Joakim Lind, PhD - log & portfolio

The Biggest Risks of AI Are Not Covered by Regulations

Note: The debate article below is an English translation of an article originally published in Swedish on DI Debatt in Dagens Industri on January 23, 2026 under the title “De största riskerna med AI täcks inte av regelverken.”

As large language models and generative AI change the conditions for communication, texts and other content can be produced quickly, cheaply, and at an industrial scale. For public discourse, this represents a more fundamental challenge, writes Joakim Lind, PhD in Business Administration and communications consultant at Cloudberry.

When language can be generated without clear human involvement, it becomes more difficult to determine what – and who – carries experience, perspective, and responsibility. At the same time, the information environment is changing, with a growing proportion of circulating content being synthetically generated. For a democratic society—built on recognizable voices, the ability to scrutinize power and influence, and the capacity to hold actors accountable—this is not a marginal change but a structural challenge to how trust is created and maintained.

What previously gave human actors credibility, education, professional experience, position, and contextual understanding can now be simulated through a few quick instructions (prompts). The results are often accurate, sometimes impressive. But while linguistic quality can be automated, responsibility cannot. Ownership and authorship become diffuse. When even expressions of expertise and authority can be generated on command, the boundary between earned trust and simulated credibility begins to shift. Who stands behind an argument? What experiences support it? And who can be held responsible when something has consequences?

Here a more subtle but decisive shift takes place. The narrative signatures that once helped us identify professions and roles, the researcher’s theory and method, the doctor’s expertise, the journalist’s investigative depth, the lawyer’s argumentation, or the writer’s voice, risk being flattened into a linguistic middle ground that may be technically correct but context-free.

Editorial responsibility, source criticism, and professional judgment are thereby weakened. When linguistic processes become detached from individuals, roles, and contexts, perspectives become harder to trace. The material underlying public and organizational decisions is expanding rapidly in both scope and complexity. For decision-makers, this makes it increasingly difficult to determine what has actually been analyzed, tested, and grounded in expertise, and what is merely well formulated. In this hybrid of human judgment and machine-generated production, the conditions under which responsibility can be identified and enforced are also being reshaped.

If we look at the fundamental qualities of synthetic language, this is not primarily a question of style, but of how meaning arises—through narrative. Narratives should here be understood as frameworks of meaning through which experiences are organized and given direction over time, rather than as individual stories. When these frameworks become blurred, our collective ability to orient ourselves weakens.

Generative AI can strengthen our cognitive capacities. It can structure information, identify patterns, and generate analytical material at a scale far beyond human capacity. However, it cannot be held responsible for the conclusions in that material. As text, analysis, and decision support become cheap, human judgment becomes more expensive—a scarce resource. In many organizations, this is already visible in what has begun to be called workslop: polished AI-generated texts, reports, and presentations that appear complete but may lack substance, shifting the burden of evaluation and quality assurance to the next recipient. As a result, roles such as reviewers, editors, and decision-makers take on greater strategic importance as guarantors of quality and responsibility.

The historian Yuval Noah Harari has described this as a central challenge for modern knowledge systems. In his book Nexus, he highlights the importance of self-correcting systems: structures that both produce information and allow it to be tested, questioned, and revised over time. Crucially, however, such systems require active human involvement. They depend on review and critical reassessment practices. Science is one such example: no guarantee of truth, but organized around institutionalized doubt, open criticism, and responsibility. The same principles are equally vital for organizations, media institutions, and companies that increasingly rely on synthetic language.

Responsibility, therefore, cannot be reduced to compliance with individual regulations or technical risk classifications. Regulations such as the EU’s AI Act play an important role in ensuring security, transparency, and accountability in specific use cases. Yet the most far-reaching impacts and potential risks of generative AI often arise outside the domains where risks are clearly defined and measurable. They emerge in everyday language use, in analysis, communication, and storytelling, in the layers of text and data that gradually shape how reality is described, understood, and evaluated.

As fundamental narratives about society, the economy, and human agency are increasingly produced and reinforced by machine systems, not only are individual decisions affected, but also the frameworks of meaning that guide collective beliefs. The risk, therefore, lies less in individual errors than in a gradual shift in what is perceived as reasonable, relevant, and legitimate.

Here, the need for narrative resilience becomes clear. By this, I mean the ability of organizations and societies to preserve, test, and develop frameworks of meaning grounded in human judgment, responsibility, and professional integrity, even when language itself can be automated. For businesses and policymakers, this is not about slowing technology, but about strengthening the institutions, roles, and processes that give it direction.

