exhibitions each year.
Kulturskolan had 22,316 visitors who attended 130 performances in 2009. Kulturskolan also provides cultural services
for other schools in the city.
EXCITING profile homes
for its elderly residents
At Oskarsro home for elderly
M
Magnus, who works at the home, strikes a
chord on his guitar. The tune is the beloved
classic Calle Scheven’s Waltz and they sing:
“On Roslagen´s isle, in a flowery bay, where
ripples wash in from the sea, the reeds slowly
rock, and the sweet new-mown hay is wafting
its fragrance to me … .” Most join in, but some
just sit and listen, enjoying the music.
Oskarsro is one of seven homes for elderly
Solna residents with its own profile – a song and
music profile. The initiative to create profiles for
eldercare homes came from the City of Solna.
The idea was conceived two years ago and this
year the plan is really coming to fruition. Solna
is the first place in Sweden to have profiled eldercare homes, of which Malin Appelgren is very
proud. She is a City Commissioner responsible for eldercare in Solna and innovator of the
concept.
“The older you GET, tthe more time you have
to develop different interests. Sometimes people
assume that all elderly people have the same interests, but nothing could be further from the
truth,” she says.
ICT, animals, art/handicrafts, nature/gardening, food/drink and film/literature/theatre
are six of the other profiles embraced by Solna’s
eldercare homes.
“Life should continue to offer interesting
experiences and opportunities for development when you move to a home,” says Malin
Appelgren. “Elderly residents shouldn't be in
an isolated environment that has little contact
with outside world. Quite the opposite!”
For example, a public art gallery is being run at Berga, which has an arts profile.
When the gallery was opened, the residents
mingled with 200 invited guests, ate canapés
and drank wine. At Oskarsro the care home
is directly adjacent to the performing arts
school, which provides residents with direct
contact with the city’s music scene. A home
PHOTO: RIKKARD HÄGGBOM
Solna residents the sound of a
guitar and voices drift down from
the top floor. The residents have
gathered together for coffee and
to sing traditional songs.
“Music’s fun,” says Sigrid, a
long-standing guest at the home.
CALLE SCHEWENS WALTZ Magnus,
who works at the home, strikes a chord on his
guitar. Most sing along, but some just sit and listen, enjoying the music. Oskarsro is one of seven
eldercare homes in Solna with its own profile – a
song and music profile.
that has a literature and film profile regularly
organises film showings at Filmstaden.
“A group of elderly gentlemen at
one of the homes with an Internet profile has
started to play online chess. Being connected
to the net also enables them to keep in touch
with their families via Skype and web cameras,”
says Malin.
Solna had already begun to contract out
the running of its homes for elderly people to
private companies by the 1990s. Today only
nine care homes are run by the City. For the
City of Solna the quality of the private tenders
is extremely important. Stakeholders competing to run the homes are therefore assessed in
terms of quality and not just on the price tag.
Malin Appelgren says that she is very happy
to be involved in the running of the project
and believes that Solna has set the ball rolling.
“The project has attracted a great deal
of attention throughout Sweden. Several other
municipalities have visited us to study our model,” says Malin Appelgren.
Staff members working at the various care
homes also see the
project as a positive
step. Annette Zippis
manages the operation at Oskarsro.
“Things are going well. Our job
is to make sure that
residents enjoy living here. We all work
together under the
same conditions and
towards the same
goal,” she says. An- Eldercare
nette has worked homes “Elderly
residents shouldn't be
within the eldercare in an isolated environservices for many ment that has little
years and is particu- contact with outside
world. Quite the oppolarly positive towards site!” says Malin Appelthe
collaboration gren, City Commissioner responsible for
with the City.
eldercare.
“The attitude of
the City of Solna is very open. They are interested in what we have to say, listen to our
opinions and want to share good ideas.” n
Edith Söderström
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
11
new Solna
is taking shape
1
4
3
Ulriksdal
Järvastaden
ARENASTADEN
Arenastaden is a new city district that is being devel-
1
oped, with Swedbank Arena – the new national arena
for football – at its heart. The arena will be opened in
2012. A hotel, which will be the tallest in the Stockholm
region, Scandinavia’s largest shopping centre and
around 10,000 places of work and 2,000 new homes
are being created adjacent to the arena. The first phase
of construction also includes a new head office for the
power and heating company Vattenfall Norden.
R
ås
t a Arenastaden
sj
ön
19
2
Råsunda
Karolinska
Solna City
A worldwide centre of excellence for
Life Science research and enterprise is
growing at Karolinska – Norra Station. Investments include a new university hospital, the New Karolinska Solna, the
Science for Life Laboratory and other research initiatives in the KI area, together
with new homes and places of work. In
total, this new city district will have
36,000 workplaces and 5,500 homes.
The investment is estimated to amount to
SEK 50 billion, the largest investment of
its kind in Sweden.
6
Solna C
n
7
Skytteholm
Fr
ös
Järvastaden
B
17
ä
16
s
ll
ta
v
Huvudsta
ik
e
Järvastaden is a new city district that is
being developed by the boundary between
Solna and Sundbyberg. This new district
will have 4,000 homes – apartment blocks,
terraced houses and semi-detached houses – restaurants, shops and other services.
