NEWS In the heart on the Umeå Arts Campus, a new meeting place of innovation and creativity has opened its doors. The 'Sliperiet' will be a melting pot for research, development and innovation across various disciplines and areas of interest.
Sliperiet is envisioned as a twenty-first century style dynamic renovation of an old wood grinding mill and former art school. The buildings' new life will connect with its' past in manufacturing and creativity but be future proofed as a flexible space designed to take on the evolving challenges and needs of not only the Arts Campus (with their schools in Architecture, Fine Art and Design) but the whole university and the region.
“The focus of Sliperiet is unique, says Agneta Marell, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for External Relations and Innovation at Umeå University. “The environment will be accessible to the entire university - it should be an open and flexible venue. Researchers can, together with external parties, have meetings in interdisciplinary research projects, and faculty members can meet to develop new forms of education. In addition, students and researchers can come here with their business ideas, and companies and organizations can obtain help with their problems and get inspiration.”
Starting this April, the building's three floors have started to fill with people and activities. Karl Hardell, the CEO of Uminova Expression incubator has moved into new offices. Kulturverket, Joyn Service Design and Interactive Institute are some of the companies that have chosen to establish operations in Sliperiet and will be soon be moving in. This autumn, Sweden's first Fab Lab - an ultramodern laboratory with advanced technology – will have its opening. It will be possible for the lab to create models and prototypes using 3D printers, portal milling cutters, laser cutters and water. Sliperiet will also include meeting rooms, conference rooms and a café.
"We expect the majority of things to be in its place in the third week of September,” says Tapio Alakörkkö, Operations Manager. “Then we will also officially inaugurate Sliperiet. It will be a week of seminars, hands-on activities, presentations and workshops.
There will also be equipment and facilities at Sliperiet for different types of film and audio production as well as for working with textiles and digitization of movements.
Umeå Municipality is one of Sliperiet’s collaborative partners. The goal is to work together with Umeå University to help establish creative and knowledge-intensive companies in the city.
“Sliperiet is an important part of Umeå development, which explains the municipality's participation in the reconstruction of the building and holding in Uminova Expression,” says Roland Carlsson, head of industry and commerce at Umeå Municipality. “Sliperiet may also attract more companies to establish new operations in Umeå.”
Photo: Johan Gunséus
Photo caption (above): Linnea Therese Dimitriou from Sliperiet holds a lecture on Friday 25 April at breakfast gathering arranged by Sliperiet at Umeå University, Umeå Business and Industry Service and the Marketing Association in Umeå .
Contact Linnéa Therese Dimitriou : linnea.dimitriou@umu.se
Contact Jennie Vänman: jennie.vanman@umu.se
Editor: Petra Käck