Generative AI thus requires not only new regulations but also a deeper sense of responsibility for how meaning is produced and managed. In a synthetic information environment where the volumes of text and data continue to grow, narrative resilience becomes both a strategic asset and a necessity—for media, organizations, companies, and ultimately for democracy.

Joakim Lind
PhD in Business Administration, and Communications consultant

A Renaissance of the Human in the Age of Synthetic Language

Note: The essay below is an English translation of an article originally published in Swedish in Dagens Arena on January 19, 2026, under the title “En renässans för det mänskliga i en tid av syntetiska språk.

For a long time, Western societies have been sustained by a fairly stable understanding of the nature of knowledge: that it ultimately rests on human experience, scrutiny, and responsibility. Facts could be questioned, and interpretations could compete. Still, there were institutions, practices, and norms that made it possible to determine who was speaking, on the basis of which experiences, and with what responsibility.

Knowledge has never been unambiguous, but it has been rooted in the human.

Today, we are testing this order. Not because we know less, but because language, analysis, and representation are increasingly detached from human understanding. In his book Nexus, the historian Yuval Noah Harari describes this as a shift in our knowledge systems: information flows are outpacing our collective capacity to interpret, evaluate, and correct them. The problem is not a lack of data, but a lack of processes that anchor meaning and responsibility. When these processes weaken, knowledge systems risk reproducing themselves without sufficient human scrutiny.

The result is an imbalance

The philosopher Shannon Vallor develops a similar ethical perspective. In The AI Mirror, she describes how our technological capabilities have advanced more quickly than our moral and epistemic practices. The result is not necessarily collapse, but imbalance: we can generate answers before we have had time to formulate the questions that make them meaningful. It is within this tension—between production and understanding—that the idea of an epistemological and ontological challenge has taken hold.

Against this background, generative AI should be understood not merely as a new tool but as a technology that alters the conditions under which knowledge is expressed, circulated, and perceived. When language, analyses, and textual representations can be produced synthetically on an industrial scale, not only does the pace of public discourse change, but also its readability: what can be interpreted as experience, judgment, or a considered standpoint.

The question of knowledge infrastructure is not new. In recent decades, we have seen how technological developments have gradually lowered the thresholds of public discourse, understood as the arenas where texts, interpretations, and narratives are shaped, circulated, and tested before others. Digital platforms have made it possible for more people to participate in these processes, but have also, step by step, reshaped the conditions for trust, authority, and attention. They influence which voices gain traction, how arguments spread, and which forms of expression are rewarded. It is this dual experience that makes it meaningful to look back.

When blogs and social media emerged in the mid-2000s, many spoke of a democratization of public discourse. New technological tools made it possible for more people to participate with their own voices, without passing through established editorial filters. Barriers to entry were lowered, grassroots engagement grew, and perspectives that had previously struggled to find a place became visible alongside traditional media. For many, this represented a genuine broadening of the public sphere, both in terms of who could speak and which experiences could be shared.

At the same time, it gradually became clear that the very infrastructures that enabled this broadening also produced new constraints. Platforms that initially appeared as open arenas evolved into algorithmically governed ecosystems in which commercial logics gained increasing influence. Editorial ideals and slower forms of scrutiny were often displaced by click optimization, polarization, and the dynamics of the attention economy. Public discourse is fragmented, and quality risked becoming a side effect rather than an explicit goal. The democratization of expression thus coincided with a professionalization of attention.

With generative AI, we are entering another technological shift. Once again, there is talk of democratization, this time of writing, analysis, creativity, and knowledge production. And in many ways this is true. Generative AI is already widely used for writing and text processing, image and music creation, design, voice synthesis, and other creative processes, as well as for administration, programming, research, data analysis, and strategic decision-making. It is no longer a specialized tool but a general productivity technology with far-reaching consequences for how knowledge is produced and circulated.

Interpretation is outsourced as well

Yet this technology is also embedded within social and commercial structures. In marketing and communication, many are now searching for ways to optimize their content for the logic of language models. Where ranking high in search engines was once the goal, top placement in the response fields of language models now appears to be the new objective—whether to make products visible, promote ideas, or shape how questions themselves are formulated and answered.

Here, a new form of attention economy emerges, where not only visibility but also interpretation is effectively outsourced to commercially driven systems.

