Idea Competition Opens for New Energy Solutions in Northern Sweden
Northern Sweden is undergoing an intense energy transition. Industrial expansion, electrification and rising energy demand are placing new requirements on how energy is produced, stored and used. At the same time, this is creating new opportunities for innovative solutions and business ideas.
The Energy Solution Challenge has been launched—an idea competition aimed at identifying and developing new solutions for the energy transition. The competition is open to entrepreneurs, researchers, students and innovators across the counties of Västernorrland, Västerbotten and Norrbotten.
“The energy transition is one of the greatest challenges of our time. To succeed, we need more new ideas and solutions. With the Energy Solution Challenge, we want to give more people the opportunity to develop their ideas and explore their real potential,” says Hampus Lindqvist, Business Developer at BizMaker.
Focus on Climate Impact and Business Potential
The competition is looking for ideas that can contribute to smarter energy use, reduced climate impact or new technological solutions within the energy sector. This could range from more efficient energy systems to new ways of storing or using energy.
Entries will be assessed based on several criteria, including relevance to the energy transition, climate impact, feasibility and business potential.
“Good ideas often emerge long before they have the chance to be tested. The solutions we need for the future are not always ready today. That’s why we need more people willing to challenge how the energy system works and contribute new perspectives,” says Anna Marklund, Chief Project Officer at Skellefteå Science City.
Collaboration to Strengthen Innovation in Northern Sweden
The initiative is a collaboration between BizMaker, Uminova Innovation, Arctic Business and Skellefteå Science City. Together, the partners aim to strengthen innovation linked to the green transition in Northern Sweden.
The competition is part of a broader effort to identify ideas at an early stage and support the development and testing of more solutions in the region.
Tävlingen är en del av ett bredare arbete för att fånga upp idéer i ett tidigt skede och bidra till att fler lösningar kan utvecklas och testas i regionen.
Up to SEK 150,000 in Business Development Support
The Energy Solution Challenge offers business development support to the top three entries:
- First prize: SEK 150,000
- Second prize: SEK 75,000
- Third prize: SEK 25,000
The competition is open for applications from 23 March to 24 April 2026. Click here to read more about Energy Solution Challenge (in Swedish)!
The winners will be announced at Cleantech Meetup in Skellefteå on 4 June 2026. Click here to read more about Cleantech Meetup!
Funding
The Energy Solution Challenge is funded by the Swedish Energy Agency, with co-financing from the project Innovation Capacity for Green Transition, funded by the European Regional Development Fund in collaboration with Region Västerbotten, Piteå Municipality, Skellefteå Municipality, Umeå Municipality, Örnsköldsvik Municipality, RISE, Arctic Business, BizMaker, Uminova Innovation, Piteå Science Park, Skellefteå Science City, PiteEnergi, Övik Energi, Skellefteå Kraft, Umeå Energi, Umeå kommunföretag and Vakin.