It is estimated that 12,000 people will be
living in Järvastaden when the district is
completed in 2018.
en
3
un
da
le
de
18
5
uv
Ulriksdal
H
4
ud
st
al
ed
n
Ingent
The old racecourse at Ulriksdal is about to be de-
veloped into an attractive new city district. 1,500 homes
are currently being planned and built, 500 of which will be
townhouses. There will also be 125,000 m2 of premises for
offices, shops and other services. New Ulriksdal will be developed in phases and is planned to be finished 10 to 15
years after construction started in 2009.
12
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
U
lv
su
nd
as
jön
15
9
8
Bergshamra
ksdal
Ingenting
There are plans to build homes and offices at Ingenting, a new city district adjacent
to a former National Laboratory, which was
designed by the internationally renowned
Swedish Architect Gunnar Asplund, and is
one of the country’s most important buildings
of the modern era. Around 700 new homes
and 48,000 m2 of business premises will be
constructed in this area of cultural and historical interest.
Frösunda
B
ru
nn
sv
ik
en
6
drawn up for the area around Solna
City aimed at developing and highlighting Solna Centrum shopping
centre. The building of new homes
and workplaces together with a new
public transport service using the
Tvärbanan (Lateral Line) is planned
for the area, which will create a more
distinct city atmosphere and provide
a better link between the shopping
centre and Råsunda city district.
There are also plans to substantially
improve Solna Centrum.
10
20
Solna City
Designs are currently being
21
C
12
11
13
Hagalund
7
Tvärbanan
Tvärbanan (Lateral Line) light rail
service will be extended to Solna
Station from Alvik via Solna Business
Park and Solna Centrum. It will be
possible to travel to and from Solna
by tram from 2013.
Hagaparken
8
Confidencen Rococo Theatre
9
Ulriksdal Palace
10 The Butterfly House
11 The Copper Tents
12 Haga Palace
22
5
13 Gustav III’s Pavilion
14 Karlberg Palace
Ingenting
15
5
2
15 Pampas Marina
16 Solna Strand
17 Stora Blå – property complex being developed
18 Solna Business Park
19 Filmstaden
20 Solna Station
Karlberg
21 Frösunda city district
22 Karolinska Institutet
14
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
13
The BEST BUSINESS
environment in Sweden
For the third year in row, Solna is at the top of an annual rank-
ing of the business environment in Swedish municipalities conducted by the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise. This is the fifth time
in the 2000s that Solna has occupied the top position.
S
“Solna is consistently given very high ratings
by its companies. This means that Solna is a
municipality that cares about its businesses
and is continuously working to improve their
conditions. This makes Solna an example
from which other municipalities can learn,”
says Carina Centrén, who is responsible for
the local business environment at the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise.
Solna’s ambition since the end of the 1990s
has been to be the most business-friendly
municipality in Sweden. This ambition was
first achieved in 2004. Since then Solna has
occupied the top spot in 2005, 2008, 2009,
and 2010. n
Collaboration with the business community
– Solna’s prescription for low unemployment
The unemployment figures speak for themselves - Solna has
coped well with the financial crisis when compared with Stockholm
County and Sweden.
T
The average figures for youth unemployment and unemployment among those born
outside of Sweden were lower for Solna than for
Stockholm County in 2009. Youth unemployment was 2.4 per cent in Solna compared with
3.4 per cent for the county. The unemployment
level for those born outside of Sweden was 3.5
14
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
per cent in Solna compared to 5.8 per cent for
the county.
Despite low youth unemployment, the
City has introduced a youth guarantee which
means that the City of Solna guarantees all
young people registered with the Swedish Public Employment Service a place on a training
programme. The guarantee offers young people
the freedom to choose between courses available
via Solna’s adult education services, supplementing their educational grades or going on longer
vocational training programmes at an upper
secondary school.
Matching Solna residents who are looking
for work with jobs and work-experience programmes has also had an effect on subsistence
allowance. The number of households, the average allowance and the total support paid has
gone down compared with 2009. n
PER-ÅKE HULTBERG
PHOTO: JEANETTE HÄGGLUND
The average open unemployment in Solna was
2.4 per cent for 2009. This is lower compared
with both Stockholm County (3.1 per cent) and
Sweden as a whole (4.0 per cent).
“Despite the financial crisis and recession we
have managed to keep unemployment at a low
level. This is the result of a close collaboration
with the business community to match Solna
residents who are looking for work with the
jobs and work-experience programmes available,” says Kristina Tidestav, Deputy CEO of
the City of Solna who is responsible for commercial issues.
Low unemployment - “Despite
the financial crisis and recession we have managed to keep unemployment at a low level,”
says Kristina Tidestav, Deputy CEO of the City
of Solna.
Building environmentally
friendly cities
Solna is a city that is expanding rapidly. Although
this entails considerable potential, requirements
have also been imposed for the city to grow in a
way that is not only environmentally friendly, accessible and pleasing but which also promotes health
and is kind to the environment.
