How Do You Build a Place Where More Organizations Want to Establish Themselves?

What is it that actually makes a company, research environment or organization choose to establish itself in a particular place? It is rarely just about premises or geography. Just as important are access to talent, networks, collaboration and a shared direction for the future. In Flemingsberg, a number of stakeholders are working together through Etableringskontor Flemingsberg to strengthen the area’s attractiveness and create the best possible conditions for future establishments. Pernilla Boström tells us more about the work, the goals and what we took away from a study visit to Lund and Malmö.

A Joint Effort to Develop Flemingsberg

Etableringskontor Flemingsberg brings together representatives from Fabege, Huge Bostäder, Hemsö, Huddinge Municipality, Botkyrka Municipality and Flemingsberg Science. Together, these stakeholders are working to strengthen Flemingsberg’s position as a location for knowledge-intensive activities, research, innovation and entrepreneurship.

The establishment office was launched in 2024 to bring key stakeholders together around a common goal: to make Flemingsberg an even stronger location for new establishments, investment and business growth.

“The reason behind the initiative is that competition between regions and cities for companies, investment and talent has increased significantly. At the same time, Flemingsberg has long been home to many strong stakeholders, but there has not always been a coordinated structure for establishment efforts,” says Pernilla Boström, COO at Flemingsberg Science.

The Gateway to Flemingsberg

By working together, municipalities, property owners and Flemingsberg Science can provide a more professional and coordinated welcome, shorter decision-making processes and better opportunities to find the right contacts, premises and partners.

“We usually describe Etableringskontoret as Flemingsberg’s shared gateway. For companies and organizations, it should be easy to understand who to contact and how to get help. The goal is not only to attract new organizations. It is at least as important to strengthen the entire ecosystem around research, innovation and entrepreneurship, so that more organizations choose to stay, grow and develop in Flemingsberg over time.”

What do you think is the reason companies and organizations choose to establish themselves in a place like Flemingsberg?

“Today, the most important factor is access to talent and the opportunity to be part of a larger ecosystem. Another important factor is the opportunity to collaborate. Companies today want to be part of environments where academia, business and the public sector work together. That kind of culture of collaboration is one of Flemingsberg’s greatest strengths.”

Pernilla goes on to explain that premises, transport links and services also play an important role, but that the identity and profile of a place are equally crucial. Companies do not simply choose an address; they also choose the context they want to be associated with.

Insights and Lessons from the Study Visit

Etableringskontoret works both strategically and operationally. This includes developing Flemingsberg’s offering, producing joint marketing materials, organizing site visits, creating meetings between companies and relevant stakeholders, and supporting companies throughout the entire establishment process.

“One important activity during the year was the study trip to Lund and Malmö, which aimed to examine how other successful innovation environments work with business establishment, place development and collaboration. What made the greatest impression was actually not the individual buildings or projects, but the long-term approach that characterizes the work. Both in Lund and Malmö, we saw how strong partnerships between academia, business and the public sector had been built up over many years.”

Another important lesson was the significance of a shared place identity. The most successful environments work actively on their narrative and have managed to bring different stakeholders together around a common vision for the development of the area, Pernilla continues.

Looking ahead, what do you hope the establishment efforts will contribute in the coming years?

“I hope that in a few years we will see even more companies, research environments and organizations actively choosing Flemingsberg because they want to be part of the ecosystem that is emerging here. The goal is for Flemingsberg to become the natural first choice for knowledge-intensive activities in Stockholm.”

In conclusion, Pernilla describes how the most successful innovation environments are not built by individual organizations, but by people and stakeholders who share a common ambition for the development of a place. That is precisely the momentum that Etableringskontoret wants to build on in Flemingsberg.