Around twenty students who had expressed interest in Boden Municipality took part in a full-day tour along the Lule River Valley. The day began with breakfast at Boden Business Park, where they met Visit Boden, Western Farm/Björndal Arctic Lodge, and Säsong. This was followed by a visit to Stegra at Boden Industrial Park. At the alpine recreational facility Storklinten, just half an hour away, they learned more about the major investments taking place there and in the Edefors region. Here, the sustainability-focused company Hide & See also joined them to present the opportunities within nature tourism.

The journey continued to Harads, where the international destinations Arctic Bath and the newly opened Villa Äng—both in the high-end segment—welcomed them with architecture, design, and hospitality that attract visitors from around the world.

IMpRESSED

“I’m impressed by how everything seems interconnected and how people collaborate like an ecosystem here. I previously lived in Uppsala but would really like to live in a smaller town. My husband, who is also an engineer, is very positive about northern Sweden. I’m open to job opportunities and am already looking at houses or apartments here for the future,” says Salome Ayitey, originally from Ghana and a PhD student in economics.

“I’m quite drawn to Norrbotten and would really like to see if I can find a job here. In the future, if I start a family, I want to live somewhere where they can thrive too. I had no idea all of this existed,” says Ivan Röhlcke, from Stockholm and a student of industrial engineering and management at LTU.

Agnes Hökfors from Luleå, who also studies industrial engineering and management, is attracted by the job opportunities in Boden.

“I signed up for this day because it looked like a fun and interesting program, and it truly exceeded my expectations,” she says.

William Torikka, who studies political science and is interested in regional development, gained many insights during the trip.

“It’s exciting to see that things are developing and that there is room here. Just today, I’ve seen many places I could imagine living in. It would be great to work with rural development or something similar,” he says.

The day concluded with dinner at Bryggmästarn in Boden and participation in a well-attended international after-work event.

Getting more people to choose Boden

Hosts for the day were Talent Hub North and Boden Municipality’s team for skills supply.

“The goal is to encourage more students to stay in the region, carry out their thesis work and internships here, and to showcase Boden and everything happening here,” says Anna Andersson, skills coordinator in Boden’s competence team.

The event was organized by the Talent Hub North project, funded by the European Regional Development Fund and co-financed by Region Norrbotten.

“We are very pleased with the day. A big thank you to the tourism businesses that participated,” says Peter Wallin, one of Boden Municipality’s representatives in Talent Hub North.