June 18, 2026 – 15:00 CEST / 9:00 am EDT
June
18
,
15:00
CEST
CET
/
9:00 am
EDT
EST
18
,
2026
–
June 18, 2026 – 15:00 CEST / 9:00 am EDT
What It Takes To Become a Growth Engine for the Green Transition
June
18
,
15:00
CEST
CET
/
9:00 am
EDT
EST
18
,
2026
,
June 18, 2026 – 15:00 CEST / 9:00 am EDT
June 18, 2026 – 15:00 CEST / 9:00 am EDT
What It Takes To Become a Growth Engine for the Green Transition
June
18
,
15:00
CEST
CET
/
9:00 am
EDT
EST
18
,
2026
,
June 18, 2026 – 15:00 CEST / 9:00 am EDT
June 18, 2026 – 15:00 CEST / 9:00 am EDT
What It Takes To Become a Growth Engine for the Green Transition
Over the past decade, Skellefteå in northern Sweden has experienced one of the fastest societal transformations in modern Europe. Driven by the opportunities of the green transition, the municipality has faced rapid population growth, international talent attraction, housing challenges, skills shortages and the need to scale public services at unprecedented speed.
At the same time, the journey has not been without setbacks. The bankruptcy of Northvolt became one of Europe’s largest industrial bankruptcies, testing the resilience of the community and raising important questions about how societies navigate uncertainty and change.
In this session, we share the story behind Skellefteå’s transformation – from creating a shared vision through citizen dialogue and long-term planning, to managing both growth and disruption. We will explore the lessons learned, the importance of adaptability, trust and collaboration, and why resilience has become one of the most valuable assets for communities facing major transitions.
The session also highlights how Society Expo 2026 and a range of ongoing initiatives are helping shape the future through innovation, skills development, climate action and collaboration.
A story about transformation, resilience and what it takes to build the future together.
Prof. Dr. Johan Rockström is the Director of the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and Professor at the Institute of Earth and Environmental Science at Potsdam University. Rockström is an internationally recognized scientist on global sustainability issues, who led the development of the new Planetary Boundaries framework for human development in the current era of rapid global change at the Stockholm Resilience Centre. He is a leading scientist on global water resources, with about 25 years of experience from applied water research in tropical regions, and more than 150 research publications in fields ranging from applied land and water management to global sustainability. Aside from his research helping to guide policy, Rockström consults several governments and business networks. He also acts as an advisor for sustainable development issues at noteworthy international meetings, such as the World Economic Forum, the United Nations Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conferences (UNFCCC). Supplementary, he chairs the advisory board for the EAT Foundation and the Earth League.
Helena Renström, Head of Society Expo, has a PhD in marketing from Hanken School of Economics, in Helsinki, Finland. She has over 30 years of research and practice experience in both private and public sector and is currently leading a societal transformation initiative for Skellefteå - Society Expo 2026.
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