RedigitiZE Aims to Drive Industrial Electrification with Digital Solutions
How can digital technologies help industry grow while using electricity more smartly – without being constrained by today’s limited grid capacity? That is the focus of the RedigitiZE feasibility study, led by Glava Energy Center and funded by Vinnova. The project brings together industries, energy companies, researchers, and technology developers with the aim of identifying new pathways towards a more flexible and electrified industrial sector.
– Industrial electrification is crucial for Sweden’s climate transition and future competitiveness. With RedigitiZE, we want to show how collaboration and smart use of energy data can create win-win solutions for both industry and the grid, says Oliver Ingwall King, Project Manager for RedigitiZE.
A Shift that Requires Collaboration
Although RedigitiZE is based in Värmland, it tackles a national challenge: how energy and power data can be shared securely, enabling industry to move from being passive consumers to active participants in the energy system – so-called prosumers. The project explores how industries can adjust their electricity usage, store energy at the right times, and support the grid during peak demand.
– We need to clarify how industry can practically support grid operators in delivering the capacity needed for continued electrification, says Oliver Ingwall King.
Participating companies include Uddeholm, Volvo CE, Billerud, and LBC Frakt, along with Karlstads Energi, Ellevio, researchers from Karlstad University and RISE, and technology actors such as CheckWatt, EG Kraft, Hydroc, Norgald, and Endre Tech. The project also collaborates with cluster organizations like Paper Province, Compare, and IUC Stål & Verkstad, as well as support networks like SESBC, RESKU, and DAMI.
Voices from the Industry
The industrial partners emphasize the importance of cooperation and shared learning. Volvo Construction Equipment, a RedigitiZE partner, has set ambitious goals: 35% of its machine sales will be electric by 2030, and its entire operations will be fossil-free by 2040.
– Electrification is new territory for all of us. Manufacturing electric wheel loaders requires a new way of thinking – both inside the factory and beyond. To succeed, we need to broaden our perspective, share experiences, and join forces with more actors, says Anna Ericson Öberg, Head of Research at Volvo CE.
About the Feasibility Study
RedigitiZE is funded through Vinnova’s “Advanced Digitalisation” program. A total of 19 feasibility studies have received funding, five of which focus on industrial electrification. These initiatives aim to lay the foundation for long-term transformation – not just technological solutions, but new ways of collaborating and thinking systemically. RedigitiZE runs from April to October 2025, during which a broad consortium of actors is being built with the goal of launching a large-scale implementation project.
Read more about the feasibility study on RedigitiZE’s website.
RedigitiZE is carried out using a mission-oriented approach, meaning it focuses on a major societal challenge – in this case, industrial electrification – and brings together diverse actors to find solutions collaboratively.
Learn more about the mission-oriented approach on Vinnova’s website.
Captions:
Image 1 – The Gruvön industrial area in Grums, Värmland. Photo: Linn Malmén.
Image 2 – Panel discussion on industrial electrification at the 2025 Energy Conference at Glava Energy Center. From left: Erica Åkerberg, Research Advisor at Karlstad University; Oliver Ingwall King, Project Manager at Glava Energy Center; Anna Ericson Öberg, Head of Research at Volvo CE; and Hanna Persson, Chalmers Industriteknik. Moderator: Magnus Nilsson, CEO of Glava Energy Center.