#consideskilstuna

 By Anna Edstedt

If you’ve ever spent time in Eskilstuna, you’ll know it’s not trying to be Stockholm—and that’s exactly the point.

There’s something uniquely grounded about this city. Historically industrial, increasingly digital, and quietly ambitious. It’s a place where big changes don’t scream—they unfold steadily. And that, in many ways, mirrors our own journey at Consid.

When we opened our Eskilstuna office, we didn’t arrive with fireworks. We came with questions, curiosity, and a desire to build with the local community—not just operate in it.

And years later, we’re still here. Still growing. Still learning what digital transformation really looks like—on the ground, where lives and services intersect.

This is a look inside that journey.

Why Eskilstuna?

Some might have seen it as a risk. It wasn’t a “hot” tech hub on paper. But we saw potential—an intersection of public sector momentum, educational institutions, and a workforce eager for the next chapter.

The municipality had already made strides in sustainability and digital infrastructure. What it needed was a partner who understood not just code, but context.

And that’s where we came in.

The Early Wins (And Wobbles)

We started small—supporting public-facing projects that needed modernisation. Websites. Booking systems. Internal portals. Nothing glamorous.

But the impact was real. Suddenly, residents could interact with local government in more intuitive ways. Less paperwork. Faster response times. Better accessibility for citizens who weren’t always tech-savvy.

Of course, it wasn’t seamless. We underestimated how much legacy infrastructure we’d need to integrate with. Some of our early assumptions—about timelines, internal capacity, even browser compatibility—missed the mark.

But the beauty of Eskilstuna is its openness to collaboration. Mistakes weren’t punished—they were seen as part of the process. That trust helped us find our rhythm.

Building a Team That Feels Local

We didn’t want a satellite office. We wanted roots.

So we hired from the region. We partnered with local schools. We offered internships not just to future developers, but to young people who weren’t sure if tech was for them. Some stayed. Some didn’t. But every interaction added something.

Today, our Eskilstuna team includes developers, UX designers, and project managers who know the city well. They shop here. Raise families here. Pay attention to what the community cares about.

That connection shows in the work. Because empathy can’t be outsourced.

One Project That Still Makes Us Smile

There was a small pilot project—digitising a citizen feedback tool. Before, residents could fill out handwritten forms (or call) to report broken streetlights or suggest improvements. A basic civic feature, yes—but clunky and time-consuming.

We helped create a mobile-friendly interface, added geolocation, and integrated response tracking. Suddenly, people could report an issue and see when it had been resolved.

It sounds simple. But the sense of participation, of responsiveness—it changed the tone of local engagement. And the municipality got real-time data to help with prioritisation.

It was one of those projects that reminded us why we do what we do.

Part of a Bigger Picture

Our work in Eskilstuna is just one thread in the fabric of Consid. But it reflects something essential: the belief that digital transformation happens locally first.

Yes, we’re proud to be nominated for the 2025 Go Global Awards, taking place this November in London. Hosted by the International Trade Council, the event brings together leading innovators from around the world. And sure—it’s exciting to be recognised at that level.

But it’s the quiet wins—the broken light that gets fixed faster, the website that an elderly resident can navigate independently—that remind us what global impact actually looks like. It’s built, block by block, in cities like Eskilstuna.

What’s Next

We’re not done. New projects are on the horizon—some public, some private. We’re exploring green tech integrations. Thinking about how to use AI responsibly in local services. Asking how digital tools can serve everyone, not just the digitally fluent.

It’s ongoing work. And that’s what makes it meaningful.

Final Thought

You don’t need to be in a capital city to create capital ideas. Sometimes the most thoughtful, people-first innovation comes from places a little off the radar.