The models that generate these responses do not arise in a neutral space. They are trained on historical data, shaped by processes of selection and weighting, and developed within institutional, cultural, and ideological frameworks that influence what appears reasonable, relevant, and plausible. As these models are increasingly trained on synthetic data, they risk drifting from their original references, making human review even more central.

This sharpens the question of what happens to judgment, meaning, and responsibility when more and more expressions, analyses, and representations are built on synthetic data.

It is tempting to view generative AI as a continuation of the democratization of writing and knowledge production. But the comparison is misleading. Previous digital shifts lowered the barriers to participation while leaving the act of expression fundamentally human. Generative AI, by contrast, risks reinforcing a superficial homogenization, in which more and more people communicate through language, forms, and expressions that are not their own.

What once lent credibility, education, professional experience, deep expertise, and contextual understanding can now be simulated through a few brief prompts. This does not mean that the results are necessarily incorrect. Much of what is produced is accurate, sometimes impressively so. But it becomes harder to determine who stands behind an argument, which experiences support it, and who can ultimately be held responsible.

Ownership becomes more diffuse or disappears altogether.

Harder-to-read foundations

The narrative distinctions that once helped us identify individuals, professions, disciplines, or cultures, the researcher’s method, the lawyer’s reasoning, and the artist’s expression become less distinct. Even the journalist’s scrutiny and editorial judgment risk being reduced to just another stylistic register. The narrative themes of institutions and interest groups become harder to trace when expressions are detached from identifiable individuals and communities. The underlying material for public voices becomes not only more extensive but also more difficult to interpret: rich in text, yet poorer in recognizable perspectives.

Narratives should not be understood here as individual stories, but as the frames of meaning and processes through which experiences are organized, interpreted, and given direction over time. Through these processes, actions can be understood in relation to values, and responsibility can be articulated beyond the immediate moment.

Philosophers such as Paul Ricoeur have shown how narrative, through this movement, connects time, action, and responsibility. By experiencing, articulating, and rearticulating, contexts emerge in which the actions of both individuals and institutions can be understood, questioned, and renegotiated. The psychologist Jerome Bruner similarly demonstrated how narrative understanding differs from analytical explanation: it does not reduce complexity but makes it possible to live with it.

When language and texts are increasingly reduced to models and algorithms, this narrative movement risks being shortened or interrupted. Not because such systems lack structure, human thinking itself is shaped by frameworks, traditions, and concepts, but because they remain confined to the structures embedded in their models, platforms, and training data, without the capacity to question or transcend them. They can generate new combinations, but cannot reflect on the conditions that make those combinations meaningful. What remains are often well-formulated texts that are easy to absorb but difficult to situate within a broader context of meaning.

Generative AI can strengthen our cognitive capacities. It can help structure complex information, identify patterns, simulate scenarios, and explore ideas more rapidly than before. But it cannot determine what is relevant, reasonable, or desirable. It can produce analytical material, but it cannot take responsibility for the conclusions drawn from it. The philosopher Michael Polanyi described this distinction as the difference between explicit and tacit knowledge: between what can be formalized and what can only be developed through experience and judgment.

Human judgment still matters

The distinction between automated production and meaningful analysis, therefore, becomes crucial. We readily accept that AI can compile facts, summarize research, or produce technical instructions. But when it comes to interpreting context, weighing perspectives, or making normatively charged decisions, we still turn to human judgment—not out of nostalgia, but for functional reasons. Nobel laureate Daniel Kahneman described this as the difference between fast and slow thinking: efficient processing on the one hand, reflective deliberation on the other.

One concrete consequence of this development is the content inflation already visible around us. Texts, images, analyses, and proposals can now be produced at previously unimaginable speeds and at previously unimaginable costs. Speculations about the “dead internet” should be treated cautiously, but they point toward a genuine experience: it is becoming increasingly difficult to discern human presence, intention, and responsibility in digital environments—not because the content is necessarily false, but because it often lacks relation.

Economists such as Robert J. Shiller have shown how narratives spread as social phenomena with real consequences. When narratives can be mass-produced without corresponding processes of scrutiny, the risk of rapid diffusion without responsibility increases. This applies to economic expectations, political moods, and cultural perceptions alike.

Here, it may be useful to look toward the scientific process as an example of what Harari calls a self-correcting system. Science offers no guarantee of truth, but it is organized around institutionalized doubt: a social process in which claims must be defended before others with relevant expertise. Disagreement is not a failure but a prerequisite for the development of knowledge.

