In Sweden, substance abuse and mental health issues are pressing societal challenges that are deeply intertwined. The stigma around addiction often prevents individuals from seeking help, worsening the problem. People with addiction issues are particularly vulnerable and frequently overlooked by the societal system, creating a hard-to-break cycle of vulnerability. Addressing these issues requires a multifaceted approach that combines housing, healthcare, social services, and community support to create sustainable change. This includes offering support for meaningful activities, social connections, and motivational efforts to help individuals commit to a life free from addiction.

Digital services are rapidly transforming the public sector. A critical component of this transformation is understanding how residents interact with municipal services and identifying the needs of entrepreneurs operating within the region. As societal expectations shift towards more accessible and digital solutions, and as digital literacy among the population increases, municipalities must leverage technological advancements to improve operational efficiency and elevate the quality of services provided to the public.

Many farms in Sweden have become too small to remain profitable, resulting in numerous unused buildings. These structures represent untapped potential for innovative uses that could support both the local economy and sustainable farming practices. Some farms have repurposed their buildings for caravan parking or storage, but Wallsnäs gård AB is keen on exploring more diverse and creative solutions. They are looking for ideas that can transform these empty spaces into productive assets, fostering community engagement and economic growth. What innovative and sustainable solutions can be proposed to maximize the use of these empty barn buildings?

Re-board is primarily used as display and construction material in the retail and expo segments today. Techniques like printing and cutting are widely employed to fully exploit the board's potential. Given its high strength-to-weight ratio, Re-board aims to explore new segments where its full potential can be realized. With new legislation and environmental targets promoting sustainability, the construction industry is increasingly adopting more sustainable materials to foster a circular economy.

The manufacturing industry faces significant challenges in securing a skilled workforce. There is a notable shortage of workers capable of filling various professional roles within this sector. Existing "Yrkeshögskola" programs are insufficient, struggling with low enrollment and high dropout rates. Collaboration with local industries in Östergötland and Örebro counties aims to improve and innovate the design and marketing of these educational programs. Historically, institutions like the PACE Competences AB played a crucial role in industrial development by providing tailored training to meet the specific need of competencences expressed by the local actors within the sector.

Loneliness is an urgent and growing issue that has developed significantly in recent years. As modern life becomes increasingly digital and people face more isolated lifestyles, the need for innovative solutions to address loneliness has become more pressing. The effects of loneliness on mental and physical health are profound, driving a critical demand for technologies that can offer companionship and emotional support.

In today's rapidly evolving urban landscapes, there is a growing need for efficient, short-distance daily transportation solutions. With increasing traffic congestion and the push for eco-friendly alternatives, the demand for innovative delivery systems is more pressing than ever. As cities expand and the pace of life quickens, the necessity for reliable and swift delivery services that can navigate crowded urban environments becomes crucial. This scenario sets the stage for the development and deployment of advanced robotic delivery systems that can seamlessly integrate into daily life, providing convenience while reducing environmental impact.

Today, tests are being conducted around the country using drones to deliver defibrillators during cardiac arrest, where every minute counts. Drones could also be used to transport medical supplies to those in need in more remote areas. In addition, media transmission from an accident site using drones could improve decision-making before ambulance care arrives. Region Östergötland wants help to find out what's required to transport defibrillators or other medical supplies with drones outside urban areas? How can we enable surveillance and media transmission from an accident site?

How can drones enhance our transport methods? What is the economic viability of using drones compared to current transport modes? Can we create predetermined, approved flight routes for the drones? Welcome to a forward-thinking challenge where you explore the possibility of using drones for medical transport. Region Östergötland (RÖ) has identified a need to streamline and expedite transport between Primary Care units, vaccination clinics, and other health and medical services. Seize the opportunity to help Region Östergötland step into the future!

Lovang Lantbrukskonsult AB is an advisory service for farmers, primarily in Östergötland. The importance of energy has increased due to environmental challenges such as global warming and climate change. However, recent events such as the Russian aggression have also highlighted the vulnerability issues. This development affects society as a whole and Swedish agriculture in particular. The goal is to find different solutions to become energy independent at farm level. We are looking for a solution that can benefit our farmers and, at the same time, lead to new business opportunities. Ultimately, this challenge offers a chance to make a meaningful contribution towards a more sustainable future for the Swedish agricultural industry.  

Sankt Kors is a municipality-owned company that builds and develops properties in Linköping for new companies and companies in change. The company wants help to find new angles and suggestions on how the visualisation of empty premises can be done, both physically at the premises but also digitally. This challenge also involves getting the right stakeholders into the right environments. How can Sankt Kors highlight the USPs for their areas in a better way? How design the communication in a way that makes it clearer? And how create an area outside the middle of the city centre that still feel central?

VentMee is a digital service developed by a student at Linköping University, designed to enable efficient ticket management in a social student environment. VentMee also strives to make social interactions easier and bring people closer together. How can VentMee be developed to become the platform everyone wants but does not yet exist? Within this challenge, you get the chance to work closely with a student-driven startup and with the opportunity to influence the development process of this product. “The sky is the limit.”

