Elflexible Industry (Electrified Flexible Industry)

Elflexible Industry is Sweden’s largest initiative within Advanced Digitalisation, promoting a systemic transformation and enabling a fundamental shift in both Swedish manufacturing industry and the energy system. Together, the programme develops smart control, increased electricity flexibility, and behavioural change that strengthen industrial competitiveness while making the energy system more robust and sustainable.

The project addresses one of industry’s greatest challenges: electrification is progressing faster than the expansion of electricity grids. The solution lies in using power more intelligently—by controlling, shifting, sharing, and storing energy here and now.

Elflexible Industry aims to create new ways of working, technical solutions, and business models in which industry becomes an active resource in the energy system, rather than merely an electricity consumer.

Project objectives

The project aims to:

• strengthen industrial competitiveness through advanced digitalisation
• reduce peak power demand and release capacity in electricity grids
• increase energy efficiency in industrial processes
• enable energy sharing and local balancing
• develop new business models and forms of collaboration
• create scalable solutions that can be applied throughout Sweden

Innovation in real industrial environments

Within Elflexible Industry, eight industrial demonstrations are carried out across several sectors. Development and testing take place directly in real factories, industrial clusters, and energy facilities—where production, electricity use, and electricity grids are interconnected within a shared system.

The demonstrations test, among other things:

• advanced measurement and data sharing
• AI-based forecasting
• automated flexibility and power control
• energy sharing between companies
• local energy storage and smart control
• new roles and business models between industry and grid operators

The demonstrations are conducted in close collaboration with industrial companies across several parts of Sweden, with a particular focus on Västra Götaland, Värmland, Halland, and Jönköping counties.

National digital twin

A central outcome of the project is the establishment of a national digital twin for the industrial energy system. This enables the simulation and validation of technical, market-based, and regulatory solutions before they are implemented in real-world settings. This reduces risk, accelerates development, and provides stronger foundations for long-term decision-making.

Facts

Elflexible Industry is led by Chalmers Industriteknik and brings together nearly 50 stakeholders from industry, energy companies, electricity network operators, academia, and innovation environments. The project is supported by Vinnova.

Project lead:
Stiftelsen Chalmers Industriteknik

Project partners (Innovation actors):
Glava Energy Center Economic Association, Innovatum Science Park (Innovatum AB & Innovatum Progress AB), Lindholmen Science Park & AI Sweden, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden AB

Implementation and demonstration partners:
AB Hilmer Andersson, Autoliv Sverige AB, Billerud Sweden AB (Gruvön Mill), Broson Steel AB, Broson Wheels AB, Center of Innovation Vårgårda, Chalmers University of Technology AB, DNV Sweden AB, Ellevio AB, Energiforsk AB, Eolus AB, Ericsson AB, ESAB AB, Garantell AB, GITO Heavy Charging Solutions AB, Helicon Technologies AB, Herrljunga Elektriska AB, Höganäs AB, Höganäs Sweden AB, Jönköping Energi AB, Karlstad University, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, Libra Horizon AB, Magna Electronics Sweden AB, Power Circle AB, Rabbalshede Kraft AB, Rottneros Bruk AB, Scandinavian Horizon AB, Siemens Energy AB, Smögenlax Aquaculture AB, Svenska Kraftnät, Sweco Sverige AB, Telia Sverige AB, Troax AB, Uddeholms AB, Uppsala University, Vattenfall AB, Volvo Construction Equipment AB (Arvika Plant), Volvo Cars AB, Åsbro Kursgård AB