“Our goal is to help people living with a chronic disease such as rheumatoid arthritis to live life to its fullest,” says, Sofia Svanteson, CEO and co-founder of Elsa Science, “because rheumatoid arthritis generally results in a poorer quality of life and this is something we want to improve through research, education and motivational support.” Sofia teamed up with Lars Klareskog, Professor of rheumatology, and Lars Alfredsson, Professor of epidemiology, to found Elsa Science, bringing technology and science together.

The company offers software-driven cognitive behavioural therapy interventions by means of a digital companion with which users can track their symptoms, habits and medication to better understand how these correlate. After setting up a personal plan, the application guides patients through their everyday life. “We have designed health programmes, endorsed by healthcare professionals that provide self-management techniques to better cope with the illness,” she explains.

“In places like northern Sweden, distances are huge. When it comes to heavy duty, long-distance transportation, battery-powered transport isn’t good enough. That’s why we are developing the hydrogen-powered alternative,” explains Edith Sundqvist, deputy CEO of Oazer, a Umeå-based company providing hydrogen systems adapted to subarctic and arctic climates to customers who want zero-emission hydrogen solutions, building a network of refuelling stations across their geographical market and offering a viable green alternative to battery- and fossil-fuel-powered vehicles.

One challenge, however, has been the commitment of vehicle manufacturers and policymakers to battery-powered vehicles, but Oazer offer a comprehensive solution. “We offer not just a refuelling station but the opportunity to buy a whole refuelling system: storage, production, dispenser, and the climate adaptation part as well. It’s very important for the cold climates in the north. And it’s all really clean: the power we use is only wind and water – that’s 100% renewable, zero emissions, zero waste. The potential is huge.”

“It was a disaster,” says Carl-Viggo Östlund, co-owner of Juvinum, referring to the COVID-19 crisis that hit the hospitality sector in 2020. “Sales went down to almost zero for about 4-5 months, picked up a bit in the summer and then stopped again completely for 4-5 months. 2020 sales were less than half of a normal year, and 2021 was only marginally better.”

Stockholm-based Juvinum, a family-run business that Carl-Viggo and his wife Caroline acquired from her parents, is active in the wholesale of cooking wines, with clientele mainly in the Nordics and the UK. The cooking wine, from Extremadura, Spain, is produced by lowering the alcohol volume in a full-strength wine, but still keeping all the aromas, and then adding a bit of salt and pepper. Despite the dip due to COVID, the business has proven to be resilient. “We’re now back to pre-pandemic levels. But we’re aware that things could turn at any moment. This is part of doing business. But we are still here.”