To ensure the long-term supply of
environmentally friendly district heating,
Solna and Sundbyberg have decided to jointly
build a biofuel-based district heating facility in
Norra Kymlinge, south of Kista. The facility
will produce both eco-labelled electricity and
district heating and is expected to be commissioned by 2014 at the earliest.
Lars-Erik Salminen points out that this
investment means that
Solna and Sundbyberg will significantly
reduce their carbon
dioxide emissions,
which represents
a huge step in the
work to create a sustainable society.
“The new facility
will provide current
residents with access
to locally-produced
electricity and heating at very attractive
prices,” he states.
Traffic is also a priority issue for Solna,
not least in environmental respects. A determined effort is currently underway to reduce
the negative impact on the environment by
reducing the need to travel by car. Solna already has good public transport services with
access to two commuter train stations, three
underground lines and a number of bus serv-
PHOTO: ISTOCK
W
“We have had the most rapid population
growth in Sweden over the past six years,
which requires an increase in access to renewable energy. This must be done at the same
time as reducing energy usage,” says Lars-Erik
Salminen, Chair of the City Executive Board
in Solna.
Norrenergi AB, which produces, distributes and sells district heating and cooling to
customers in Solna and Sundbyberg, is an important component in this work. Currently 98
per cent of the district heating produced by
Norrenergi AB is generated from renewable
sources. This means that 95 per cent of homes
in Solna are heated using renewable energy.
ices. Further improvements will be made to
these services.
The first step will be to extend the Tvärbanan
(Lateral Line) light rail service from Alvik to
Solna Station, via Solna Business Park and
Solna Centrum. When this new service is in
operation in 2013, the journey from Alvik to
Solna will only take 17 minutes. n PER-ÅKE HULTBERG
ÅF takes big step forward by moving to Solna
PHOTO: JEANETTE HÄGGLUND
Four years ago the consultancy
company ÅF decided to move all
of its Stockholm-based operations
to Solna. It has now been eighteen months since 1,000 people
moved into one office building at
Haga Norra in Solna.
Why did you move to Solna?
“It was for a combination of factors. We wanted
to have our entire workforce under one roof and
at the same time needed a better location for our
head office. In conjunction with this the City of
Solna, even at the highest level, displayed a very
clear and considerable commitment to get us
to move to Solna, and here we are today. Solna
has certainly lived up to its reputation of being
I
a City that looks after businesses,” states Jonas
Wiström, President and CEO of ÅF.
How has this initial period in Solna been?“
“It has exceeded all of our expectations. We have
wonderful premises with open-plan offices and
better communication possibilities than we had
previously,” says Jonas Wiström and emphasises
that the move to a Green Building has meant
an annual reduction in rental costs of SEK 5
million.
Besides changing offices and your location, what
else has the move meant?
“The move has generated more pride in the
company, partly because we have all of our employees under one roof and partly because of the
building itself. We have a better sign location
here and it is also easier for our customers to
visit. We are closer
to Arlanda airport
and don’t have to
pay the congestion
charge.”
The only drawback that Jonas
Wiström can see is
the lack of an underground station.
The extension of
the
Tvärbanan
(the Lateral Line)
light rail service to
nearby Solna Station is something Jonas Wiström
that he warmly President and CEO of ÅF
welcomes. n
SAMUEL HULTBERG
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
15
PHOTO: JEANETTE HÄGGLUND
Haga Park has been a peaceful oasis for recreation and enjoy-
ing nature since the 1700s. Crown
Princess Victoria will soon move
into Haga Palace with her husband
Prince Daniel. This palace is where
King Carl XVI Gustaf grew up with
his sisters, the Haga Princesses.
O
“Of course we are extremely happy that people will be living there again," says Anders
Ekegren, City Commissioner responsible for
issues concerning urban development. He is
referring to the fact that the palace has only
been occupied sporadically since 1964, when
the palace became guest accommodation for
visiting government dignitaries.
Turning the palace back into a permanent
royal residence, 60 years after the family moved
out, has naturally involved a great deal of work,
both externally and inside the building. Planting
around the palace follows the English landscape
style.
Haga Palace
“It involves planting small bushes to tall
trees,” says Gunnar Björkman, Park Manager
for Royal Parks in the Stockholm Region. “The
plants enhance Haga Park and frame Haga Palace beautifully.”
A new waterside walkway, which is three
metres wide, has also been laid alongside
Brunnsviken.
Anders Ekegren is quick to dismiss rumours
that public access to the popular park will now
be severely restricted.
once again a
royal residence
Haga Palace – The Queen’s Pavilion
Gustav IV Adolf, who then used it as a royal residence until the end of the First World
War. The palace was also known as the
Queen’s Pavilion.
The palace was renovated and modernised in the 1930s to become the residence
of Gustaf Adolf and Princess Sibylla. King
Carl XVI Gustaf and his four sisters, the
Haga Princesses, were all born in Haga
Palace and lived there until 1947 when
Crown Prince Gustaf Adolf died.
