2026.07.01
Votes on FORUM26: Joachim Jämttjärn, Water Industry
Collaboration is crucial for Sweden's water and sanitation preparedness – but how does it work when the crisis hits? On November 19, the Swedish Water and Sanitation Industry will bring together the entire industry for the autumn's most important water and sanitation preparedness event, FORUM26. This year in a new format. The Swedish Water and Sanitation Industry's Secretary General Joachim Jämttjärn tells us more.
What is the structure of FORUM26?
– All actors within VA-Sverige understand how crucial collaboration is to making the water supply work in a crisis. But we never get the opportunity to test our collaboration. That is why we shape FORUM26 to a scenario-based crisis exercise where leading experts, operational actors and strategic decision-makers from the public and private sectors together show how we strengthen Sweden's water and sanitation preparedness. For us in the business community, it is important to clarify how we strengthen preparedness because we are an essential part of the system's operational capacity.
What can visitors expect?
– This is not a traditional conference! As a visitor, you will follow the development of the crisis and see firsthand how public and private actors collaborate under pressure. During the course, you can ask questions, get inspiration and tips on how we can strengthen preparedness together. This way, we all get to experience how together we can contribute to our common ability, when it really matters!
Why is it so important to move from talking about collaboration to actually collaborating?
– In a crisis, dependencies arise very quickly. It is only when we put ourselves in realistic situations that we see how everything fits together. By testing together, it becomes clear where our strengths lie and how we can work on them to achieve even better collaboration.
Who will participate in the scenario exercise?
– We bring together municipalities, authorities, organizations and companies that are responsible for what is required for the systems to function. Experts who work with emergency preparedness issues every day will share their experiences of how to act in connection with a crisis.
What are you most looking forward to?
– To gain an even better understanding of each other's roles, but also so that we in the business community can clearly show how we can improve collaboration and cooperation even more. That's how we become even stronger together!