Tiklo is a (technological) tool for smart operations that businesses can use to improve their operational efficiency, but it can also be used in many other ways. Redapes, the StartUp company behind Tiklo, now wants to gain knowledge of how Tiklo can be used to further the sustainable impact for companies’ internal organizational purposes, but also for external perspectives (social, economic, and ecological). Redapes is also looking to expand the areas of use and adapt to already existing operations. Do you want to help?

Reijmyre Glassworks, a company founded in 1810, produce high-quality crystal glassware. The products are still handmade in the same place in Rejmyre, Sweden. The company is modernising and digitising its operation to increase production efficiency while adapting to new market conditions and targeting new customers. At the same time, the company need to attract, educate and take care of the next generation of glassblowers to preserve the local traditional craft of glass manufacturing. Reijmyre Glassworks is now looking for a tool to connect its present business systems and operational routines to facilitate communication between different teams within the company.

Linköping City Samverkan AB shall strengthen Linköping city’s position against other cities, external shopping and be a united force to boost the appeal of the city centre and support commercial, social and cultural growth. As Linköping grows and conditions of the surrounding environment change, the city centre, with its density and identity, needs to continue to develop. Linköping City Samverkans’ face the challenge of creating a lively city centre based on an innovative citizen dialogue for gathering insights. How do they develop a more lively and attractive city centre where everyone feels included? 

Staga Sweden is a company based in Linköping that works with product development and manufacturing. By using the existing machine park, Staga wants to find potential new markets and products that the company can grow within. You will get a "crash course" in Staga's existing material streams (e.g. non-woven, paper, plastic, rubber) as well as its various production techniques (e.g. extrusion, punching, sheeting). Help the company find an exciting solution to its challenge. Let the imagination flow.

How do we prevent damage from affecting properties as the temperature rises? How can we prevent floods from harming the foundation of the buildings? Länsförsäkringar Östgöta is an insurance company owned by its customers in Östergötland. The company wants help to find solutions that prevent damage to buildings and properties due to climate change-related events, such as floods and heat damage. By taking on this challenge, you will contribute to society and give individual property owners opportunities to meet the challenges ahead.

We often read about illegally imported animals with diseases and defects, and about puppy factories. The owner of Vegas skafferi wants to create a safe way for animal owners to find their pets (or other animals) a partner. Today it can be difficult to know if an animal has a chip number or any other identification paper that can secure that the animal and owner belong to each other. How can you create one safe, ethical and simple breeding system/place/way for people to find and choose partners for their animals and - at the same time - make sure it has economic viability?

Ligna Energy is a green tech startup company which is developing groundbreaking energy storage technology and products. This in order to meet the need for a shift toward sustainable and fossil-free energy sources. Ligna's technology is made from forest residues, carbon and organic polymers in combination with a water-based electrolyte. The company is currently focusing on their S-power product and wants help to explore applications and develop an interesting solution for its sustainable energy storage. 

Coming as a new contractor to a relatively large workplace is a challenge. There is a lot of information to absorb and relate to, not least with a bearing on security but also to understand organization, interfaces etc. Siemens wants to find tools that make it easier for both new employees and new consultants to quickly and easily understand the business; how the company works organizationally, its departments, its security routines etc.

Norrköping Science Park needs help to produce some demonstrators that will initially be used as part of an exhibition during the first quarter of 2023 at Arbetets Museum. The theme is green electronics with a focus on energy and climate. The challenge is multifaceted and includes various forms of design (e.g., graphical, physical, interaction and electronics), societal aspects, physical construction, electronic parts and more.

Digitization is a growing area with a great demand for skills and a high tempo, with parallel projects and cross-functional teams. Many new people are being recruited to this area, and although there is often a goal of gender equality in companies, the majority of them are male-dominated. The consulting business often means working in several projects at the same time, with several parameters determining how successful a project is, both regarding workload, cost and from an environmental perspective. As part of Combitech's work, the company want to improve how to plan their projects, to ensure that what they do follows the Combitech vision for sustainability.

Södra is Sweden’s largest forest-owner association with 52,000 forest owners as its members. Södra's mission is to promote the profitability of their forest estates and to secure markets for their forest raw material. This mission also includes promoting high-yield and valuable forest production combined with nature conservation and cultural considerations and monitoring and promoting its members’ business policy interests, particularly regarding property ownership rights. This challenge will focus on the core of Södra's mission; to help the private forester owners in southern Sweden to expand their profitability.

The temporary employment agency Idoc, based in Norrköping, was founded and run by their healthcare staff. The company wants to start a healthcare business on the Costa del Sol in Spain, to meet the growing need for healthcare among tourists and senior Scandinavian citizens who live in the country for the whole or part of the year. Idoc has a strong customer focus. Idoc also focuses on environmental issues, which must be integrated into the business. What does a sustainable healthcare centre of the future look like? 

Sibship has - together with several other actors - implemented various projects that improve women's living conditions and that create a more sustainable world. What the projects have in common is to raise taboo subjects in different ways and generate innovative solutions that make a big difference - for the individual as well as for society as a whole. Sibship is currently facing several exciting challenges, which all raise taboo topics and create value. What challenge would you like to take on? Help the company find solutions that promote security, equality and community for people in Sweden and worldwide. The sky is the limit.