Ready. Haga Palace is almost ready to
Since then the Government has used the
become the residence of Crown Princess Vicpalace as accommodation for visiting fortoria and Prince Daniel.
eign dignitaries.
16
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
“Most of Haga Park is still open to the
PHOTO: SOLNA STAD
PHOTO: JONAS EKSTRÖMER/SCANPIX
The palace was built on the orders of
public. The only area that is restricted is in the
immediate vicinity of the palace, required for
both security and privacy reasons,” says Anders
Ekegren, who takes for granted that interest in
visiting the park will increase now that there
is a royal crownprincess in residence. He sees
this as a very positive development. He believes
that Solna will consequently attract even more
attention than it does today. n
PER-Åke Hultberg
HAGA PARK
PHOTO: JEANETTE HÄGGLUND
– more than just Haga Palace
Haga Park is one of the world’s best examples of an ‘English
park’ and forms part of the world’s first National City Park. The park
has some beautiful pavilions as well as other buildings of great
historical importance. There is always something new to discover in
Haga Park, whether in summer and in winter.
PHOTO: ANNA DIDRIKSSON
H
Haga Park has really been spruced up and the
Royal national Park has now been restored to
its former glory. Both Haga Palace and the
Copper Tents are gleaming after their restoration work.
Although Haga is currently associated with
the Crown Princess, it was Gustav III who laid
the groundwork for the park’s unique design.
Gustav III Pavilion is open to visitors in the
summer and it was this palace that the King
left to attend the fated masked ball at the Swedish Opera House in 1792. There are several
unique buildings in the park, each of which
has its own exciting history.
It is worth visiting the well-known cobalt
blue Copper Tents, which were built as barracks for the royal guards, and the old palace
foundations, which are all that’s left of the Gustav III’s dream to build a monumental palace.
The foundations of the old palace are transformed into a theatre stage during the summer
months, something which would doubtlessly
have pleased theatre-loving Gustav III. n
EMMA FAHLSTEDT
Solna invigorated by events
and experiences
Solna offers an endless variety of things to see and do, from
the royal palaces and parks of Haga and Ulriksdal, to national festivals
and international matches, the legendary Filmstaden and the beautiful
beach at Huvudsta.
SportiS events are another visitor
magnet in Solna, which is why the City is continually working to attract more events, such as
the UEFA Women’s Championship in 2013. If
Sweden were to be selected as the host country,
the final would be played at the new national
arena, Swedbank Arena.
“Living in a city where so much is happening is
great fun for residents, and the experience and
visitor industries are a growing business area,
creating both job opportunities and growth. In
this particular case, it is also great to give our
women footballers the chance to play and watch
world-class football on their own home turf,”
says Caroline Strand.
The visitor industry and tourism is increasing significantly in Solna, and Haga will
account for some of this growth. The Crown
Princess and her husband moving to Haga Palace
will mean that more visitors will be interested in
visiting the park.
“We will continue to roll up our sleeves and work
hard. We have a number of exciting projects with
the Office of the Governor of the Royal Palaces
and various businesses and it is now a case of
having the courage to try out new ideas and
forms of partnership. It is inspiring for Solna
to be involved in all of the exciting things that
are happening at the moment,” says Caroline
Strand.n
PHOTO: JEANETTE HÄGGLUND
T
The City of Solna focuses on the ‘total event
experience’, to make the experience as positive
as possible for the visitor. This is down to a good
network of stakeholders whose ambition is to
raise Solna to even greater heights. Caroline
Strand, Chief Marketing Officer at the City of
Solna, works closely with the visitor industry.
“We are working on various projects with
business and other important partners, such as
the Office of the Governor of the Royal Palaces,
sports associations and cultural stakeholders. We
are currently developing Haga Park as a tourist
attraction. There's a new website – visithaga.se
– and a new approach to the guided water traffic, including a new landing stage, and touring
coaches to Haga," says Caroline Strand. “Our
mission is to improve Solna and ensure that we
provide a good return to our citizens.”
Working together
– “We have a
number of exciting projects with the Office of the
Governor of the Royal Palaces and various businesses and it is now a case of having the courage to try out new ideas and forms of partnership,” says Caroline Strand, Chief Marketing
Officer at the City of Solna.
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
17
SWEDBANK ARENA
ILLUSTRATION: ARKITEKTERNA KROOK & TjÄDER
BERGS ARKITEKTKONTOR, POPOULUS (HOK SPORTS)
forms the heart of a new city district
Swedbank Arena can accommodate an audience of 65,000 for concerts and seat 50,000 for football matches
Crown Princess Victoria cut the first sod. Now the supporting
framework has been delivered, most of the south stand has been
completed and the roof will be lifted into place in the autumn. In 2012
the Swedbank Arena will be ready for its opening ceremony. Sweden
will then have a modern national football stadium as well as a multipurpose arena for major events, while Solna will have a completely new
city district with the arena at its heart.
M
Major changes are taking place in the old industrial district around Solna – you could say a total
transformation.
From his office on the seventh floor of a
building in the middle of Arenastaden, Christian Alexandersson, CEO of Arenastaden and
the Swedbank Arena, enjoys following the daily
progress of the unique new multi-arena as it rises
from the ground, pillar by pillar.
