OLA HANSSON holds a Master’s degree in civil engineering and Ecology, with 25 years’ experience of urban development globally, focused on sustainability, water and energy for public and private initiated projects such as feasibility studies and social and environmental impact assessments.
He has during the past 5 years been managing the WIN Water innovation platform based at Ideon Science Park in Sweden, developing business among and between over 200 members (startups, scaleups, corporate public and private companies and academia). The WIN model is based on co-creation activities in the interface between research, entrepreneurial and commercial implementation.
Ola is also technical advisor at SWEDFUND, development Finance Institution of the Swedish state.
For over 20 years he held several executive managerial positions at SWECO and at Kemira and has performed new business development strategies. He has also, at an operational level, led organizations in change and development processes, with documented results.
Ola is internationally experienced, and business oriented in the environmental, energy and water management sectors. He has 25 years’ experience in consultancy services and business development in the industrial sector.
Recent business development projects have been focused on strategic urban planning and development for future cities, on ICT (Smart Cities), Stakeholder involvement and resilience (Climate Adaption). He has been a member of SWECO advisory board.
Ola has in his managerial positions at SWECO and Kemira been extensively involved in urban development projects in countries such as Brazil, Vietnam, China, Jordan, Bahrain, South Africa, Mozambique, Ghana and South Sudan. Several of these projects has been donor funded, other have been financed privately, by local governments or through long-term loans.
At operational level, Ola has been representing the engineering and planning sector in projects related to urban development with focus on infrastructure for sanitation in water and wastewater.
He has a significant track record of performing dialogue sessions and workshops, Ola is firmly committed to the ideas of stakeholder dialogues and ensuring genuine local ownership in both planning and implementation of sustainable development projects.
