Start / Innovation and creativity

Innovation and creativity

Vattenfall has always sought new knowledge and inspiration. Sometimes through collaborations. Several bold decisions helped make Sweden a world leader in high voltage and tunnel construction. At other times, problems has been tackled with an unexpected and groundbreaking solution. Like the Vattenfall seat belt.

Articles

Partners in progress: Vattenfall and Asea

During the 1950s, Sweden was the world leader in high-voltage engineering, thanks to the unique cooperation between Vattenfall and Asea. Together, a large government purchaser and a private company created major export success for Sweden.

Records in rock drilling

During the 1950s Vattenfall broke a number of records for power station construction in Harsprånget and Stornorrfors. This was achieved thanks to skilled professionalism and 'the Swedish method', technology developed by Swedish companies Atlas Diesel and Sandvik in cooperation with Vattenfall.

Flying pioneers

When the Suorva dam was to be constructed in the early 1920s, Vattenfall faced a delicate problem. For three years, a team of 400 men would have to live and work in the roadless Lapland wilderness. The solution became Sweden's first scheduled flight route.

The Vattenfall seat belt

The development of the seat belt in Sweden was not a result of the Swedish car industry's ingenuity. It was actually a result of Vattenfall's work to prevent accidents at its workplaces.

Travel for inspiration

In order to develop the company, Vattenfall employees have always travelled out into the world to learn and be inspired by others. Surprisingly often, they travelled west to the United States. Ahead of many crucial steps in Vattenfall's development, the company has learned from its large neighbour to the west.

Searching for alternatives

Necessity is the mother of invention. Vattenfall has explored and experimented with many alternative energy solutions. Both how to save energy and how to make use of new energy sources.

The vision for a smart home

During the IT boom in the late 1990s, development ideas at both established companies and start-ups sprouted up. Even at Vattenfall, which launched the 'smart home'. But like so many other internet-related innovations of the time, it all ended up more or less as a fiasco.