“It feels fantastic to have been involved
in laying the foundations for something that
will provide extraordinary experiences,” says
Christian Alexandersson. He continues by saying that the aim of the arena is to be a leading
venue in the Scandinavian experience industry, not only for football but also for other
sports and events. The arena should be pleasant
18
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
to visit, enjoyable and comfortable.
This will be a state-of-the-art, multi-purpose
arena that can be quickly transformed to host
different types of event, from football matches to major concerts with artists from all over
the world, as well as events on ice and motor
events such as bandy and speedway. Trucks can
drive straight into the arena to load and unload
equipment. There is a sliding roof, which means
that events can take place throughout the year
in either an attractive indoor arena or a natural
outdoor atmosphere.
The arena can accommodate an audience of 65,000 for concerts and seat 50,000 for
football matches and amazingly can be emptied
in just six minutes. Security around the arena
was a priority matter during planning, involv-
ing both the police and emergency services. Five
emergency drills, addressing 24 possible scenarios, will be conducted before the arena opens.
Christian Alexandersson stresses that nothing
will be left to chance.
The end result will be much more than an
arena.
“At the same time, a number of houses,
offices as well as a 400-room hotel, which is going to be the tallest in the Stockholm region, are
also being built nearby. Arenastaden in Solna,
including the Swedbank Arena, will be a unique
city district,” explains Christian Alexandersson,
as he looks out over the construction site where
currently 200 people are working. It is difficult
to envisage that this area will be transformed
into a modern, pulsating urban district with the
atmosphere of a city in just a couple of years.
There will eventually be 2,000 apartments and
10,000 workplaces in Arenastaden, including a
new head office for Vattenfall Norden, which is
a major employer.
“It is exciting to see the arena taking shape
day by day. No arena on this scale has ever been
built in Sweden,” Christian Alexandersson emphasises. n
PER-ÅKE HULTBERG
Quick and easy to get
to Arenastaden
A third of the Swedish population will be able to get to Arenas-
taden and the Swedbank Arena in less than 90 minutes. You will be
able to get there quickly and easily however you choose to travel
and particularly if you use public transport to Solna Station – one of
Sweden’s busiest stations.
T
“Arenastaden in Solna
including the Swedbank Arena, will be a
unique city district,” says Christian Alexandersson, CEO of Arenastaden.
The new Solna Station will be ready in time
for the opening of the Swedbank Arena and
will have a northern entrance for Arenastaden.
At the same time, a commuter train service to
Uppsala (via Arlanda) will be put into operation.
In addition to the commuter train – seven
minutes from Stockholm Central Station – the
Tvärbanan (Lateral Line) light rail service will
be extended from Alvik via Solna Centrum to
Solna Station. Two underground stations (Solna Centrum and Näckrosen) are also within
walking distance.
At the current time, there are already a
number of bus services that converge on Solna
Station, and the City would like to extend the
underground line from Odenplan to Solna
Station via the New Karolinska Solna. How-
ever, one thing is certain – it will be easier to get
to see international matches and other major
events in the future. n
PER-ÅKE HULTBERG
Transport facts
• 7 minutes by commuter train to Stockholm Central Station
• 9 minutes by underground from Solna Centrum to T-Centralen
• 6 minutes from the centre of Stock-
holm by car
• 25 minutes by commuter train to
Arlanda Airport
• 15 minutes by bus from Solna Cen-
trum to Bromma Airport
• There are ten different bus services in the area
The best
workplace in Sweden
The SAS Institute, which is
based in Solna, has been recognised as the best workplace in
Sweden for the fourth year in a
row. A workplace where employees enjoy their work is synonymous with success.
H
“Happy workers lead to a more efficient business,” comments Liselotte Janson, CEO of
the SAS Institute, when the company came
top of the ‘Best Workplaces in Sweden’ within
the category ‘Organisations with up to 250
employees’. The survey was conducted by the
Great Place to Work Institute, an analyst and
consultancy firm.
“We have worked very hard to establish
a company culture with enduring trust between the company and its employees.” says
Liselotte Janson. “This means that everyone
in the company has a great deal of respect for
one another and that everyone can be creative and enjoy freedom while also assuming
responsibilities."
“WE HAVE MADE SURE WE HAVE THE
RIGHT person in the right position, so that
everyone feels they fit in their roles. That creates a good cycle; a good atmosphere contributes to good results. Good results make work
more enjoyable, which in turn creates a good
and enjoyable atmosphere and so on," says
Liselotte Janson.
“We have a clear strategy of treating our
employees with respect and seeing the whole
person. If you treat workers as if they make a
difference to the company, then they will make
a difference,” Liselotte Janson states.
A simple concept lies at the heart of their
business model: happy employees lead to happy
customers, which ultimately improves the company's results.n
COMPANY
CULTURE
– “We have a
culture that
rewards innovation and encourages colleagues
to pursue new
avenues,” says
Liselotte Janson,
CEO of the SAS
Institute.
FACTS
Every year the Great Place to
Work Institute identifies the best workplaces in Sweden based on employee relations with management, work tasks,
organisational structure and each other.
