Swedish byggbranschen faces a sharp slowdown, and on 8 October the sector will gather at Stora Byggdagen in Stockholm to chart a way forward. The recent crisis has struck construction hard, with housing output dropping sharply and the supply of skilled labour becoming an increasingly pressing problem.
Event overview
The conference takes place at Bygget Fest & Konferens and brings together construction firms, property owners, municipal planners, politicians and advisors. Organisers say the meeting aims to share experiences and tackle the obstacles that have stalled the recent building boom. The ambition is explicit: bring together builders, property actors, municipal developers, politicians and advisors to exchange lessons and jointly tackle the obstacles that have stalled the previous building boom.
Recent years have seen a marked drop in housing output and a growing shortage of skilled workers. At the same time, demand for new homes, transport links and public facilities remains high, creating a paradox that the gathering hopes to resolve. The scale of demand remains substantial, covering not only new residences but also transport corridors and public amenities essential for societal growth.
Key speakers include Ludvig Uggla, an analyst with Prognoscentret, who will present a macro‑level view of Sweden’s construction backlog and future housing needs. His analysis will address how many dwellings must be added, regional start‑up rates and the impact of public stimulus measures. Uggla’s insights are regarded as key for the whole construction ecosystem, framing the quantitative gaps that must be closed to sustain future development.
Agenda and topics
The program opens with a broad economic assessment, followed by a sector health review. A highlighted session features an exclusive interview with Magnus Persson, CEO of Skanska Sverige, discussing the next chapter for the industry. The opening segment delivers a macro‑level analysis of the national building backlog, followed by a detailed health check of the sector’s current performance.
Other agenda items cover labour supply, workplace crime and infrastructure gaps. In the “Ordet är fritt!” slot, participants break into small groups to debate the most pressing issues, a format many attendees consider as vital as the formal presentations.
Compared with previous industry meetings, this event places a stronger emphasis on interactive dialogue rather than solely on expert panels. That shift reflects a broader trend where peer‑to‑peer exchange often sparks practical solutions faster than top‑down directives.
Beyond the scheduled talks, the day includes breakfast mingling, a mid‑day coffee break and a closing reception. These informal settings are designed to reconnect old contacts and, more importantly, forge new partnerships that could translate into future projects. The informal breakfast, coffee and evening receptions are intentionally structured to spark spontaneous conversations that can quickly evolve into joint ventures or pilot projects.
Organisers stress that the gathering is more than a seminar; it serves as a hub where ideas, contracts and collaborations can emerge organically, something that written reports rarely achieve.
