Background

In October 2022, the real estate company Hemmaplan took over as property owner in Gottsunda Centrum. In the fall of 2023, RISE was hired to contribute with action research – as a “critical friend” – which involves ongoing analysis and support of Hemmaplan’s work processes, innovation capacity, change capacity and organizational efficiency.

Hemmaplan has initiated the Centre Academy in collaboration with the Uppsala Municipality's labour market administration. The aim is to offer job seekers in Gottsunda meaningful employment through traineeships, internships, holiday jobs and longer-term employment, primarily in local businesses within Gottsunda Centrum. The goal (KPI) is to provide meaningful employment for at least 100 people per year.

Contribution: Economic & social values

RISE has now begun a socio-economic analysis that focuses on the following area and question:

How can economic and social outcomes be made visible and valued, which are created through Hemmaplan's efforts in Gottsunda Centrum with a focus on:

A. Local tenants–shop owners

B. People with weak labour market connections?

The different parts of the analysis are described below.

A. Local tenants–shop owners

• The survey is carried out based on the concept of Gross Local Product (GLP), based on statistical data on:
  • Direct economic value: Total turnover from stores and operations
  • Indirect value: Local purchases, investments in premises, subcontractors from the area
  • Induced value: Increased purchasing power among local employees who spend in the local area.
  • The survey is also based on the SROI methodology (Social Return On Investment), with indicator-driven measurement and valuation of social benefit in monetary terms. Respondents will answer questions related to:
  • Employment: staff turnover, vacancy rate, social inclusion
  • Income: Turnover, safety (theft, work environment)
  • Local purchasing: Goods, recycling, collaborations
  • Reinvestments: Customer base, attractiveness, accessibility
  • Capital flows: Local development, networks
  • Attractiveness: Identity, pride, image.

B. People with weak labour market ties

• Semi-structured interview study based on SROI methodology with qualitative follow-up questions, with twenty people who have received some form of employment through the Centre Academy, of whom ten live in Gottsunda and ten outside Gottsunda. Respondents will answer questions related to:
  • Economic resources: Support, freedom of choice
  • Employability: Supervision, professional development, dialogue, routine
  • Social inclusion: Network, participation, equality
  • Health: Self-esteem, stability
  • Security: Safety, atmosphere, presence
  • Attractiveness: Identity, meaningfulness, narrative

Results report

RISE will report the results of the socio-economic analysis work in June 2026.

The course is based on experiences from the ORKA innovation project and the Destination Tynnered process, where researchers and real estate companies have collaborated to develop methods for promoting positive change in vulnerable areas. The goal is to strengthen your and your organization's competence and ability to work carefully with social sustainability in area development.

Target group

The course is primarily aimed at those who work practically with socially sustainable area development within real estate companies, but is also relevant for people in municipalities, associations, local networks, or other organizations who are interested in the area. You will learn about both theoretical and practical tools, as well as examples of how collaboration and mobilization of residents and stakeholders can contribute to sustainable and inclusive residential areas.

Practical

The course consists of 11 modules. Each module begins with a short video presentation.

There is a methodology book for the course that you can download. The methodology book contains examples of how a real estate company has worked with the issues presented in the course. The methodology book also contains theoretical insights into the content presented in the 11 modules.

Each module includes exercises, discussion questions, and supplementary material. Working through each module takes between 30 minutes and a couple of hours, depending on how much time you want to spend on the exercises and discussion questions.  You can choose to just watch the presentation and then work on the exercises. You can also choose to download the methodology book to gain a deeper understanding of the content presented in the 11 modules.

You will get the most out of the course by taking it together with a few colleagues. This will allow you to do the exercises together and use the course as an opportunity to develop your organization's work with socially sustainable area development. If you do not have this opportunity, you can use the exercises and discussion questions to reflect on your own.

Registration

The course is free of charge as it has been developed with support from Vinnova. You can register by clicking this link.

Gällivare Narratives – stories as tools for social transformation

Gällivare Narratives is a three-year collaborative project that explores how mining communities can be developed into attractive, inclusive, and sustainable places to live and work. The project is run by RISE in collaboration with Boliden, Gällivare Municipality, and Medskapandebyrån, and is part of the national program Swedish Metals & Minerals – Impact Innovation.

The project is based in Gällivare – a place with a strong industrial presence and rich local engagement, but also with complex social challenges such as depopulation, lack of diversity, and a one-sided labor market. By combining place-based knowledge with design research, inclusive system innovation, and relational ethics, Gällivare Narratives is developing new methods and prototypes that strengthen people's sense of joy, optimism, and belief in the future.