The SAS Institute is a leading company for the provision of data to support decision making, where advanced analysis
represents an integral part of the work.
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
19
FILMING
The shooting of Änglavakt, a film starring Michael Nyqvist and Izabella Scorupco. The film premi ered in
located in Solna.
The history and F
of Swedish filmmaking
Filmregion
STOCKHOLM - MÄLARDALEN
PHOTO: JEANETTE HÄGGLUND
Is a member organisation for municipalities who want to use film and television to increase their competitiveness
and create growth and employment in
collaboration with the film industry.
Members: the City of Solna, the Municipalities of Botkyrka, Gotland (via the
Gotland Film Fund), Nyköping and
Nynäshamn, Regionförbundet Örebro/
Filmpol Mitt, the City of Stockholm and
Filmallians Stockholm-Mälardalen (FAS),
which is the industry’s interest association.
Filmstaden in Råsunda was the hub of Swedish film production from the
1920s until the 1970s. Now Filmstaden and Solna are once again on their
way to reclaiming their position as Sweden’s strongest cluster for filming.
It is therefore self-evident that the City of Solna has become involved in
Filmregion Stockholm-Mälardalen, which is located at Filmstaden.
F
"Here in Solna there are around a
thousand people whose work involves moving
pictures in some way or another, and much of
this takes place at Filmstaden,” says Anders
Ekegren, City Commissioner and Chair of Filmregion Stockholm-Mälardalen.
“Films have always been important to Solna and
are an excellent way of advertising and marketing the region and municipality,” says Anders
Ekegren, City Commissioner and Chair of Filmregion Stockholm-Mälardalen.
“Just look at what the Wallander films have
done for Ystad. Jobs are generated in a creative
industry that itself generates a number of positive
effects for both tourism and the local economy at
the same time as strengthening its own cultural
identity,” Anders Ekegren continues.
Anders Ekegren stresses that filming
at Filmstaden never really stopped. Scenes from
several Swedish television series and films have
been recorded here. Anders Ekegren also points
out that Solna has many unique and authentic
Making Solna safe and secure
“Although safety is difficult to measure, surveys show that
Solna is a safe place to live and work,” says Marie Hummer, Chief of
Community Police in Solna.
A
A close collaboration between the City of
Solna, the community police, schools, social
services and other external stakeholders means
that we are now jointly tackling the problems
of crime, drugs and vandalism. The aim is
simple – to reduce crime and improve safety
and security.
It is forecast that the population of Solna
will increase from its current figure of 65,000
to 80,000 by 2015. According to Marie Hummer an increase of this magnitude will bring
20
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
new challenges for all of the people involved
and working in the city.
“Solna’s not only an expanding city –
it’s also a city that’s well-run. That’s why the
prospects of improving safety and security and
preventing crime are good, despite increasing
population numbers,” she says.
The work to improve safety and security in
Solna has been divided into four main areas:
crime; drugs; accident prevention; and well-be-
environments that lend themselves to filming,
not least the palaces in the area.
However, the focus is not currently on making
films. Instead, it is the number of film companies
that have recognised the advantages of locating
there. This trend started around ten years ago
when SF – Svensk Filmindustri – moved back
to the area. Since then Universal and 20th Century Fox, the US film production companies,
have located their Scandinavian offices here. A
number of smaller Swedish companies have also
moved to the area.
“One thing has led to another. Today,
a large proportion of all Swedish voiceovers for
animated films are recorded at Filmstaden at
SDI Media. Here in Solna there are around a
ing and safety in outdoor environments. Crime
prevention initiatives are the most important
aspects for the community police in Solna.
“Our youth work is by far the most important. We have activities where police officers visit
schools and spend time with the pupils to get to
know them in order to create a good platform
for dialogue,” says Marie Hummer.
Another important aspect of our crime prevention work is neighbourhood watch schemes
in all kinds of residential districts, which aim to
prevent burglary and theft.
“It has been shown that a strong neighbourhood watch network really does reduce the risk
of burglaries and thefts,” says Marie Hummer.
“Our work involves arranging informative
PHOTO: ANNA DIDRIKSSON
d FUTURE
thousand people whose work involves moving pictures in some way or another, and
much of this takes place at Filmstaden,” says
Anders Ekegren.
“Although we had the track
record, skills and experience, we were
forced to watch the Stockholm region lose almost all of its filming to the provinces within
a relatively short period of time. Around 90
per cent of all Swedish films were produced
in the Stockholm region up until the 1990s.
This had fallen to 10 per cent just ten years
later. Filmregion Stockholm-Mälardalen,
which involves both municipalities and private companies, is successfully working to
reverse this trend and Solna is naturally an
active partner in this work,” he says.
“Of course we think that more movies should
be filmed here. The major breakthrough was
the Stieg Larsson Millennium trilogy, most
of which was filmed here in the region. Now
the tide has really turned!” n
PER-ÅKE HULTBERG
meetings and talks so that more associations
can be set up.” Despite a high level of safety and
security in the city, Marie Hummer believes that
there is still much to be done.
