SE26 Project
Skellefteå Joins European Collaboration for Innovation-Friendly Communities
How can smaller cities become powerful drivers of innovation and sustainable development? Skellefteå is one of eight European cities participating in the EU project SHIFT-R – Shaping Innovation-Friendly Territories (Rural Edition) under the URBACT IV program. Together, the cities are developing new approaches to how innovation, entrepreneurship, and collaboration can contribute to sustainable and attractive communities—even outside major cities.
“We’re showing that smaller cities like Skellefteå can play a crucial role in the green transition by bringing people, ideas, and the business community together. Innovation doesn’t have to be concentrated in big cities,” says Anna Marklund, Chief Project Officer vid Skellefteå Science City.
A European network for innovation
SHIFT-R builds on experiences from the Portuguese city of Fundão, which in recent years has developed a model for how smaller cities can create strong innovation ecosystems. Through initiatives such as digital education centers, co-working hubs, and local innovation platforms, the city has succeeded in attracting businesses, entrepreneurs, and new talent.
In this project, cities from across Europe are collaborating to develop and test similar approaches in their own local contexts. Through knowledge exchange, workshops, and joint projects, new tools are being created to help innovation become a driving force in community development.
Participating cities
SHIFT-R brings together eight partner cities from different parts of Europe:
- Fundão, Portugal (project leader)
- Żory, Poland
- Kimi Aliveri, Greece
- Macouria, France
- Nykarleby, Finland
- Skellefteå, Sweden
- Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina
- Trostyanets, Ukraine
Together, they represent different types of communities—from small rural municipalities to growing regional centers—all of which are exploring how innovation can contribute to sustainable development.
Skellefteå’s role in the project
Skellefteå was selected for its work on green industrial transition and community development in a rapidly changing environment. The ongoing development in northern Sweden makes the municipality a place where new solutions for sustainable growth, skills supply, and innovation are tested in practice.
Through this project, Skellefteå aims to strengthen efforts to:
- develop innovation environments in smaller communities and rural areas
- create meeting places where businesses, research, and the public sector can collaborate
- strengthen entrepreneurship and skills development
- contribute to sustainable development and increased participation
The project will run from 2025 to 2028 and is funded through the EU’s URBACT IV program.
Part of Society Expo 2026
The work within SHIFT-R is closely linked to Society Expo 2026, where Skellefteå opens up its urban transformation for dialogue, learning, and international collaboration.
Through the project, Skellefteå becomes part of a European network where cities share experiences and develop new solutions together—to demonstrate how innovation and collaboration can contribute to sustainable communities across Europe.
Questions and Answers About the Project
social transformation, particularly in relation to innovation, sustainable development, and collaboration among various societal actors.
This involves, among other things, how the public sector, the business community, academia, and civil society can collaborate more effectively to address complex challenges related to climate, social sustainability, skills supply, and urban development.
URBACT creates opportunities to develop approaches that strengthen the capacity for innovation in communities undergoing change.
The project accelerates social development by connecting cities and organizations across Europe that are addressing similar challenges.
Through the exchange of experiences, shared methods, and testing of new approaches, participating cities can more quickly develop solutions for sustainable social development.
For Skellefteå, the project means that local initiatives and lessons learned can be further developed through international perspectives while also helping to spread knowledge about how communities can manage rapid transition.
Locally, the project helps strengthen Skellefteå’s efforts in innovation, collaboration, and sustainable community development.
Regionally, the project strengthens Västerbotten and northern Sweden as part of Europe’s green transition.
Internationally, the project positions Skellefteå as a place where new solutions for social development are tested and shared with other cities. It also creates new international networks and collaborations that can contribute to future projects and investments.
In the short term, the project is expected to contribute to:
- new partnerships between European cities
- the development of methods for innovation-driven urban development
- increased international knowledge exchange
In the longer term, the project can contribute to:
- stronger innovation ecosystems in Skellefteå
- better collaboration between the public sector, the business community, and civil society
- new international collaborations and projects
The impacts can be tracked through the number of collaborations, developed methods, international partnerships, and the dissemination of knowledge between cities.
One of the key challenges is how different societal actors can work together more effectively to address complex societal challenges.
The project specifically identifies the need for:
- stronger collaboration between the public sector, the business community, and academia
- better links between local initiatives and international networks
- increased knowledge exchange between cities in Europe
The URBACT network creates a framework within which this type of cross-border collaboration can develop.
The project contributes to this vision by developing knowledge and methods that promote sustainable social development.
Through international collaboration and knowledge exchange, Skellefteå can both share its experiences with rapid transition and learn from solutions adopted by other cities.
In this way, the project helps to develop a society where innovation, collaboration, and sustainability create better conditions for people’s daily lives.
Learn more: SE26 project
Sidinformation
- Senast uppdaterad:
- 26 June 2026