One of the most secure, stable and connected places in the world

Welcome to
Skellefteå.
One of the most secure, stable and connected
places in the world, an extraordinary location
for data centre investment returns
1
Welcome to Skellefteå.
One of the most secure, stable and connected places in the world,
an extraordinary location for data centre investment returns.
Nestled in the north of Europe, you find Sweden – a
top performing and innovative nation. Look further
north, to the most northerly part of Sweden, and you
will find the region of Skellefteå – the center of one
of
the fastest-growing regions in the world. Skellefteå,
the second most specialized city in Sweden within
the ICT sector, is the center of a highly productive
region with strong and diverse business sectors.
The region of Skellefteå
The city of Skellefteå, bordering Swedish Lapland on the 64th
parallel, is the ideal home for your data center. The city itself has
huge advantages for business, with additional advantages coming
from our close collaboration with Business Sweden, the official
investment promotion agency of Sweden, and their team of ICT
professionals.
The city of Skellefteå is located in the most northerly part of
Sweden, not far from the Arctic Circle. This area consists of the
larger cities of Skellefteå, Luleå and Umeå, and several smaller
communities, providing a catchment area of approximately
452,000 inhabitants (orange circle). The city of Skellefteå is
located right at the center of this area.
The region of Skellefteå consists of several small towns within
commuting distance of the city, providing a catchment area of
almost 140,000 people for this type of job. As a whole, Skellefteå
Municipality has around 72,000 inhabitants.
The region’s abundant renewable energy resources,
cool climate and world-leading digital infrastructure
have made Skellefteå an attractive location for any
global business.
All this is combined with a great
quality of life. Today the region offers one of the
world’s cleanest and greenest, most stable, safe
and cost efficient areas for high tech investment.
LULEÅ
SKELLEFTEÅ
UMEÅ
HELSINKI
OSLO
STOCKHOLM
3
Power and
Infrastructure.
High-value and green.
Robust, resilient and sustainable.
1
Decades of development in the region’s mining, timber and energy industries
has resulted in one of the most stable electricity grids in the world. Its capacity,
redundancy and reliability are extremely high.
Electricity prices in Sweden are among the lowest in Europe and
Skellefteå is in the area with the lowest prices (electricity area 1).
Energy taxes are also 34% lower in the north of Sweden than in
the south.
Almost all of the production in this region is generated from
renewable energy sources. The electrical energy production in the
Skellefteå River (Skellefte älv), is about the same as the Hoover
Dam in the USA and generates 1030 MW of green electricity, free
from CO2 emissions. The river’s hydroelectric power contributes
an energy surplus of 50%, making it possible for industries in the
region to increase their power consumption without increasing
emissions.
Bidding
area 1
total negotiated energy price in Sweden. Over the course of a
normal year, the company has an annual production of 3.9 TWh.
Skellefteå Kraft can offer you 100% green energy, consisting of
wind, biofuel and hydropower.
Skellefteå Kraft has about 650 employees and 134,000 corporate
and household customers in various parts of Sweden. Revenues
for 2010 were USD 670 million (SEK 4,541 million), with an
operating profit of USD 104 million (SEK 705 million).
Skellefteå Kraft has the second largest electricity grid in northern
Sweden, with the ability to guarantee fast access to the electricity
grid. Their electricity grid is one of the most stable in the world,
with an extremely high capacity, redundancy and reliability.
Because the whole northern region is a national power supply
hub, the area has unique expertise in the fields of energy efficiency,
information technology and electrical science. In Skellefteå, Luleå
University of Technology conducts research in the fields of sustainable
resource usage, process IT innovation and green technology.
World class fiber-optic and broadband infrastructure
Bidding
area 2
Skellefteå
Bidding
area 3
Bidding
area 4
Skellefteå Kraft has excellent access to dark fiber for any need and
any speed. Due to the accessibility of dark fiber, the city of
Skellefteå has no limitation in either speed or capacity. There are
fast regional fiber-optic connections to Finland and eastern markets
via the Telia/Sonera Botnia Cable (2 x 622 Mb/s, 12 fiber).
The city’s importance as an IT hub is underlined by the large
number of Swedish and international operators that have termination
points in the center of the city. The national and international
carriers operating here include Telenor, IP-only, Telia/Scanova,
TELE2, TDC, Com Hem and Sunet.
Skellefteå is a pioneer in the field of electronic communications.
The extensive broadband accessibility has led to projects such as
Sense Smart City and Mobile City – two internationally acclaimed
projects aimed at further developing digitalization in Skellefteå.
Service providers fiber
Skellefteå Kraft AB (Skellefteå Power Company) is the 5th largest
energy production company in Sweden. It was founded in 1908
by the city of Skellefteå and is 100% owned by the municipality.
It is stable, profitable and operates its own energy trading desk. In
addition to its financial strength and the local tax subsidies in the
region, Skellefteå Kraft has the opportunity to provide the lowest
5
Climate,
Geology and
Stability.
Cool, stable and safe.
1
The north of Sweden is the most secure and stable place in the world ­–
­climactically, geologically, politically, socially and economically. This
combination creates an excellent base for the valuable information stored in
data c
­ entres. Seismic activity is also extremely low, as are temperatures.
