Home > Events > SCOC website > December 6, Sustainability & Innovation Summit – “AI Driving the Sustainable Transformation”

December 6, Sustainability & Innovation Summit – “AI Driving the Sustainable Transformation”

Friday 6 December 2024
Back to overview

Thank you to everyone who joined us at the Sustainability & Innovation Summit – “AI Driving the Sustainable Transformation” on December 6, 2024!

 

 

We are grateful for the insightful discussions and shared visions on how AI can drive meaningful change in the pursuit of sustainability. Below are some of the key highlights from the event:

• AI development is progressing rapidly, and its impact will only continue to grow.

• AI is a tool, and its application depends on how we—people—choose to use it.

• AI has tremendous potential to accelerate the green transition, from optimizing resources like water, air, wetlands, and soil, to ensuring food security, enhancing transportation systems, and supporting global well-being.

 

• The Municipality of Skellefteå in Northern Sweden serves as an inspiring example of how a human-centric approach, combined with AI, can shape sustainable communities.

• AI-driven startups focused on positive impact at scale are yet to emerge, and a new definition of success is needed to support them through financing, talent attraction, and ecosystem development.

• Many companies are already exploring how AI can foster innovation, optimize operations, and support sustainable practices, including Net Zero strategies and circularity.

• From a research perspective, AI offers limitless possibilities, already contributing to the preservation of wetlands and the restoration of natural habitat

• Data centers, often seen as energy-intensive, can play a crucial role in energy infrastructure optimization if integrated properly

.• AI is here to stay, and it is essential that we ensure its benefits are shared broadly, creating real impact rather than driving sustainable consumption.

• When used well, AI can be a powerful partner in building a sustainable and thriving planet.

 

 

A Special Thanks to Our Exceptional Speakers:

  • Dr. Cara Antoine, Executive VP,
  • Karin Degerfeldt, Sustainability Strategist, Skellefteå Municipality, Sweden
  • Maarten Cleeren, Managing Director, TechLeap
  • Funda Sezgi, CEO, Norrsken
  • Hanifeh Khayyeri, Vice President, RISE Research Institute
  • Fatih Noyan, Country Manager & Managing Director, Ericsson
  • Pim Roest, Partner & Co-Owner, AllChiefs
  • Linus Wretblad, CEO & Founder, IPscreener
  • Ellis Jan van den Hout, Managing Director, SKF in the Netherlands

The programme was expertly moderated by Andrea Orsag, Sustainability Strategy Expert and Founder of MissionC, whose skilful guidance enriched the day’s discussions.

The Swedish Chamber of Commerce thanks all attendees, speakers, and sponsors for their dedication to this vital dialogue.

We look forward to continuing these important conversations and driving meaningful progress together!

 

Please ensure that all images are credited to Hanne Hansen Photography whenever used.

Mark your calendar for the Sustainability & Innovation Summit 2025, December 4!

Keynote Speaker

SPEAKERS LIST

 

 

 

Corporate Sponsors

 

 

 