The goal is to create concrete tools and working methods that can be used to support social development in Gällivare and other similar regions. The project focuses on understanding and further developing local initiatives, and identifying levers for change that can contribute to long-term social improvement.

Method and working methods

Gällivare Narratives works in three research loops where local actors gather around specific community development initiatives. By collecting stories from residents, industry, and civil society, a common understanding of the current situation is created. These stories are analyzed using norm-critical and ethical perspectives and form the basis for the development of prototypes—such as meeting places, services, visualizations, or events—that can give new expression to optimism and inclusion.

The project combines the concrete (e.g., physical initiatives and forms of collaboration) with the intangible (e.g., feelings of belonging and meaning), and is based on theories of change that emphasize the importance of creating new combinations of what has been and what is happening. By working in the space between the past and the future, new opportunities are created in the present.

A project with the potential to change

Gällivare Narratives is more than a research project—it is a movement to reinvent community building with people at the center. By listening, co-creating, and experimenting with new forms of collaboration, the project contributes to shaping the sustainable communities of the future—in Gällivare and beyond.

Droppvis addresses the growing issue of water scarcity in Swedish municipalities, where climate change, population growth, and capacity limitations in water supply systems present new challenges. By combining behavioral science with local engagement, Droppvis examines how nudging, where choices are influenced by how information is presented, can help reduce household water consumption.

In a case study in Norrtälje Municipality, digital nudging interventions are tested via a digital platform. The effects are evaluated both quantitatively and qualitatively using water meter data and surveys. The project also maps household water consumption within the Norrvatten distribution area, with a particular focus on how external factors such as weather and energy prices may influence usage.

The project develops scalable methods that can be adapted to different municipalities and housing types. In the long term, Droppvis contributes to more efficient resource use, reduced strain on water infrastructure, and increased societal benefit.

The project "Village Road for Movement" aims to transform traffic environments in smaller towns and communities, with a focus on state-owned roads that pass through small urban areas. The goal is to improve the living environment and promote active travel by testing and scaling up innovative solutions based on service design and citizen involvement.

The project explores how current working methods and planning models can be developed to enable simple interventions in villages and small towns along state-owned roads, including conducting a real-world pilot test.

Many small towns are intersected by a state-owned road that shapes the local environment—affecting traffic safety, quality of life, and how people move within the area, often designed around the needs of cars. The Swedish Transport Administration holds significant authority over the design of these spaces. The project investigates whether prototyping methods used in large cities can be applied to state-owned roads in smaller towns.

By involving local residents in needs analysis and the design of interventions, the project strives to create solutions that promote gender equality and improve public health. The overarching aim is to reduce car dependency and increase accessibility for all.

The project is carried out through five integrated work packages based on the "Double Diamond" design method, which provides a structured and iterative approach to understanding problems, clarifying needs, and developing and testing solutions. The project is led by Ånge Municipality in collaboration with the Swedish Transport Administration, Region Västernorrland, and RISE. The goal is to create a planning model for simple interventions that can be applied in other locations.

🔹 Long-term goal: To promote public health by increasing active travel and creating an attractive living environment, while reducing car travel in smaller towns and improving accessibility for everyone.

🔹 Project goals: To facilitate active travel and reduce short car trips for all by:

a. Identifying which measures can be implemented within the existing road space, considering current legislation and policy instruments. The project will also clarify the formal conditions for temporary interventions within the road area and adjacent land, and describe identified barriers and enablers.

b. Engaging the local population in needs analysis and the design of interventions. A prototype will be developed and tested in a real traffic environment, and the impact of the solution will be evaluated.

c. Developing a planning model for simple interventions in small towns and villages that can be scaled and applied in many other locations.

Northern Sweden is at the forefront of a rapid transformation of global industry, transport, and energy systems toward green and fossil-free production. This is no longer a future vision driven by a few pioneers—it is a reality in motion. With access to fossil-free energy and raw materials for industries such as steel and battery production, along with a stable labor market, the region holds unique opportunities for sustainable development.

As the largest city in Norrbotten, Luleå plays a central role in the region’s green transition. The city has a unique opportunity to act as a pioneer, generating insights that are valuable not only for neighboring municipalities and regions but also for other cities facing large-scale industrial developments.

