For about five years, alongside all my other commitments to support a sustainable transformation of our industry, I have also been part of the advisory board for FastighetsMässan Stockholm 2025. It has been a great opportunity to meet industry colleagues from other parts of the ecosystem, such as Evert Tillman, who works with security doors, and Anne Håkansson from KTH Royal Institute of Technology, who conducts research on AI—but above all, to help shape the agenda for the fair.
Over these years, I have done my best to push sustainability issues as far as possible to ensure a level of quality that the entire industry is currently demanding. At times, I have planted ideas that later materialised in sessions where representatives from Fastighetsägarna and Hyresgästföreningen stood on stage to discuss how sustainability can be integrated into rent negotiations and how to carry out careful renovations instead of gutting entire apartments. I have also myself participated in panels discussing how increased space sharing can help organisations reduce their premises costs.
This year will be no different—attending the fair in Kista is a given, and in particular Förvaltardagen, where I look forward to hearing insights around active property management aimed at creating life and vibrancy in our cities. Cities that have been hit hard recently by bankruptcies and a downturn in the economy.
I also look forward to discussions on how the construction industry can recover in a way that makes it less volatile in the future, where reuse becomes a natural part of renovations, ROT projects, and redevelopment. Hopefully, we will also continue to see a trend toward fewer demolitions and more resource-efficient new construction, where future building materials are based on renewable and nature-based solutions.
Helping to set the agenda, contributing to the direction of the fair, and seeing the results live with all invited speakers and panelists is an excellent way to gain new perspectives on one’s own impressions—from a world that is changing rapidly today.
— Robin Rushdi Al-sálehi, Founder and CEO of Vakansa (Vakansa)
