Linköping awarded the European Rising Innovative City award in 2023
Linköping is the first Swedish city to win one of the European Commission’s European Capital of Innovation Awards (iCapital). The prestigious prize identifies cities connecting citizens with academia, businesses, and the public sector to successfully translate results into improved well-being of society while simultaneously boosting game-changing innovation. As the European Innovation Council writes, “Linköping’s business community, public institutions, and Linköping university, have a long history of innovative thinking, which has created a distinct and dynamic culture. And that's why so many groundbreaking innovations are born in Linköping.”
SICK is part of Linköping innovative ecosystem
A strategic location within the Science Park. Established in 1984, Linköping Science Park is one of the two Science Parks in Sweden. It hosts over 600 companies, 14 000 employees and 38 000 students – and keeps growing. It is in this business and technology ecosystem that SICK has its office in Linköping. We are happy and energized to participate regularly in the events, talks, and public celebrations that take place in this community – contributing to the dynamic and fruitful connections that nourish innovations.
Strong connections with the University. SICK experts are invited to give lecture and courses for technology students. Every year, students from majors such as computer science, computer vision, machine learning, and many more fields, come work with SICK to write their thesis or do an internship. In 2023, SICK went one step further in reinforcing these fruitful connections by partnering with FIA Robotics, the student-led association for students interested in robotics. We were delighted to sponsor the RoboCup Junior robotics challenge, and to give lectures for their members. And of course, SICK participates all year round in fairs and related events where we are always happy to connect with students and learn about they are passionate about.
The office in Linköping is an innovation and R&D hub within SICK group. As one of the Research and Development centers, it is where many innovations are born inside the group. Our teams work on the software innovations in relation with robot vision and robot guidance. We regularly welcome colleagues from offices in other countries for visits, projects and assignments, contributing to an ongoing exchange of knowledge and ideas.
The culture of innovation at SICK Linköping
We believe that above all, we are innovators. It is through our curiosity and passion to innovate that we keep our position as a leading player in machine vision. How does that translate in our work culture? As a SICK employee in Linköping says: "Everyone at the office can talk to everyone. There are no stupid comments or questions. This open atmosphere is key to innovation. We are innovators and switch rapidly between fun private topics and serious work topics." And our manifesto gives insights into what makes it a daily reality for us:
One of the first things we say to our newcomers is: “Go ahead and try, we’ve got your back.” We aim to inspire each other to aim high and be courageous, because without exploring we can’t move forward. What we do, we do together
Then there is the vision to “Be you, together”. We celebrate each other's individuality, curiosity, and desire to innovate. These are the elements that bring us forward. We are also convinced that the best ideas surface when we have open minds and help each other, so there is no competition at SICK Linköping, only collaboration. And because nobody knows everything, we share decision making and direction setting!
Finally, but equally importantly, we emphasize that “We believe in balance”. For us sustainability is everything from creating products that help our customers optimize their use of the world’s resources to keeping a good work-life balance. It is striving towards the goals of agenda 2030 while also having the opportunity to learn and develop professionally. In short it means keeping in balance with all the elements of life. At SICK Linköping we love our work, but life happens, and that is just the way it should be.
So come and experience for yourself Europe’s most innovative city, in one of the best places to work in Sweden!
Picture credit: Håkan Sundblad on Unsplash