This research project investigates how large new establishments, such as Northvolt's battery factory in Skellefteå, affect the labor market and population development in small municipalities. By analyzing skill migration and relocation within local sectors, the project seeks to answer the question: Can large employers really save small municipalities, or is there a redistribution of labor that can have unexpected consequences? The project is led by Professor Charlotta Mellander and Associate Professors Sofia Wixe and Lina Bjerke at Jönköping International Business School.
The aim of the project is to study how the labor market and population development in smaller municipalities that in recent years have received a major new establishment in the form of a company that offers many jobs in relation to the size of the municipality has been affected. One of several examples is Northvolt's establishment in Skellefteå, which thus became home to one of Europe's largest battery factories. When an establishment of this kind is added, to what extent have skills moved into the municipality and contributed to the municipality's population growth, and to what extent have transfers been made from other sectors, such as the municipality's public sector, to the new private employers? This is an important question at a time when smaller municipalities are struggling to survive and larger establishments are seen as a saving grace. But is this really the case?
—It is good to have a foundation that dares to support research projects that are innovative and can be of direct benefit to society. The Foundation really plays an important role here, as the distance between the Foundation and the researcher is also sign
Charlotta Mellander is Professor of Economics with a specialization in Regional Economics at Jönköping International Business School. She has spent the last 25 years trying to understand why we want to live in certain places, why we don't want to live in certain places, and how this in turn affects the development of places. Mellander is one of the country's foremost experts on cities, creativity and regional development. She has also been influential in the debate on the urban-rural divide. She is also a much sought-after speaker.
Sofia Wixe is Associate Professor of Economics at Jönköping International Business School. Her research focuses on issues of regional development and labor market integration, in particular how knowledge, skills and diversity in the local environment affect the (economic) performance of places, firms and individuals.
Lina Bjerke is Associate Professor in Economics at Jönköping International Business School. She also has a background as an analyst at the Swedish Board of Agriculture and overall her work revolves around regional development with a focus on skills supply and innovation from an urban and rural perspective.