At the same time, this system is under pressure itself. The number of scientific publications is growing rapidly, something to which AI-assisted writing also contributes, while the availability of qualified reviewers remains limited. As the production of texts accelerates and the cost of generating them declines, the burden on the processes that determine what is relevant, robust, and reliable increases. What was once considered background work, selection, interpretation, and evaluation, becomes both more demanding and more crucial. In this respect, the challenges facing academia mirror those of society at large.

Taken together, these developments point toward the possibility of a renaissance of human qualities. Not as resistance to new technology, but as a prerequisite for using it wisely. In a public sphere where more and more can be produced without friction, value shifts from production to understanding, from visibility to relevance.

But such a renaissance of the human is not inevitable. It does not arise automatically from technological progress or commercial forces. If generative AI is to deepen understanding rather than reinforce homogenization, attention must be paid to the narrative conditions through which technology is given meaning and direction. Which perspectives are made visible? Which assumptions are embedded as self-evident? And which practices of discernment and scrutiny are we prepared to preserve as the pace continues to accelerate?

Perhaps it is precisely here, within the tension between rapid generation and slow understanding, that the decisive questions of the future begin to take shape. Not as technical problems with predetermined solutions, but as cultural and intellectual challenges whose outcomes remain open.

Joakim Lind
PhD in Business Administration, Åbo Akademi University
Communications consultant

On Air with Swedish Radio (P4 Väst): Climbing and Rural Place Identity

On 7 October, I met with Sveriges Radio P4 Väst in Brodalen to discuss our study on climbing as a serious leisure activity and its connection to rural development. The interview was recorded on location, and a shorter version was later published online.

The recording expands on our recent article in the World Leisure Journal, which examines how climbing contributes to Brodalen’s evolving identity as both a village and a destination. Through long-term engagement, outdoor activities like climbing support place attachment, social bonds, and local initiatives, which we describe in the study as forms of narrative and symbolic value.

I was joined on air by Liz Lamora, who moved to Brodalen from the United States; Michael Buder, originally from Austria; and Patrik “Padde” Svensson, who recently relocated his outdoor shop Fjällsport from Gothenburg to the village. Each of them shared reflections on living, climbing, and building community in Brodalen, contributing perspectives that help ground the research in everyday experience.

You can listen to the shorter version here:
“Liz moved from the US to Brodalen – to climb” (1:33 min)

The full broadcast from October 7 (segment begins at approx. 1:06:10) is available here:
Listen to the full program

P.S. If you’re passing through Brodalen, I can recommend visiting Fjällsport, located next to the bouldering hall near Bro Coworking in the heart of the village, by the crags.

New Article Published in World Leisure Journal

I am pleased to share that our article ‘Climbing as Serious Leisure and the Shaping of Rural Place Identity’ has been published in the World Leisure Journal.

Co-authored with Johanna Lindström (Åbo Akademi University) and Malin Sundström (University West), the article explores how climbing, as a form of serious leisure, has influenced the developing identity of Brodalen, a rural village on Sweden’s west coast.

Using qualitative fieldwork and theoretical framing from the Serious Leisure Perspective, the study investigates how grassroots narratives, outdoor activities, and community engagement collectively shape Brodalen’s transformation. Climbing in Brodalen is not merely a recreational activity; it has become a catalyst for place identity, local stewardship, and multidimensional value creation: economic, social, cultural, and symbolic.

The study also addresses challenges arising from Brodalen’s growing visibility as a climbing destination. These include how to balance rising popularity with the need for sustainability and inclusion, both socially and environmentally.

We hope this work contributes to broader discussions on serious leisure, rural placemaking, and the evolving role of local narratives in community development.

Read the full article here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/16078055.2025.2556674

Public Defence of My Doctoral Thesis

I am pleased to share that I will defend my doctoral thesis in International Marketing at School of Business and Economics at Åbo Akademi University on Friday, May 2, 2025. The public defence will take place in the Stora auditoriet, ASA, Vänrikinkatu 3, Turku, and it will also be possible to follow the event online. The title of my dissertation is The Narrative Capital of the Place – Value Dynamics in Place Identity and Branding.

I am pleased to share that I will defend my doctoral thesis in International Marketing at the School of Business and Economics at Åbo Akademi University on Friday, May 2, 2025. The public defence will take place in the Stora auditoriet, ASA, Vänrikinkatu 3, Turku, and will also be possible to follow online.

The title of my dissertation is The Narrative Capital of the Place – Value Dynamics in Place Identity and Branding.

