“We play toward the same goal”

It’s far from an obvious journey. When Mats Berg arrives for his job interview in 2016, he is met with a question that will follow him long beyond that room. Former municipal commissioner Inge Andersson (S) fixes his gaze on him and asks:

“Why do you want this job, really?”

It’s no routine question. It’s a test. Boden is facing a future that demands more than administration. The municipality needs a shift — in mindset, in courage, and in direction.

This is a place caught in the wake of downsizing, outmigration, and a faltering self-confidence.

“I was fortunate enough to arrive when we were at rock bottom in business climate rankings,”

Mats Berg says with a crooked smile.

Perhaps that attitude makes all the difference — someone who sees opportunities where others see problems. Someone who dares to paint with broad strokes, yet with a steady hand.

A Growth Program That Sets a Direction

Within his first months, Mats Berg sees the issues clearly: development projects exist, but they are scattered, short-lived, and lack anchoring. “Sparklers,” he calls them — bright but fleeting. From his years in Piteå, he knows what is needed: a tool that can unite politics, administration, and the business community around a shared direction.

“We needed a document that politicians actually wanted to live with — not just read,”

he explains.

In 2017, the Growth Program is launched — and nothing is quite the same again.

Five strategic growth areas are identified: retail and tourism, digital and creative industries, environmental and recycling technologies, industries demanding green electricity, and the equine sector. The goal is to capture what already exists while creating fertile ground for new opportunities.

At the same time, a concrete target is set: to grow from 28,000 to 30,000 inhabitants by 2025 — a clear signal of confidence in the future. But it’s not only about the goal — it’s a new way of thinking. Schools, district heating, industrial land, and zoning plans are prepared not because they are needed now, but because Boden must be ready when the time comes.

From Crisis Management to Societal Transformation

When the pandemic arrives in 2020, everything is put to the test. Mats Berg leads a crisis organization that steps far outside the municipality’s traditional way of working — placing agility, coordination, and trust at the center. What begins as a stopgap becomes a seed, and from that seed Bodenxt grows — a collaborative platform built to act quickly across sectors and organizational boundaries.

Then suddenly, the call comes. Summer 2020. The investors behind what will become H2 Green Steel reach out. Boden faces something larger than anyone could have imagined: a new steel plant, Europe’s largest hydrogen production, jobs, in-migration — an industrial renaissance.

Mats Berg is there from the beginning — in meetings, negotiations, and organizational structures. Cooperation with Luleå is considered, but Boden has prepared more thoroughly: land, electricity, and planning processes are ready. And in February 2021, Stegra (then H2 Green Steel) announces its decision: the entire operation will be established in Boden.

“It wasn’t luck. It was the work that had already begun in the organization because of the Growth Program.”

Bodenxt — A New Way of Governing

An early decision is made to build on the lessons from the pandemic and create a project structure that transcends administrative boundaries and includes the municipal companies. The platform is named Bodenxt. A strategic structure emerges around four themes: living and housing, infrastructure, skills supply, and business development. Each area gets coordinators, working groups, and a mandate to carry out the steering group’s assignments.

“We realized we needed to think in processes — not departments. That meant putting the people best suited for the task in charge — not necessarily those with the highest titles.”

As Stegra grows, clarity becomes essential. A collaboration agreement becomes the tool. Initially it focuses on the municipality’s responsibilities: zoning, permits, land. Later it expands into four areas where both parties share roles: housing, skills supply, residual flows, and public services.

“We’re not on the same team, but we play toward the same goal.”

Today there are around 40 different workstreams between Boden and Stegra — all focused on maximizing positive effects for the people of Boden. The cooperation on in-migration is the clearest example: the municipality’s relocation team works closely with Stegra’s recruiters to act proactively.

Meanwhile, the municipality faces an acute reality. By October, roughly 80 families — around 400 people — are expected to move in, most connected to Stegra.

“We know who they are, we know their needs — now we just have to vacuum-clean the existing housing stock. Almost all new builds are already taken.”

The situation is described as a manageable “half-crisis.” Together with property owners, the municipality works on relocation support, matching, and temporary solutions.

“We need to welcome these people and help them become residents of Boden. That’s absolutely crucial.”

He reacts strongly to claims circulating that “no one wants to move to Boden.”

