Concrete examples that point the way forward

Our signature projects demonstrate how we are working together to achieve rapid yet sustainable social transformation. A signature project can be an ongoing or planned project, an initiative, or an approach that helps address our shared challenges – locally, nationally, or internationally.

Through these signature projects, we highlight what is unique, innovative, and sustainable, while also shedding light on the challenges we face. The projects demonstrate how Skellefteå is working on issues such as social sustainability and housing supply, and how collaboration between government agencies, companies, the business community, and civil society can create real change.

Arctic Center of Energy (ACE)

The Arctic Center of Energy (ACE) is an international center of excellence that uses research and education to build knowledge for the transition to a sustainable, electrified society. The building will house, among other things, laboratory facilities, educational spaces, and meeting places for researchers, students, and organizations.

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Skellefteå Droneport

One of Europe’s largest urban drone airports offers testing environments where companies can explore new technologies for electric flight, drones, and sustainable infrastructure. With runways, offices, meeting rooms, and an indoor hangar, it is the perfect platform for the aviation solutions of the future.

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Wasteland/Skellefteå Climate Action Park

In the Scharin area, outside Skellefteå, a formerly industrially contaminated site is being transformed into an art and knowledge park designed to inspire climate innovation and sustainable urban transformation. At the heart of the park is Wasteland – an installation symbolizing society’s capacity for healing and the potential for ecological rebirth.

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Skellefteå Universities Alliance (SUA)

The SUA Foundation was established to create new educational models and promote collaboration between academia, industry, and society. Using Skellefteå as a test bed, SUA aims to develop forms of collaboration that strengthen lifelong learning, innovation, and the future supply of skills, both in Skellefteå and throughout Sweden.

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SkyKraft

SkyKraft is a partnership between Skellefteå Kraft and the Dutch company SkyNRG, which together aim to establish production of sustainable aviation fuel (eSAF) at Näsudden in Skelleftehamn. The goal is to produce up to 100,000 tons per year. On flights using eSAF, carbon dioxide emissions are reduced by up to 90%.

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Society Summit

Society Summit is an annual conference that focuses on the challenges facing society. The conference is an integral part of Society Expo 2026 and serves as a catalyst, where researchers, the business community, and civil society come together to shape the inclusive and sustainable society of the future.

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Society Expo Exhibition

This interactive exhibition offers an experience of Skellefteå’s journey from its past and present into the connected city of the future. The exhibition is designed primarily for the innovative leaders of tomorrow – our children and young people. Through imagination, exploration, and collaboration, they will discover their own role in creating a sustainable future. It opens on May 27, 2026, at the Skellefteå Museum.

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