Summary

At the defence, Docent Anna Sörensson from Mid Sweden University will serve as opponent, and Professor Bengt Kristensson Uggla from Åbo Akademi University will act as custos.

You can read more about the dissertation and find the full text through Åbo Akademi University’s webpage here or access it via the Doria publication archive.

The Broader Impact of Film: Understanding the Value of Screen Stories for Places

When we talk about the value of film production, it’s often in terms of direct economic spending—how much a production crew spends on hotels, catering, or local services. These figures are tangible, easy to communicate, and politically appealing. But they are also incomplete.

The Impact of Film on People and Destinations—a report developed within the EU-funded initiative Smart Kreativ Stad (Smart Creative City) —shifts perspective. It investigates how films and television productions contribute to shaping how places are perceived, experienced, and remembered, both by audiences abroad and by those who live in the locations portrayed. In this way, the report opens a broader conversation about the indirect and long-term values that moving image narratives can generate for cities and regions.

What We Talk About When We Talk About Film Value

The report broadly defines film as feature films, documentaries, scripted series, and commercials. It notes that film and television are among the most influential cultural forms of our time, spreading knowledge, generating emotional connections, and constructing narratives that shape public imagination.

Crucially, these are mobile industries. Productions are not tied to place in the same way as traditional industries. Instead, they seek locations that offer the right combination of financing, infrastructure, aesthetics, and administrative support. For regions and cities, this creates an opportunity to attract productions, strategically align with them, and co-create value.

Beyond the Shoot: The Importance of Secondary Values

Rather than focusing on well-known spending multipliers during production, the report introduces an approach for understanding secondary values—those effects that take shape through visibility, association and memory.

These include:

Symbolic values, such as alignment with compelling narratives or international prestige
Perceptual values, in how audiences see a place
Relational values, in the form of renewed interest, tourism flows, or cross-sector partnerships
Internal values, such as increased local pride or stronger cultural identity

The report suggests that in many cases, these secondary effects may outweigh the direct financial value of hosting a production, particularly over time.

Methods of Assessment

To make these secondary values more tangible, the report proposes an analytical framework that includes:

Content analysis – examining how the place is portrayed in terms of themes, characters, tone, and visual language.
Reach analysis – estimating audience size, distribution channels, and demographic segments reached.
Media analysis – evaluating press coverage and social media engagement linked to the production.
Digital footprint – analyzing search patterns, web traffic, and digital content associated with the place.
Place perception analysis – assessing how the production has influenced the image and narrative of the location.

This is not a rigid formula but a set of perspectives to help guide evaluation and strategic planning.

A Case in Point: Idaten and Stockholm

The report applies this model to a specific case: the Japanese public broadcaster NHK’s historical drama Idaten, which included episodes filmed in Stockholm in 2019. The series, part of Japan’s long-standing “Taiga drama” tradition, reached millions of viewers and portrayed Stockholm through the story of Shiso Kanakuri, Japan’s first Olympic marathon runner.

The Stockholm scenes highlighted the city’s history, built environment and cultural symbolism. They also inserted Stockholm into the Japanese cultural imagination—not as an exotic backdrop, but as part of a shared Olympic narrative. Media coverage, web searches and tourism-related interest in Stockholm followed.

This case illustrates how strategic engagement with international productions can help a city enter the cultural narratives of other countries. It also underscores the importance of understanding which stories resonate and how those stories contribute to a place’s identity.

Comparative Insights: The UK and Northern Ireland

In a comparative perspective, the report highlights how countries such as the UK have developed systematic approaches to film and television as drivers of tourism, branding, and regional development. The example of Game of Thrones in Northern Ireland is well known, but it is not an isolated case. British screen industries are closely integrated with tourism agencies and national branding efforts from Harry Potter to The Crown.

The lesson here is not simply to imitate, but to recognize the potential of long-term strategies that bridge film policy, place marketing and cultural diplomacy.

Guidance for Stakeholders

For regional film commissions, destination marketing organizations and cultural policy makers, the report provides a set of recommendations:

Engage early – strategic value is created long before the camera rolls.
Understand the narrative – every production carries a set of meanings; know what stories you associate with.
Tourism, culture, city branding, and local business development should coordinate across sectors.
Think beyond the premiere – plan for post-release engagement, tourism packaging, and narrative reuse.
Measure and reflect – use tools to assess impact and share findings transparently.

Toward a More Reflective Practice

The report does not claim to have all the answers. Rather, it aims to expand the conversation—inviting cities, regions and national actors to move beyond the logic of “film as event” to a more reflective understanding of “film as relationship.”