Luleå has a strong industrial heritage and is now undergoing a major shift toward fossil-free production. While industry accounts for significant emissions, it also holds the keys to the transition. These developments bring challenges to urban planning, including the need for rapid infrastructure expansion and increased housing construction. To ensure a sustainable transition across all levels of society—and to reduce conflicts of interest—a fair and inclusive process is essential. This process must foster an understanding that society needs to, and will, change.

Through this initiative, Luleå aims to explore new ways of working together to accelerate the climate transition. The long-term platform being developed will support dialogue and engagement, building on existing collaborations between the municipality, municipal companies, and the business sector. The insights gained will be shared and serve as valuable guidance for the entire region and other cities undergoing similar green industrial transformations.

Project Content and Focus

The rural and agricultural sectors face several urgent challenges, including climate change, biodiversity loss, water scarcity, social exclusion, urbanization, and low profitability for many farmers. The NEXRUR project aims to help address these issues by developing and testing new, community-driven business models for agricultural enterprises, in collaboration between stakeholders from the EU and China.

Community-driven refers to businesses operated by multiple actors and/or with strong ties to the local community. The goal is to strengthen social, environmental, and economic sustainability and resilience in an integrated way. This will be achieved through case studies and digital tools that help disseminate successful solutions and foster long-term change.

Concrete Actions for Sustainable Rural Development

The project carries out the following key actions:

• Framework for Community-Driven Business Models: A conceptual framework is being developed and tested in 22 case studies across the EU and China. Through practical application and continuous feedback, the framework is refined to adapt to various local conditions, making it easier for stakeholders to create business ideas that integrate social, environmental, and economic sustainability.
• Digital Tool for Key Performance Indicators (KPIs): The project is developing a digital tool to measure and monitor social, environmental, and economic KPIs. This tool enables businesses to easily evaluate their efforts, compare models, and collect data on impacts—providing a foundation for further development and dissemination of successful solutions.
• Policy Guidelines, Handbooks, and Capacity Building: Policy guidelines and handbooks are being created to support the scaling and adaptation of business models to new contexts.
• Capacity Building for Entrepreneurs and Decision-Makers: Training sessions and workshops are organized to enhance the skills of entrepreneurs and decision-makers, and to build an active network that drives change beyond the project's duration.

Beyond its practical actions, the project is firmly rooted in international cooperation, with active collaboration and knowledge exchange between stakeholders from both the EU and China. By working across borders, the project strengthens its experiential foundation and enables broader dissemination of innovative solutions, giving it global relevance from the very start.

RISE’s Role in the Project

RISE will participate in most activities within the NEXRUR project but will primarily take a leading role in the work package focused on developing and testing a system with a connected digital tool. This tool is designed to help agricultural enterprises monitor and improve their sustainability—not only economically, but also socially and environmentally. The system will be developed in stages and in close collaboration with stakeholders and end users, namely farming businesses.

Participating Partners

The project is coordinated by ATB Potsdam and includes the following partners:

• European Partners:
  RISE, SLU, Wageningen Research, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Greenovate! Europe, and several SMEs, universities, and civil society organizations.
• Chinese Partners:
• IUE – Institute of Urban Environment, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• NBU – Ningbo University
• ZGU – Zhejiang Gongshang University
• EES – Research Center for Eco-Environmental Sciences
• AED – Institute of Agricultural Economics and Development
• ZJU – Zhejiang University
• YZU – Yangzhou University
• ZAA – Zhejiang Academy of Agricultural Sciences
• SAA – Shandong Academy of Agricultural Sciences

Det saknas kunskap och forskning om vilket stöd äldre kvinnor som utsatts för könsstympning behöver. Även informations- och utbildningsmaterial för yrkesverksamma inom äldreomsorgen lyser med sin frånvaro. Nationella aktörer som SKR och Socialstyrelsen erbjuder stöd riktat till personal som möter barn, unga och kvinnor i fertil ålder – men inte till dem som möter äldre kvinnor. 

Därför behövs en behovskartläggning som beskriver behoven inom den kommunala omsorgen och behoven hos äldre kvinnor som utsatts för könsstympning. Utan en sådan kartläggning är risken stor att de lösningar som tas fram träffar fel. Att en behovskartläggning saknas riskerar att orsaka dels mer lidande för kvinnorna, dels ökad frustration och känsla av otillräcklighet hos omsorgspersonalen.

Webbinarium, rapportlansering

den 17 september 2026 lanserades projektets slutrapport vid ett inspelat webbinarium.