Sjuhärad, located in the south-west of Sweden, has a long tradition of entrepreneurial spirit, especially in the textile industry. Today, tradition and development meet in Smart Textiles, which has its platform in Borås, the largest city in the region.

Advantages of Sjuhärad

• Well-functioning cooperation between the public, business and academia
• Attractive land premises
• Low investment costs
• Reliable infrastructure
• Highly qualified workers

Textiles and e-business

Sjuhärad is the Scandinavian center of textile, mail-order and e-business. It is the home of companies such as H&M Rowells, Eton, Ludvig Svensson, Borås Wäfveri, Sanden textiles and Kasthall. In Smart Textiles new and more sophisticated products are created, such as portable technology integrated with textiles for clinical medicinal use and dynamic textile sound absorbents. Smart Textiles bring together researchers, technicians and industry in fashion design, electronics, fiber technology and interaction design.

Other competence areas include logistics and cleantech. Strong manufacturing sectors are automotive, electronics, plastics and food.

Advanced research facilities

The University College of Borås, including the Swedish School of Textiles, has 12,000 students. Research areas besides Smart Textiles and cleantech are ICT and Ageing Health. Research is often carried out in close partnership with business. The Technical Research Institute of Sweden (SP) is a leading organization in the development of sustainable energy and environmental technology.

Beautiful landscape

Sjuhärad is a vital part of Västra Götaland's county, close to the coast, to the city of Göteborg and Landvetter International Airport. Some 260,000 inhabitants live in the region and another 1.5 million within a 100-kilometer radius.

In Sjuhärad you can easily enjoy forests, lakes, rivers and the calm, beautiful landscape. The cultural life is vivid. Borås has become one of the major Swedish cities in exposing modern sculpture.