Funda Sezgi co-CEO at Norrsken
Funda Sezgi is the co-CEO of Norrsken Foundation, a dynamic impact ecosystem dedicated to supporting entrepreneurs who are committed to using their business ventures to create positive global change. Norrsken provides an array of resources for entrepreneurs who aim to tackle the world's most pressing challenges, with a strong focus on entrepreneurship and innovative technology as key drivers for social good. The foundation operates award-winning Norrsken House hubs in Barcelona, Spain, Kigali, Rwanda, and Stockholm, Sweden. It also runs five funds—Norrsken VC, Norrsken22, Norrsken Accelerator, Norrsken Launcher, and Norrsken Africa Seed Fund—having raised over 500 million USD to support entrepreneurs who combine profitability with positive global impact. Norrsken is a non-profit, non-partisan, and non-religious foundation, founded by Niklas Adalberth, co-founder of the payment services unicorn Klarna. Before stepping into the role of co-CEO, Funda Sezgi co-founded Norrsken's Accelerator, which received approximately 5,000 applications from 120 countries over its first two years. The accelerator invested in 40 of the most promising early-stage impact tech startups from around the world. In her previous role as COO of Norrsken Foundation, Funda was responsible for operations, partnerships, and the foundation’s expansion into Africa and Europe. She also led the establishment and operation of Norrsken House in Stockholm, the first entrepreneurial hub in the foundation’s network. Funda has been an integral part of Norrsken’s management team since its early days. Before joining Norrsken, Funda gained experience as a market analyst, management consultant, and led an international acceleration program designed to help social entrepreneurs scale to new markets. She holds a Ph.D. in strategic management from IESE Business School, where she focused on scaling strategies for impact ventures. Funda also spent time in Silicon Valley as a visiting scholar at Stanford University.
Maarten Cleeren, Managing Director of Techleap
Maarten Cleeren is the Managing Director of Techleap, the organization dedicated to empowering tech founders in the Netherlands. With an extensive background in managing growing, multi-level, and international teams, Maarten has spent a significant portion of his career in academic and educational publishing. He has a background in philosophy, having studied in Amsterdam and Utrecht, and began his professional journey in academia before transitioning into leadership roles within the tech and publishing industries
Hanifeh Khayyeri, Vice President at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
Hanifeh Khayyeri holds a PhD in biomechanics from Trinity College Dublin and has developed several computational and simulation tools. She has also worked on research funding and research infrastructure both in Sweden and the EU, with a focus on digital infrastructures. Hanifeh has served on a governmental public inquiry and as an expert for the government in several contexts, including on issues such as AI, high performance computing (HPC) and open data.
Fatih Noyan, Country Manager at Ericsson for the Netherlands
Fatih Noyan serves as the Country Manager for Ericsson in the Netherlands, a global leader in the communications industry, pioneering innovation and connectivity across the world. Throughout his professional journey, Fatih has undertaken diverse leadership roles across Europe within Ericsson, navigating through various industry challenges and driving growth in a rapidly evolving industry. His academic background includes a degree in Electrical & Electronics Engineering, coupled with a Master of Business Administration.
Karin Degerfeldt, Sustainability Strategist, Skellefteå Municipality, Sweden
Karin Degerfeldt is a sustainability manager at Skellefteå Municipality, Sweden, and an economist with a focus on sustainable development by training. She previously served as the project manager for Skellefteå’s major infrastructure projects linked to Europe’s largest industrial establishment. Her efforts in innovative procurement methods and spokesperson for the sustainable development in a fast growing city earned her a nomination for "Sustainability Person of the Year" by the Swedish Green Building Council.
Dr. Cara Antonie, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology, Innovation & Portfolio Officer at Capegemini
Dr Cara Lenore Antoine is a renowned global leader, innovative speaker, and bestselling author, who is passionate about creating positive change in society, the economy and our planet. A technology advocate, education champion and empowering executive, Dr Antoine enables people and organisations to achieve their full potential in the digital era. With three decades of dedicated experience, Dr Antoine is a powerful agent of growth and transformation, driving impact at the intersection of technology and humanity. As the Executive Vice President and Chief Technology, Innovation & Portfolio Officer of Capgemini Europe, Dr Antoine strategically advises global corporations in the C-Suite across industries on applying innovation to drive and accelerate digital and cultural transformation. With a strong background in digital technology, innovation, B2B and B2C operations, digital marketing and sustainability, she has flourished at some of the world's most prestigious companies, including Microsoft, Royal Shell, Hewlett-Packard, Compaq and Polaroid. A beacon of excellence in the