Peter Mandalh becomes the new CEO of SUA, Skellefteå Universities Alliance. Previously, he worked for the Skellefteå-based company WDO, which he also co-founded.
The Skellefteå Universities Alliance (SUA) is described as a "national testbed" where industry, academia, and society collaborate to address future workforce needs. This initiative, backed by Skellefteå municipality, Skellefteå Kraft, and Nornan Invest (formerly Norra Västerbotten Förvaltning AB), aims to foster innovation and ensure the long-term development of the region.
– The establishment of SUA is a crucial step in ensuring Skellefteå's long-term success, says Evelina Fahlesson, deputy mayor of Skellefteå.
– By fostering collaboration between academia, industry, and society, we can effectively address future challenges and ensure a skilled workforce.
At the beginning of the year, a foundation was established with a distinguished board of directors, including representatives from Chalmers University of Technology, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and several leading companies (see full list in a separate fact box).
–This board boasts a wealth of expertise and experience across academia, industry, and society, says Peter Larsson, chairman of SUA and former chairman of the University of Gothenburg.
– Incorporating diverse perspectives is essential for the success of this initiative.
The new CEO will be Peter Mandalh. He co-founded the Skellefteå-based innovation and communication agency WDO 17 years ago and has served as its CEO since then.
– Peter has extensive experience in driving change and fostering collaboration between diverse stakeholders, says Larsson, chairman of SUA.
– This experience will be invaluable as we establish SUA, and we are delighted that he will be leading the foundation.
– Peter has worked extensively on change and development efforts where actors from different parts of society must collaborate to move forward. This will be very valuable in establishing SUA, and we are very pleased that he will become the CEO of the foundation, says Larsson.
Mandalh himself looks forward to building the organisation and developing dialogue with more stakeholders to meet future competence needs.
– Several institutions of higher education have shown interest in collaborating with SUA, and our goal is to strengthen the availability of higher education in Skellefteå by this autumn, he says in the press release.
Anette Novak is part of the new board. She was previously editor-in-chief of Norran, among many other roles.