From Costa Rica to Tallinn – PLACExNordic brought together place developers from around the world in Skellefteå

How do we build attractive, sustainable, and resilient communities in an era marked by rapid change? That was one of the central questions addressed when PLACExNordic was held in Skellefteå as part of Society Expo 2026. Over the course of a few intensive days, place developers, investment promoters, destination organizations, researchers, municipal leaders, and innovation stakeholders from across Sweden and various parts of the world gathered to share experiences, build relationships, and discuss the communities of the future.

Participants included representatives from Costa Rica, Finland, Lithuania, Denmark, Germany, the Netherlands, Estonia, and the Czech Republic, among others. Organizations such as Helsinki Partners, Business Finland, Copenhagen Capacity, Berlin Partner, Tallinn Strategic Management Office, Go Vilnius, and Ostrava Innovation Centre participated alongside Swedish stakeholders from across the country.

Resilience as a driver of development

This year’s theme, Resilient Future Places – From Adapting to Advancing, Shaping the Places of Tomorrow, focused on how cities, regions, and destinations can address uncertainty and change through collaboration, innovation, and long-term development. Discussions centered on issues such as place attractiveness, skills supply, sustainable growth, investments, talent attraction, and how communities can continue to develop even as the world around them changes rapidly.

But just as important as the program items were the meetings between people. PLACExNordic is based on the conviction that the solutions of the future are rarely created by a single organization or location. They emerge when people with different experiences, perspectives, and skills meet, challenge one another, and find new paths forward together.

That’s why Skellefteå was the obvious choice

It was no coincidence that the conference was held in Skellefteå. Over the past decade, Skellefteå has become one of Europe’s most talked-about places for social transformation. A development that normally takes several decades has happened here in just a few years.

This has created new opportunities but also new challenges regarding housing, the supply of skilled labor, mobility, social sustainability, and climate transition—issues that many cities and regions are grappling with today. Through Society Expo 2026, Skellefteå became a place where these issues could be discussed openly with people working on similar challenges around the world.

New perspectives and new relationships

PLACExNordic became a platform for sharing experiences, finding inspiration, and making new connections among people who, in various ways, are working to develop attractive and sustainable places. From Costa Rica to Tallinn, Berlin, Helsinki, and Skellefteå, experiences were shared on what it takes to foster optimism for the future, enhance appeal, and build communities capable of meeting both today’s and tomorrow’s challenges.

This is also the core of Society Expo 2026—bringing together people, ideas, and perspectives to explore together how the communities of the future can develop.

Meet people. Shape the future.