Climate - free air cooling all year around
Geology
Skellefteå is located by the coast in the most northerly part of
Sweden, not far from the Arctic Circle. That means it has a subarctic climate, providing fresh air cooling all year round, except
for some days during summer months (May-August). In 2012,
the highest temperature was 26.9ºC (80.4°F) on one day.
The average temperature (air) for the past eight years has
been between 1.9 and 4.8°C (35.4 - 40.6°F)
Over the past 10 years there has been, on average, between
one and nine days with temperatures above 27°C (80.6°F). For
about six months, temperatures hover around freezing or drop
well below. During this period, the natural chill in the air
makes it energy efficient to house a data center here.
This means that 97.5 to 99.9% of the days of each year are
below 27ºC (80.6ºF), giving 8544 to 8730 free cooling hours
per year out of the total 8760 hours available.
Geologically, Sweden has the most stable bedrock in the
world. Seismic activity and the risk of earthquakes are minimal,
making the region eminently suitable for data centers that have
very high demands on operational reliability. Thanks to our
stable climate, the risk of wildfires is extremely low and there
is no risk of f looding.
Political stability
The local political climate is more stable than in almost any
other city in Sweden. The way in which the local economy
has been managed has led to Skellefteå becoming the next
wealthiest municipality in Sweden, after Stockholm. This
stability is a good platform for investors looking for secure
local leadership.
Average temperature 2012
18.1
-7.7
12
-11.1
32
0
33
0.5
46
7.8
52.7
11.5
60
15.6
56.6
13.7
47.3
8.5
35.8
2.1
JANUARY
FEBRUARY
MARCH
APRIL
MAY
JUNE
JULY
AUGUST
SEPTEMBER
OCTOBER
31.8
- 0.1
28.9
-1.7
Fahrenheit
Celsius
NOVEMBER DECEMBER
7
Communications
National and international flights,
railway and deep-sea port.
1
The city of Skellefteå owns the airport, which means that we are in
a position to influence the destination of future flights. Skellefteå
continuously works to introduce flights to new destinations, with both
domestic and direct international flights.
Skellefteå airport has several daily flights to/from Stockholm,
with fast onward connections (less than 60 minute connecting
time) to Gothenburg, Malmö and Copenhagen. The airport
also has daily flights to most major European airports. We also
have direct charter flights to the Mediterranean and direct
scheduled flights to Girona (Barcelona), Spain and to Dubrovnik,
Croatia during the summer season. Also direct flights to
Copenhagen and London. We are in the unique position of
having recently taken over ownership and management of
the local airport and Skellefteå works hard to introduce flights
to new destinations, both domestic and international.
In addition to having its own airport, Skellefteå is also a
mere 1.5 hour drive away from three additional airports. These
offer direct flights to Malmö, Kiruna, Gothenburg, Stuttgart,
Hannover, Munich, Frankfurt, Prague and Riga, and oneconnection flights to most major European cities. The various
airports give access not only to Scandinavian flag-carrier SAS,
but also to eight other airlines, some of them low-cost.
The main highway, E4, connecting Helsinki in Finland with
Lisbon in Portugal, runs straight through Skellefteå, providing
easy access to the city by road. There is also a deep-sea port
and railway connections for freight transport to the whole
of Europe.
9
Competence
and Business.
The second most ICT
intensive city in Sweden.
1
North Kingdom, a digital
creative agency with
headquarters in Skellefteå.
Northern Sweden is one of the investment hotspots of Europe. Here, a mix
of entrepreneurship, cutting-edge technology and several of the world’s
leading companies in a variety of fields are to be found. Facebook, for example,
is building its first data center outside of the US a mere 90 minutes from
Skellefteå. Due to its northerly position, the whole region of northern Sweden
has the potential to become a global hub for data traffic.
Skellefteå is the second most ICT intensive city in the whole
of Sweden (Stockholm is number one). Sweden is ranked as
number one in Europe with regard to technology readiness,
ICT use, broadband quality and the usage of computers
per capita. Skellefteå has many companies requiring the
very highest quality ICT solutions available. Many of the
companies work closely with other globally recognized
companies and universities.
represented in the expanding campus area. Umeå University
and Luleå University of Technology have decentralized part of
their research and education to Campus Skellefteå. Recently,
the decision was made to also decentralize part of Linköping
University to Skellefteå’s campus area.
Competence and skills
The coastal regions are known for their higher education. In
Skellefteå there are three universities and a business park
11
Skellefteå is located at the center of a region with approximately
450,000 inhabitants and the universities give access to research
and to the 50,000 students in the region. There are a number
of university programs and courses available at Campus Skellefteå
that are connected to the ICT industry, for example:
• Computer networks
• Computer engineering and electronics
• Computer game production
• Computer system administration
• Applied system science
• Computer networks
• Computer technology
• Master’s program in cross media interaction design
• Applied system science in design, interaction and innovation
Skills
Together with Finland, Sweden is the most connected country
in the world. In this highly connected country, Skellefteå is
the second most broadband connected city. This means that
the population in general is technically skilled and businesses
are working globally. Skellefteå Kraft has been commissioned
to provide broadband services to households and businesses
throughout the municipality, 50% of which are in outlying rural
areas. The central areas have 100% broadband connectivity and
the more rural areas have over 90% connectivity, with only the
most sparsely-populated areas lacking broadband. Eighty-seven
percent of all households have access to > 50 MB/s, and 75%
are connected to > 100 MB/s.
