From words to action for sustainable communities of the future

At today’s Kulturkraft, a meeting place for the public sector, business, academia and the cultural sector, Birgitta Bergvall-Kåreborn, Vice-Chancellor of Luleå University of Technology, highlighted something that many of us have reflected on:
– Many talk warmly about the importance of culture, but when it comes down to it, we need to move from fine words to concrete investments and funding.
This was warmly applauded in the hall and later repeated many times in the conversations about how culture and social innovation can help build attractive communities.

Within Swedish Metals & Minerals, we will, through our calls, invest over one billion SEK in research and innovation over the next five years. Social innovation is a central part, alongside our other focus areas: technological development and policy. By investing in culture and the arts as drivers, we can create environments that attract people to stay – and support both local communities and industry’s need for skills and innovation.

When culture and industry meet, new opportunities for sustainable development open up.