Ex-Northvolt workers are joining together to try to provide collective expertise for the benefit of the industry, and help them stay in Sweden.
The news reverberated through Skellefteå like a sudden chill: Northvolt, once a symbol of Sweden's green industrial ambition, had filed for bankruptcy. The immediate fallout saw thousands of highly skilled individuals, many having moved from across the globe, facing uncertain futures.
Among them is Michael Wray, formerly of Northvolt Labs in Västerås, and now leading an initiative aimed at salvaging this significant human capital: Arctic Pivot Consulting.
What went through your mind when you heard that Northvolt had filed for bankruptcy?
– My first thought was for the many Northvolters who had dropped everything and come from all over the world to commit to an inspiring mission. I instantly wanted to make sure that this incredible group of people didn’t just drift apart, says Wray.
Arctic Pivot Consulting is structured as an ekonomisk förening, a cooperative, with a stated purpose to support its ex-Northvolt members.
It’s based on the idea that although Northvolt faced financial problems, its workforce succeeded in quickly scaling up green battery cell production and building valuable expertise.
Can you tell us more about the new association – how it started and what its main goals are?
– It started with asking for Northvolters to share contact information with each other and join brainstorming sessions for how we could support each other in concrete ways, says Wray.
– We wanted it to be about more than just liking and commenting on LinkedIn. We realised we could leverage this collective expertise for the benefit of the industry, and our members, Wray explains.
The intention is to build upon that collective experience, albeit with a different operating model. Arctic Pivot emphasises a business approach focused on its people rather than solely on profit, aiming for a more flexible and sustainable structure.
What kind of expertise and experience do you and the others in the network bring to the table?
– All our members have hands-on experience building the battery industry. Many are subject-matter experts covering disciplines across the entire battery value chain, including materials, design, process, operational excellence and more, Wray says.
–The diversity of our members means that we are relevant all over the globe and able to adapt to the opportunities and challenges of various markets.
This pool of knowledge underpins Arctic Pivot's three primary commercial activities.
First, they'll offer technical consulting, providing both direct placement and project-based services. The idea is that using one consultant brings the wider expertise of the Arctic Pivot team to bear, with the added benefit of a direct path to employment conversion for clients.
Secondly, they focus on competence development for battery industry professionals. This targets late-stage university students, early-career individuals, and those looking to transition into the battery sector, with the goal of accelerating skill development.
Wray suggests that current educational pathways may not fully prepare professionals for the practical complexities of battery design and production.
– We want to bridge the gap between academia and industry in battery manufacturing, offering research insights and translating academic work into practical applications.
As part of this facet of Arctic Pivot's work, Wray has been employed by Anna Bird, CEO of Mälardalen Industrial Technology Center, which works on industry-academia collaboration projects with partners such as Volvo CE and Alfa Laval.
Bird commented on Wray:
– Michael's initiative is really important and shows his commitment to people and society while securing that the unique expert competence Northvolters hold continues to create benefits to business and society, says Bird.
– His drive and empathy in starting the initiative was definitely an important factor in us recruiting him. He will continue his work, and we hope it will create synergies with what we do at MITC. In Sweden, we have some of the world's best experts in battery production. That competence should not be wasted or lost, Bird says.
Retaining this glut of talent is another key concern for Wray.
– Many of our non-EU members are located in Skellefteå and quite a few of them desperately want to stay in, if not Skellefteå, then Sweden, he says.
– We hope that this work will give more of them the opportunity to do that, but either way we intend to do whatever we can to support them. We believe that the diversity of this group is essential to its success, Wray says.
However, engaging with central government agencies has been challenging.
– We are receiving great support from non-profits and other companies. We’ve done our best to work with government agencies but have been repeatedly disappointed by the lack of any substantive engagement, Wray says.
He believes that for the initiative to become long-term and sustainable, greater willingness from government agencies to consider creative solutions is needed, alongside media exposure to reach potential clients globally.
Michael Wray, near his home in Västerås.
Do you think Sweden is doing enough to retain international talent in the green tech sector?
– I’m surprised at how inefficient and strict the Swedish system is. I understand all countries have their regulations, but my experience so far is that government agencies seem to actively be seeking to push out immigrants without regard to their expertise and the value they bring to society and the Swedish business landscape.
Even given central government's indifference, Wray remains confident.
– We've had amazing support from the start. We got at least five times more members than I expected in the cooperative, and over a thousand people have joined our LinkedIn support group. These former Northvolt workers help each other every day - it's really inspiring to see, says Wray.