Business
Skellefteå’s economy is based on a large private sector. Relative
to the size of the city, it has the largest private sector in our part
of northern Sweden. The major heavy industries are mining
(gold, copper, zinc, nickel), timber, energy and metal manufacturing. However, the fastest growing sector, in terms of the
number of employees and new businesses, is the service sector,
with ICT as its figurehead. The expanding service sector, which
also includes growing retail and tourism industries as well as
marketing communication and digital cross media, has, in fact,
now overtaken heavy industry as the largest supplier of jobs.
Many of our companies are global brand names and Skellefteå
is a major export city with international visitors from all over
the world.
12
ICT Companies
The ICT infrastructure of Skellefteå and the plethora of
high-quality IT companies in a small, concentrated area are
unique in Sweden. Among other things, Skellefteå has become
internationally renowned for its local network of digital communication businesses that has attracted companies such as
Disney, Coca-Cola, Adidas, Starwood hotels and Toyota, to
name but a few.
There is a large number of companies working within the information and communication technology sector in Skellefteå;
therefore the number of people working with ICT is quite high
in the region. Some examples are:
• Software development and testing
• Mobile networks
• Digital marketing / interactive design
• E-health
• User interfaces
• Chemical management
Percentage of households with connection
of more than 100 MB/s
2
Sustainable
Solutions.
Wood processing and
recycling of metals.
1
Reward-winning bridge, built in
wood by Skellefteå municipality in
co-operation with the university and
Skellefteå company Martinsons.
Skellefteå offers sustainable solutions for reducing environmental impact. Along
with the local energy company Skellefteå Kraft, with its green energy production,
Skellefteå has environmentally-friendly construction companies and recycling
industries.
Martinson is one of Sweden’s largest family-owned wood processing
companies and is a leading Nordic provider of building systems
made from glulam and solid wood. By developing innovative
construction solutions in wood, they are creating added value for
their customers, while at the same time taking the responsibility
to help create a cleaner environment.
In the world of metals, New Boliden is operating one of the
world’s most efficient copper smelters, and for many years has
been one of the world’s biggest recyclers of electronic scrap.
Their unique technique, which extracts high-purity metals at
low cost, enables the recycling of metals from electronic scrap
and other secondary materials with good environmental
performance. New investments now provide the opportunity
to increase the recycling capacity even further.
Skellefteå has an extensive district heating system and there
are future opportunities to discharge excess heat to the system.
In the summer, the district heating system generates excess heat
that could be used for cooling solutions.
15
The City
and the People.
Creative entrepreneurs
with a great quality of life.
1
The business culture is strong and the economy is the strongest in the whole
of northern Sweden, mostly thanks to innovative entrepreneurs who have the
courage to follow through on their ideas. Skellefteå has a unique position
since its economy is based on private enterprise. Here, you will find people
who understand your needs when you start talking business.
Entrepreneurship and creative spirit
Quality of life and family friendly
Skellefteå is alive, attractive and international. We have a
history of entrepreneurship and creative thinking and many
of our companies work internationally, with employees who
live locally, but work globally. The great quality of life makes
Skellefteå an attractive place for young entrepreneurs and
creative people who enjoy having time for their family as well.
Skellefteå is home both to companies well-established internationally and to companies on the rise. We are particularly
well known for our high concentration of young people in
the creative sectors of culture, music, interactive design,
communication and marketing, digital media and computer
gaming.
Skellefteå provides a safe, stable and clean environment, as
well as a wide range of leisure activities, combined with all the
other activities a city can offer. All of these advantages working
together attract families to settle here.
In a recent research study, it was reported that the people of
Skellefteå are the happiest and most content with their life in
the whole country. There are many factors that contribute to
this – closeness to open-air recreation areas, the lowest crime
rate in the country and the short distances between work and
home are just some examples. The fact that people are content
with their lives is an important factor in choosing a location
where employees, once taken on, are likely to remain.
17
Conclusion.
We hope that our presentation has given you valuable information about
Skellefteå and convinced you to go further with us in your planning process.
We have an experienced and dedicated team of experts standing by to make
sure that you have all the support you need. Just send us an email or give us
a call – we work our hardest to make sure business with us goes smoothly.
Regional investment grants
There are special regional grants available for some of the coastal cities
in northern Sweden. Skellefteå is in the area that has access to special
regional investment grants. Our supportive team of professionals will
guide you through the administrative procedures.
Kristina Sundin Jonsson
City Manager
Skellefteå Municipality
Bengt Ivansson
Head of Business Development
Skellefteå Municipality
Phone: +46 910 73 50 50
Mobile: +46 70 608 89 69
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: +46 910 73 46 35
Mobile: +46 70 557 11 22
E-mail: [email protected]
2
1
www.skelleftea.se