The implications are clear for those of us working at the intersection of communication strategy, cultural policy, and place development. Film and television are not merely promotional tools. They are cultural forces that help us define who we are, where we are, and how we are seen.

From Midnight Sun to Rebecka Martinsson — How Crime Drama Is Shaping Place Value in Kiruna

How Two TV Series Generated Economic and Regional Value in Kiruna and Norrbotten

Yesterday in Kiruna, I had the opportunity to present our newly released report on the economic effects and regional value creation linked to two major TV productions filmed in Norrbotten: Midnattssol (Midnight Sun / Jour Polaire) and Rebecka Martinsson. The seminar coincided with the premiere of Midnattssol, making the discussion particularly timely.

The study, commissioned by Filmpool Nord and conducted between April and October 2016, examines not only the direct and indirect economic effects of large-scale TV productions, but also the broader place-related values generated by film narratives. Beyond production spending, employment and regional turnover, film and television increasingly function as narrative infrastructures for places, shaping perceptions, strengthening regional identities and, in some cases, stimulating film-induced tourism.

Later in the evening, at the gala dinner, I had the pleasure of meeting the series’ creators and directors, Måns Mårlind and Björn Stein, as well as artist and cultural ambassador Sofia Jannok. It was a timely reminder that successful place-based storytelling is always the result of close interaction between creative talent, local culture, and regional production ecosystems.

One of the key insights from the report is that the long-term value of film production cannot be reduced to short-term visitor numbers alone. Even when the effects of tourism remain uncertain, strong place-based storytelling can contribute to sustained visibility, cultural capital, and strategic positioning for regions such as Kiruna and Norrbotten, both nationally and internationally.

With the premiere now behind us, the coming months will be particularly interesting as audience reception, international distribution, and longer-term effects begin to unfold.

Brottsplats Kiruna from Cloudberry Communications AB

Stockholm Runaway Productions

Case Studies on the Economics of Five Film Productions with a Stockholm Connection – and the Potential Impact of a Film Fund in Stockholm

A Dive into Swedish Cinema and Stockholm’s Unique Position

Swedish film has seen a wave of success in recent years, with a large number of domestic productions reaching audiences each year. Yet, despite this success, film production remains financially risky, with funding being a central challenge.

Historically, Stockholm, home to the iconic Filmstaden in Råsunda, was once an international model for film production, associated with legendary names like Greta Garbo and Victor Sjöström. However, since the early 2000s, production has gradually shifted from Stockholm to regional film centres such as Film i Skåne and Film i Väst, driven in part by EU policies promoting regional clusters and creative industries.

This regionalisation has resulted in Stockholm, despite being home to 80% of the country’s filmmakers, lacking its own film fund, something other Swedish regions already offer. As a result, many productions, both domestic and international, choose to film elsewhere.

Interestingly, even major Swedish productions are sometimes filmed abroad, motivated by cost efficiency or specific environmental requirements. Stockholm now faces the challenge of not only being a beautiful and functional film city, but also of remaining economically competitive with other regions and global cities.

Nevertheless, Stockholm boasts a strong infrastructure and deep creative talent, making it an ideal candidate to become the film capital of Sweden and the Nordic region. With world-class resources like Stiller Studios and Chimney Pot, already attracting international productions, the city has the potential to become a central hub for European film production.

This report presents five case studies of Swedish film productions linked to Stockholm but produced elsewhere and explores the economic importance of establishing a film fund in Stockholm. The producers interviewed emphasize the need for such a fund to retain and attract production to the region.

The films analysed, including Monica Z and Gentlemen and Gangsters, demonstrate how a Stockholm-based film fund could deliver substantial economic benefits — not only through regional turnover but also as a catalyst for employment and creative growth.

Given the proven success of similar initiatives in regions such as Film i Väst, it is clear that a fund would not only strengthen the local economy but also bolster Stockholm’s role as a central player in the European film industry.

In conclusion, the report highlights the importance of a Stockholm film fund offering both “hard” and “soft” financing — allowing producers to retain equity and helping to build a dynamic, sustainable film sector in the region.