“We want to have a more visible presence
both at Solna Centrum and locally out in the
various city districts. Feelings of safety and security increase when we become more visible,”
says Marie Hummer, who also emphasises that
Children from the audience are included in the interactive
There is always something
new to experience here
Culture holds a clear and distinct place in the development of
Solna. There is always something exciting to discover, whether you
are young or old.
T
Teater SAT – the oldest amateur theatre society in Solna – performs new and contemporary
productions at the outdoor theatre at Huvudsta
beach every summer as well as periodically during the year.
“In addition to performances by Teater SAT,
the unique Solnadals Värdshus offers many exciting cultural encounters between the public
and some of Sweden’s most prominent artists,”
says Annika Malmborg, who is responsible for
culture and events in the City of Solna.
Solna has traditionally had a major interest in dance, and the first dance school in the
city opened over forty years ago. Street Star is
one of the associations that keep these dance
traditions alive, hosting the annual Street Star
Festival where dancers from all over the world
come together.
The City of Solna works to promote
cultural experiences from an early age and this is
encouraged in different ways, including through
Kulturskolan and the library.
“We believe that there should be a high-quality programme for children with skilled teachers.
Solna Kulturskolan is one of the leading cultural
schools in Sweden and we are very proud of this
fact. We also offer popular after-school activities
that allow children to develop by being actively
creative in various artistic expressions,” says Annika Malmborg.
The City of Solna awards culture and music
studentships to encourage and develop talent
and interests in both children and adults. The
fundamental principle underlying all cultural
work is collaboration with clubs and associations
as well as the business community.
“We have developed many exciting cultural projects in collaboration with others. The
task of the City is to be the spider in the web and
have a close dialogue with our citizens. Culture
should be easily accessible and that is an aspect
that we would like to improve even further,” says
Annika Malmborg.
There are a large number of recreational and
historical cultural environments in Solna where
cultural events are arranged on a regular basis.
Libraries and outdoor venues arrange events for
all ages.
Summer is the peak time when a number of
cultural venues are open, such as Confidencen,
the oldest rococo theatre in Sweden located in
the grounds of Ulriksdal Palace, or Kafé Sjöstugan at the north of Bergshamra. The latter is
also an important organiser of cultural events,
including a range of concerts and handicraft
workshops. n
Emma Fahlstedt
the police are only one aspect of the safety and
security work being conducted in Solna.
“Solna won’t become safer and more secure
through our efforts alone. A safer society requires
a good collaboration between the City, police,
social services and other stakeholders. Fundamentally, Solna is currently such a safe and secure
city because of the joint acceptance of responsibility and commitment to the city.” n
SAMUEL HULTBERG
One of several safety and security projects
‘Förspel’ is a football-related project that has been jointly organised by Solna and AIK Fotboll
AB since 2009. The project involves filling the square at Råsunda with music, youth activities and
other entertainment prior to the derby and other high-risk football matches. Solna’s community
police force participates in the project within the framework of crime prevention and operational
tasks for football.
PHOTO: JEANETTE HÄGGLUND
premi ered in the spring of 2010. The production offices were
Children on stage
performances at Confidencen.
Neighbourhood watch “It is a
fact that a strong neighbourhood watch network
reduces the risk of break-in and thefts,” says
Marie Hummer.
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
21
New city districts
ILLUSTRATION: PEAB
PHOTO: BILDBYRÅN
in wonderful environments for residents
Private houses
The new houses at Järvastaden and Ulriksdal represent a break in tradition for Solna.
New homes and workplaces are springing up in the six new city
districts in Solna. New forms of housing and sizes of apartment are
being created that meet the needs of Solna residents at all stages of
their lives.
A
Apartment blocks have historically been the
main form of housing in Solna, predominantly small apartments. Not so many years ago,
more than 50 per cent of the housing stock
comprised one- and two-room apartments.
However, the new city districts, in particular
Järvastaden and Ulriksdal, are changing things
significantly.
The present construction boom in Solna
has two historical equivalents. The first was a
twenty-year period starting in the 1890s, when
areas such as Hagalund, Huvudsta and Råsunda were constructed. The second period was
when the districts of Bergshamra, Skytteholm
and Solna Centrum were developed, starting
after the Second World War and continuing
until the 1960s.
22
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
Apartment blocks were prioritised during
both these periods of building work. This also
explains why detached and terraced houses only make up around three per cent of the housing in Solna. Most of the 800 private houses
that do exist can be found in Råsunda, Råstahem, Solna kyrkby and around Bergshamra.
This is why the new building work at
Järvastaden and Ulriksdal represents an important break in tradition for Solna. On the
part of the City, it is important to ensure that
Solna residents have the option to stay in Solna
when their families grow. Consequently larger
apartments are now being built – apartments
with four rooms or more, which have been in
short supply up until now – as well as a large
number of private houses.
“It feels really good that we can now finally
meet the demand of Solna residents for housing that is both close to nature and closer to
the ground, but which is also near both public
transport and the E4/E18,” says Anders Ekegren, City Commissioner responsible for issues
concerning urban development.