“That’s the biggest lie I’ve heard. Our relocation team meets with Stegra weekly, and what we hear is crystal clear: those who will work at Stegra in Boden want to live here. We are highly attractive. We should be proud of that.”

Putting People at the Center

What most defines Mats Berg’s leadership is his view of people. Much of his work has focused on lowering the thresholds between citizens and the municipality.

“When I arrived, there was already a strong collaboration between officials and politicians — and that has remained throughout my time here. That made it easier to build collaborative platforms between the municipality, civil society, and business — like Boden Tillsammans.”

He has also led by example. His office chair has often been empty — because, as he says, the real work doesn’t happen there.

“I believe in meeting people and building relationships. Whether it’s potential business partners or municipal employees. Yes, it’s meant many meetings — but it’s also made the work more effective.”

This thinking is reflected in the shared municipal vision, The Good Life. But for Mats, it’s more than a vision — it’s an attitude. It makes it natural that neighborhood development, relocation support, safety, and culture are discussed in the same breath as industry and power grids.

“This is about people’s everyday lives — where they live, how they feel, and whether they feel part of the change.”

“When childcare centers, youth clubs, and football fields receive as much attention as a new transformer station — that’s when we build something that lasts. And that makes me proud.”

As part of the new direction, the municipality also adopted a strategic plan — effectively saying “yes” to working toward making Stegra’s establishment a reality. It required major financial investments, as the municipality expected even more population growth — a consequence now widely debated in national media, which concerns him.

“We knew already in 2022 that this was coming. We said from the start: there will be a period of investment before we see the return. But now comes the real test — whether we truly mean it when we say we put people first.”

A recurring example is the development of key housing areas — and why bold decisions remain necessary even in difficult times.

“What happens if we invest 75 billion SEK in an area that is already socioeconomically strong — and ignore the others? What happens to societal balance?”

Developing areas like Sveafältet, Torpgärdan, and Lunda is, according to him, essential for reducing exclusion and strengthening belonging.

“That’s how we build trust — and that’s how we build Boden.”

Everyday Operations and the Housing Challenge

One of the greatest challenges during these years has been housing supply. In a short time, zoning plans have been accelerated, land allocations reorganized, and cooperation with property owners intensified.

What worries him most now isn’t slow in-migration — it’s the construction slowdown. In 2022, all buildable plots near the center were spoken for — and then, overnight, everything froze.

“We know people are coming. But we also know that new construction is at least 18 months away — which risks costing us future taxpayers.”

The municipality is working on four fronts: temporary worker housing, new construction, mobile housing, and more efficient use of existing stock. Relocation services match needs with available homes weekly — in close coordination with Stegra.

“This isn’t traditional housing allocation. It’s operational community planning — on a weekly basis.”

“We need to ensure a mix — housing for different incomes and life situations. Otherwise, we get growing pains instead of development.”

Leadership and Culture

Mats Berg describes the core of his leadership as being “kind” and “clear.”

“In Boden, I’ve had the privilege of working with some of the most skilled public servants in Sweden. It has always been about creating safe and courageous environments where people dare to think differently and take responsibility.”

He points to the zoning plan for Boden Industrial Park — completed in 16 months — as an example.

“That would never have happened without brave employees willing to challenge old ways of working, and supportive managers who backed them when it got tough.”

The Legacy of Berg

Today, Boden is no longer an overlooked alternative. It is a role model — a laboratory for green industry. Since Stegra announced its investment, 38 new companies have established themselves in the municipality.

“They wouldn’t have come otherwise. This development is made possible by hard work — but we also know it doesn’t happen without green industry as the engine.”

On June 30, he leaves the role as Head of Business Relations, but will remain within the municipality as CEO of the municipal companies until December 30. He carries with him experiences shared by few in Sweden: leading a municipality from crisis to crisis. First the negative one — outmigration and cuts. Then the positive one — in-migration, growth, and renewed optimism.

He predicts a bright future for Boden:

“In ten years, we won’t just be known for starting something big — but for succeeding.

The steel plant will be the people of Boden’s steel plant.

We’ll have two fully occupied industrial areas, Boden Industrial Park 1 and 2.

Boden Cleantech Center will be full.

And most importantly, we will have elevated our neighborhoods.

We’ll have a cultural center where creators and producers can meet.

And our community life — that will still be the glue that holds everything together.”

“Oh, and in ten years, BBK will be playing in Allsvenskan,” he adds with a laugh.