🇸🇪 Saab and Hitachi Energy join Collab Composite

Press release from Arctic Business

Collab aim to attract composite companies and startups from all over Europe to come to Piteå and solve challenges and problems within fiber composites. The goal for 2024 is to have initiated four development projects at Piteå Science Park in collaboration with the companies and other partners. Collab Composite, a collaboration between Arctic Business and Piteå Science Park, was launched in April 2023 with the aim of connecting international industry with innovative startups in the field of fiber composites. Now, the collaboration has borne fruit, and Collab Composite can today present two leading companies that join as partners in the project.”

We are proud to present our first industrial partners for Collab Composite. Both Hitachi Energy and Saab are currently developing leading products using composites and see the potential in accessing expertise and innovation through Collab Composite. The collaboration with both companies is a milestone in attracting expertise, businesses, and investments to Piteå,” says Jens Lundström, CEO of Arctic Business.

Hitachi Energy, established in Piteå since 2018, uses composite materials for developing products such as power transformers and HVDC (high-voltage direct current) equipment due to their excellent insulating properties. In addition to time and business networks, Hitachi will also participate in steering groups and provide know-how and research expertise for the companies.

“When Collab Composite was established, we saw the potential to get involved early in the project. Sustainable composites are crucial for our manufacturing, including transformers. We are actively seeking collaborations that can contribute to our product development,” says Tobias Hansson, Country Manager at Hitachi Energy.

Saab, which has long been developing composite products for industries such as aviation, looks forward to collaborating with innovative companies in the composite field.

“Several of our products, such as Gripen, use fiber composites as an important and often necessary part of the construction. This demonstrates the potential of fiber composites, and we are very proud to be early partners in Collab Composite in Piteå. We look forward to contributing to new innovations and applications for fiber composites both in our products and in society,” says Per-Olof Marklund, Head of Technology and Innovation at Saab’s Aeronautics business area.

Piteå municipality, through Piteå Science Park, has been involved in the Collab Composite initiative. Municipal Councilor Patric Lundström sees the collaboration with Hitachi Energy and Saab as a natural next step in making Piteå the leading hub in Sweden for the development of composite materials.

“In Piteå, there are currently world-leading producers and research in fiber composites. We have worked hard to make Piteå an attractive place for companies and startups in the composite industry, including access to sustainable energy, investment in expertise, and competitive land prices. The collaboration with Hitachi Energy and Saab is evidence that this effort has yielded results,” says Patric Lundström (S), Municipal Councilor in Piteå.

Work is currently underway to attract composite companies and startups from across Europe to bring them to Piteå and present their solutions to the companies. The goal is to create new development projects in collaboration with Saab, Hitachi Energy, and other partners at Piteå Science Park in 2024.

Saab and Hitachi aim to find new innovative solutions within materials and processes, recycling and sustainability, as well as lifespan and multifunctional materials.

About Collab Composite: Collab Composite was launched in April 2023 and is an innovation cluster focusing on fiber composites. Here, startups and established companies in the composite field can connect with leading global companies to present their ideas, products, and services. The goal is for startups and industrial partners to co-create new sustainable products and services using fiber composites. Öjebyn Composite Village and Piteå Science Park have a long history in composite research. Collab is created as a joint initiative by Piteå Municipality, Sparbanken Nord/Framtidsbanken, and Region Norrbotten.

About Arctic Business: Arctic Business helps entrepreneurs develop extraordinary ideas with growing businesses nationally and internationally from northern Sweden. Since 2005, Arctic Business has worked with over 180 companies valued at over two billion SEK today. The organization has staff in Luleå, Piteå, and Skellefteå at respective science parks. The operation is owned by LTU Holding, Norrlandsfonden, Region Norrbotten, Luleå-, Skellefteå- and Piteå municipality. Over time, Arctic Business will be able to offer collaboration in several of northern Sweden’s strength areas, such as space, energy, and mining/minerals, to contribute to the creation and establishment of more companies in northern Sweden’s science park environments.

Read more about Arctic Business’s new offering Collab at http://collab.abi.se/

For further information: Arctic Business and Collab Composite, please contact:
CEO Jens Lundström: +46 70-667 84 98 [email protected]

Piteå Science Park
CEO Henrik Bucht, [email protected]

Originally published on 16 November by Arctic Business.

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