Press Release from Invest Stockholm:

“A film fund of 26 million SEK generates regional turnover in Stockholm of between 40–90 million SEK. This is the conclusion of a report from Stockholm Business Region based on case studies of five film productions and the economic significance of a film fund in Stockholm. The lack of a film fund means Stockholm is missing out on millions of SEK in revenue and job creation.”

https://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/investstockholm/pressreleases/filmfond-paa-26-miljoner-ger-40-90-miljoner-i-omsaettning-i-stockholm-1098258

https://www.mynewsdesk.com/se/investstockholm/documents/filmfond-stockholm-runaway-productions-2014-41486

Sweden beyond the Millennium and Stieg Larsson

Stieg Larsson’s Millennium trilogy, comprising “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo”, “The Girl Who Played with Fire”, and “The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest”, has not only captivated a global audience but also significantly impacted the perception of Sweden worldwide. Selling over 64 million copies in more than 50 countries, these books have made a mark far beyond their original Swedish setting.

The story, centered around investigative journalist Mikael Blomkvist and hacker Lisbeth Salander, delves deep into the underbelly of Swedish society, exploring themes of corruption, abuse of power, and social injustices. This dark and gripping narrative contrasts sharply with the stereotypical image of Sweden as a country known for its safe cars, efficient governance, and corporate responsibility.

The worldwide success of the Millennium series has sparked a substantial media frenzy and inspired various adaptations, including both Swedish and Hollywood film versions. Despite Larsson’s untimely death before seeing his works’ phenomenal success, his legacy continues to thrive.

Larsson’s portrayal of complex characters and socially charged themes resonates with readers globally, challenging the idealistic image of Sweden and presenting a multi-dimensional, sometimes darker view of the nation. His depiction of strong, unconventional female characters like Lisbeth Salander has particularly struck a chord, offering new perspectives on feminism and societal roles.

Moreover, the trilogy has significantly contributed to Swedish tourism, with fans flocking to Stockholm to trace the steps of their beloved characters. Larsson’s narrative, blending fiction with a realistic depiction of modern Sweden, has also sparked a deeper interest in Swedish culture, politics, and history.

In summary, the Millennium trilogy has not only been a literary and commercial triumph but has also played a pivotal role in reshaping the global perception of Sweden, highlighting the country’s complexities beyond its idyllic facade.

Sweden beyond the Millennium and Stieg Larsson from Cloudberry Communications AB

Reflections from Oostende Film Festival: Where Film Meets Place

Earlier this month, I had the pleasure of taking part in the Film Festival of Oostende, Belgium – a lively, rapidly growing event that celebrating its fifth anniversary this year. Alongside a diverse programme of premieres, retrospectives, and special guests, the festival hosted a study day on film tourism (setjetting) – a phenomenon increasingly popular across both the cultural and travel sectors.

On September 5, I was honoured to deliver the keynote speech, sharing insights from my research on the Millennium trilogy and its impact on Stockholm’s global image and visitor economy. The story of Lisbeth Salander and Mikael Blomkvist didn’t just travel through books and screens – it became part of the city itself, shaping new forms of urban experience.

My talk centred on how narratives generate value for places – not only economically but also in how we come to understand, imagine, and desire them. When storytelling intersects with tourism, and fiction merges with geography, something powerful occurs: identity transforms into experience.

The audience – composed of film commissioners, tourism professionals, cultural strategists, and researchers – responded with active discussion and thoughtful questions. There was also significant media interest: I was interviewed by De Standaard and De Tijd, and the De Standaard article provided a good overview of the themes discussed during the day.

(Facsimile from De Standaard to be added here)

While in Oostende, I also took time to visit the preserved remains of the Atlantic Wall, a haunting site along the coast where bunkers, tunnels, and artillery stand as stark reminders of World War II. Walking through the narrow concrete corridors, I was struck by the powerful tension between the mediated, imagined places we discuss in film tourism and the raw physical presence of real history. These bunkers are not fiction – they are narrative too, but of a different, irreversible kind. The contrast deepened my sense of how places speak, through both story and silence.

The Oostende festival reminded me that places are not just coordinates on a map – they are cultural constructs, built as much by imagination as by infrastructure. And in that space, film plays a remarkable role.

Summary of the article below: Belgian daily De Standaard ran a feature on film tourism to coincide with the Film Festival Oostende seminar. The article explored how audiences are increasingly drawn to destinations they’ve encountered on screen – a phenomenon known as setjetting. From the misty forests of Twilight in Washington to the dramatic landscapes of The Lord of the Rings in New Zealand, stories have become powerful drivers of travel. The article also noted that cities and regions actively seek out film productions to raise their profiles and stimulate economic activity.

