About the Bergskraft Bergslagen project

The primary aim of the Bergskraft Bergslagen project is to help create growth in Bergslagen. The project runs from 1 October 2007 to 30 September 2010.
During that period, Bergskraft Bergslagen will work on three integrated activities:

  • The Bergskraft Bergslagen Meeting Place
  • Mining
  • Mining-related Environmental work

The project is rooted in Bergslagen's unique situation in the mining industry, and aims to generate growth in Bergslagen by increasing job opportunities, developing clusters, etc. The project's total budget is approx. SEK 18.7m. Of this, SEK 8.2m is EU funding, the remainder being financed by the regional/local public and private sectors.
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Description of the integrated activities/sub-goals

1. The Bergskraft Bergslagen Meeting Place

Aims to:
  • meet business visitors' needs, including providing personal advice with relevant competence, library services, copying and printing, IT, map material, fieldwork, etc.;
  • initiate and develop cluster cooperation in Bergslagen;
  • organise seminars, conferences and participation in regional/national seminars;
  • participate in international networks.
The project includes regularly organising and participating in conferences and seminars, both national and international, and there marketing Bergslagen's excellent geological potential and business climate.

2. Mining

 
Within the Mining sub-goal, the aim is to make decisions on the opening of at least two new mines in Bergslagen by 2012, which could lead to 1000 new direct and indirect jobs in the region.

The Bergskraft Bergslagen project will contribute to the growth, dynamism and competence of the regional mining industry and the development of a diverse economy.

3. Mining-related Environmental work

 
Within the Mining-related Environmental work (MnrEnw) sub-goal, the aim is to establish a national test field, for the treatment of historic mine waste, that benefits communities, contractors and mining companies through the development of cost-effective and commercial methods, technology and services for national and international markets.

Bergslagen past and future

The mining industry in central Sweden started to gather pace in the latter part of the 13th century. Mine owners got together and formed cooperatives, each known as a Bergslag. The mine owners in a Bergslag could acquire the rights to operate mines within a particular area, which then became an administrative unit. Logically (if somewhat confusingly) this unit also came to be called a Bergslag (berg = mountain, lag = law).


The legal system within this administrative unit obviously also needed to be regulated. This was achieved by a royal decree that became known as Bergslagen, with the emphasis on "lagen" (the law). Subsequently, the sense of the term has steadily shifted, and today it refers mainly to the geographical heartland where mining was and is carried out in Central Sweden.

Mining in Bergslagen became the cradle of modern industry in Sweden, supplying Europe with iron ore, copper, silver and gold. The rich natural resources, combined with unique expertise, made success virtually inevitable, and mining laid the foundations for major regional and national economic success.

Today, Sweden is still one of the world's leading mining nations, and the Bergslagen region still accounts for approximately a third of the value of Sweden's total mining production – revenues that make a substantial contribution to the prosperity of Sweden


Bergslagen is now undergoing a transformation, and is looking for ways to regenerate and adapt. The previous hundreds of active mines have now been reduced to just a handful. But against a background of increasing demand for metals and access to new technology, can history repeat itself? Natural resources combined with modern expertise and technology can make Bergslagen a national player in Sweden's development.

 

The business sector's interest in Bergslagen is once again at a high point. One very obvious sign is the number of exploration permits in Bergslagen applied for and approved. The increase several times over in the number of exploration permits issued in just a few years is proof enough. And the mining industry's interest in Bergslagen as a location to set up only increases. Read more about exploration permits at http://www.bergsstaten.se/.

Geology

Geology is the science of origin, composition and change of the rocks and minerals of the earth crust. If you are interested in geology or if you would like to know more about minerals and ore deposits you will find more information on: http://www.sgu.se


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