industry, she has been honoured with recent accolades such as Women Changing the World’s 2023 “Global Leader of the Year Award” and the “Top Woman in Corporate Award”, Women in Governance, Risk and Compliance’s 2023 “Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Officer of the Year Award", Global Women in Tech's 2022 "Global Excellence Award," Computable’s 2021 “Top 100 Most Influential Women In Business" and multiple Digital Leader of the Year titles, as well as being named Global Digital Female Leader at the Global Digital Women's Conference in 2022. Leveraging her success to help future generations break down barriers to creating a better future in tech-focused fields, she serves on several boards. As a Patient Leader, Dr Antoine is a catalyst for digitalising visual health and this led her to join the board as Awards Chairwoman at the Cornea Patient Association, to serve on the Advisory Board of Easee (the first CE and FDA-certified online eye-exam), and as transformation leader at the Digital Health Committee and Registries of the European Society for Cataract and Refractive Surgeons. She is the Chair for Humanity, Technology & Innovation at the G100 and the Chairwoman at Women In Tech Netherlands, where she is a fierce advocate and pioneer dedicated to promoting diversity and equity while empowering women within Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts, and Mathematics (STEAM) worldwide.
Pim Roest, Partner & Co-Owner of AllChiefs
Pim co-leads the Sustainable Logistics Practice and serves as the Energy Markets lead at AllChiefs, a boutique consulting scale-up focused on sustainable transformation. He brings over 30 years of experience as an international business consultant, advising and supporting global organisations in defining and delivering Sustainable Transformation, Innovation, and Growth. Pim has held regional and global leadership roles in leading consulting firms, including in the energy sector and energy transition. He has worked and lived in many countries worldwide, including Sweden. He also worked in a global technology and consulting firm, collaborating with top AI, Data, and Digital Technology talent to deliver valuable solutions to key business challenges. Pim studied Strategy and Finance at the Rotterdam School of Management, Erasmus University, in the Netherlands, and International Business at the Stockholm School of Economics (Handelshögskolan) in Sweden. He is passionate about helping entrepreneurial leaders solve complex challenges to successfully achieve sustainable transformation.
Linus Wretblad, Founder & CEO, IPscreener
Linus has 25 years of experience supporting IPR and innovation processes, starting as an examiner at the Swedish Patent office, now focusing on IP management, prior art search methodologies and AI supportive tools. He has a M5aster of Science in Physics & Electronics and a French DEA degree in Microelectronics, and additional MBA studies on Innovation and Entrepreneurship. He is actively engaged in the IP community and was the president of the Confederacy of European Patent Information User Groups (CEPIUG) 2012-2017 and on the board of the ISBQPIP foundation for certification of Patent Information Professionals (2017-2024). Linus is the co-founder of and also CEO 2000-2018 at Uppdragshuset, providing high-end patent information search services. He is since 2018 Co-founder and CEO of IPscreener, a spin-off company from the EUROSTAR project with the Technical University of Vienna & Uppdragshuset on AI assisted exploring and understanding of patents. Since 2023 he is an IP advisor to the Industry Common Foundation (ICF) to provide support on how to us AI to facilitate for researchers to explore, understand and better benefit from IP and patents.
Ellis Jan van den Hout, Managing Director of SKF in the Netherlands
Ellis Jan van den Hout, recently appointed as the Managing Director of SKF in the Netherlands, is deeply committed to driving sustainability transformation within the industry. SKF's primary contribution is the provision of clean technology solutions, with products become more efficient, longer lasting, repairable, and ultimately, recyclable. With a robust background in engineering, Ellis Jan brings extensive experience as a Sales Director and Business Developer in B2B. He also holds a Master of Science degree in Leading Sales Transformation.
Moderator: Andrea Orsag, Interim & Advisory | Speaker | Transition to Circular Economy | ESG Strategy | Purpose & Impact - Founder MissionC
Founder of MissionC, a strategy advisory based in Amsterdam on a mission to accelerate the sustainability transition on a global scale through circular economy and embedding ESG factors. An advisor helping organisations bring ideas to life by refining sustainability strategies, adjusting business models, delivering programs and engaging stakeholders

Recommended events
November 17, 2016 Global Macro Outlook Seminar by Handelsbanken
View event
November 28, 2016 The Swedish Chamber Patron Dinner

The Swedish Chamber of Commerce would like to thank all participants for contributing to the success of the Swedish Chamber Patron Dinner on November 22, 2016. We cordially thank H.E. Ambassador of Sweden and Honorary Chairman of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce Mr. Per Holmström for hosting the Patron Dinner 2016 and Mr. Jeroen van der Veer, ING Keynote speaker and Honorary Guest, for sharing his experiences and introducing the Round Table discussions.

View event

Patrons