The piece featured commentary from several experts, including myself, on the mechanics and impacts of film-related travel. I spoke about the Millennium trilogy’s influence on Stockholm, noting that when a city is tied to a compelling narrative, it tends to attract more visitors.

PS. While in Oostende, I also took time to visit the preserved remains of the Atlantic Wall, a haunting site along the coast where bunkers, tunnels, and artillery stand as stark reminders of World War II. Walking through the narrow concrete corridors, I was struck by the tension between the mediated, imagined places we discuss in film tourism and the raw physical presence of real history.

Foundations for a Shared Identity of Sweden’s National Parks

On behalf of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket), I had the opportunity to lead an extensive assignment in late 2008 through Cloudberry Communications, examining how Sweden’s national parks are understood, experienced, and valued by the public and selected stakeholder groups. The resulting report, delivered in December 2008, aimed to inform future development of a unified identity for Sweden’s national parks—a task that required both analytical rigour and cultural sensitivity.

Our work was commissioned as part of Naturvårdsverket’s broader ambition to strengthen the national parks’ profile in connection with the 100th anniversary of Sweden’s first national parks, established in 1909. The objective was not only to assess public awareness or visitation statistics, but to provide a deeper understanding of the symbolic, practical and emotional meanings associated with national parks. The report subsequently served as the basis for a national design competition launched in 2009.

The Analytical Framework

The assignment was carried out through a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods. These included in-depth interviews, focus groups, workshops, and a nationwide survey. Fieldwork was also central to the approach: we visited several national parks across Sweden and spoke directly with visitors, local stakeholders, and park managers. This gave us a grounded, place-sensitive perspective on how the parks are encountered in practice and the values and expectations they inspire.

The analysis was framed by a recognition that Sweden’s national parks serve multiple roles simultaneously: as protected natural habitats, public recreational spaces, and symbols of national and ecological identity. These overlapping roles demand a communication strategy that is both nuanced and accessible—one that can engage different audiences without compromising on substance.

Key Findings:

High General Support, Low Specific Awareness: While the idea of national parks enjoyed strong public approval, few participants could accurately distinguish them from other forms of nature protection. The concept of a “national park” was often interpreted more broadly than its legal and ecological definition.
Barriers to Visitation: Many respondents expressed a desire to visit national parks more often but cited practical barriers such as travel distance, unclear information, or a perception that the parks were primarily for “serious” nature enthusiasts. Families with children, new Swedes, and younger urban residents in particular expressed uncertainty about what the parks offered.
Symbolic Importance for Stakeholders: For environmental organisations and park managers, the parks were seen as the “crown jewels” of nature conservation in Sweden—flagship areas that deserved greater recognition and a stronger public profile.
Support for a Shared Identity: Across both public and professional audiences, there was significant support for a more coherent and recognisable identity for the national parks. Such an identity was seen as key to increasing engagement, strengthening legitimacy, and differentiating the parks within a broader landscape of protected areas.
Desirable Identity Attributes: Respondents emphasised values such as authenticity, ecological integrity, knowledge, accessibility, and inspiration. These values provided a narrative and visual framework for the identity development that followed.

Taken together, the findings underscore the need for a strategic identity that conveys both the uniqueness and unity of Sweden’s national parks—anchored in scientific credibility, yet emotionally resonant and publicly inviting.

From Analysis to Implementation: The Identity Competition

In spring 2009, Naturvårdsverket launched a national design competition to develop a visual and communicative identity for the parks, grounded in the insights provided by our report. Five multidisciplinary teams were selected through a prequalification process, and the competition brief was explicitly based on the analytical framework we had developed.

In November 2009, the jury announced the winning proposal: Kronjuveler (Crown Jewels), submitted by Happy F&B in collaboration with White Arkitekter and Forsman & Bodenfors Factory. The proposal was praised for its clarity, warmth, and operability. It successfully reinterpreted the existing snowflake symbol—long associated with protected nature in Sweden—into a crown motif that conveyed both national pride and natural splendour.

“The proposal is operational and communicates with joy and engagement,” the jury concluded. “It is simple to understand and can be used across multiple contexts.”

The Kronjuveler concept was subsequently adopted as the new identity platform for Sweden’s national parks, setting a new standard for how protected nature could be communicated in a contemporary, accessible and symbolically rich way.

Dagens Media previewed the initiative in September 2008:
Nationalparkerna ska få gemensam identitet

https://www.dagensmedia.se/alla-nyheter/nyheter/nationalparkerna-ska-fa-gemensam-identitet/