Part of Järvastaden, which will eventually become a city district with 12,000 inhabitants, is going to be a garden city with two- and
three-storey terraced houses that will each have
a small garden.
The townhouses in the new district of
Ulriksdal are reminiscent of typical terraced
houses, but are different in that their gardens
are more like large patio areas. These are intended as alternatives for city dwellers who
don’t want to spend a great deal of time gardening and seek to avoid taking on all the normal
arduous duties of house owners. n
PER-ÅKE HULTBERG
PHOTO: BILDBYRÅN
The Elite League beckons
League (SEL), the top league.
AIK men’s ice hockey team made it to the Swedish Elite
Solna – one of Sweden’s
best sporting cities
Solna lies in the top league of leading sports cities in Sweden.
Both men and women in the city have achieved great sporting successes over a broad range of disciplines.
“It’s very creditable, but we’re still not satisfied. Solna could be
even better at sports,” says Kennet Siverling, who is responsible for
sports issues at the City of Solna.
I
In 2006, Solna decided to improve sport in Solna
by investing SEK 136m. Now, four years later,
significant improvements can be seen on the
sporting front.
A new ice rink, a new riding school, renovated and improved facilities for sports such as
football, athletics, bandy and floorball are just
some of the investments made by the City. However, Solna still has its foot on the accelerator.
Solna invested a further SEK 50 million
in facilities and sports associations last year
and these investments have borne fruit. Solna’s
children and young people are twice as active
as the average for the county of Stockholm as
a whole.
“This isn’t just proof that Solna is a
strong city for sport. It’s also a health indicator
and means that our children and young people
are active, in good health and quite simply feel
good,” says Kennet Siverling.
There is no doubt that Solna’s residents
have reason to feel proud of the city's sporting achievements. When 'Sport och affärer'
magazine ranked Sweden's best sporting municipalities in 2009, Solna came out top in the
category youth and scope of sports. Solna was
fourth overall, with only Gothenburg, Stockholm and Malmö ranking higher.
“The reason for Solna’s residents have
reason to feel proud of the city's sporting achievements. When 'Sport och affärer' magazine
ranked Sweden's best sporting municipalities in
2009, Solna came out top in the category youth
and scope of sports. Solna was fourth overall,
with only Gothenburg, Stockholm and Malmö
ranking higher.
“The reason behind Solna’s success was the
early recognition of the need to provide funding for sports,” says Kennet Siverling. “Solna has
a history of providing good sporting facilities
and we were one of the first in Sweden to install
Astroturf and synthetic ice. Good facilities have
provided youth and general sports associations
with the resources they need to be able to successfully produce top-level sportsmen and women in
their respective sports.” n SAMUEL HULTBERG
Sporting success:
AIK Football (men): Winners
of Allsvenskan (the highest league
in Sweden), the Swedish Cup and
the Super Cup in 2009. This
meant that the club became the
first ever to win the treble. The
club has played in Allsvenskan for
80 seasons and has won the
Swedish league title eleven times.
Founded in 1891.
AIK Football (women): Finished fourth in the Women’s Alls-
venskan in 2009. Home matches
are played at Skytteholms IP.
Founded in 1970.
six championship finals. Founded
in 1998.
AIK Hockey: Qualified for the
won two Swedish championship
titles and have come second
twice. Founded in 1996.
Solna Vikings (women):
AIK Women’s Bandy: With
13 wins in 17 finals, the team has
won more Swedish championship
titles than any other team. Founded in 1976.
Vasalunds IF: Have played in
the second highest league for 22
seasons. Play home matches at
Skytteholms IP.
Elite League in 2009. Winners of
seven Swedish championships,
they play their home matches at
Hovet in Stockholm. Founded in
1921.¨
AIK Women’s Hockey: The
women’s team has won three
Swedish titles and has played in
AIK Floorball: The team has
Solna Vikings (men): Swedish champions six times, most recently in 2003 and 2008.
Swedish champions eight times,
most recently in 2008 and 2009.
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
23
WE ARE BUILDING
SOLNA TOGETHER
VISITING ADDRESS
Solna Stad
Stadshusgången 2
(Solna Centrum)
SE-171 86 Solna
SWEDEN
24
SOLNA THE CITY OF THE FUTURE
POSTAL ADDRESS
Solna Stad
SE-171 86 Solna
Sweden
TEL
+46-8-734 20 00
Akademiska Hus
Archus
Biovitrum
Berg Arkitekter
BAU
Diligentia
Fabege
Förenade Care
Handelsbanken Solna
Humlegården
Ikano Bostad
Ingridskolan
JM
Järvastaden
Karolinska Institutet
Swedish Military Academy Karlberg
Norrenergi
Nyréns Arkitektkontor
PEAB
Swedish Police Academy
Ramböll
Rodamco
SAS Institute
Skanska
SKB
Solna Gymnasium
Solna One
Stockholm County Council
AB Storstockholms Lokaltrafik
Sweco
Swedbank
Unibail - Rodamco
Vasakronan
Wåhlin Fastigheter
ÅF
EMAIL
[email protected]
WEB
www.solna.se