In 2016, the business magazine Veckans Affärer named Darja Isaksson Sweden’s most powerful opinion shaper. By then, this engineer from Piteå, Sweden, had already started up two digital design agencies and made a major impact, not just in the digital world.

Today Isaksson, together with the prime minister and a number of cabinet ministers, the vice-chancellor of KTH Royal Institute of Technology, the CEO of Scania, and the professor of environmental science Johan Rockström, to name just a few, is a member of the Swedish government’s National Innovation Council. Their mission is to determine what opportunities digitisation, new technology and new working methods create and how they can lead to a more sustainable society. In Isaksson’s world, Arlanda should be a centre for innovation and the testing of innovative services.

“Kjell A Nordström talks about GUD (’God’ in Swedish) – globalisation, urbanisation and digitisation. Increasingly rapid technological advances are also part of this. These trends drive and reinforce one another, and it’s clear they are also changing our travel habits, but not the fact that we travel. We continue to travel and we’ll travel more and more. That worries me a bit, especially considering the environment,” says Darja Isaksson.

“As a result of technological advances, we will be a truly globalised population, something we never really were. I think that all millennials today consume international media in a natural way and have contacts outside Sweden. I also think that the ability to organise and work with others is a necessary skill that we need to provide our children. In my world, it’s obviously a given that we produce digital services in teams that are located in different areas around the globe. Now that’s starting to be the case for everyone. Online health care such as that provided by the Swedish company KRY is just one example. They can have a global organisation since it’s a question of language, not location. That means we are now headed towards the first generation of globalised citizens, a generation that doesn’t just travel to Thailand on holiday, but that lives a globalised life. The result is also that there will be more travel.”

The big challenges, according to Darja Isaksson, entail dealing with carbon dioxide emissions and the environmental impact as well as creating social sustainability.

“Climate change is the top priority, but social sustainability is at least as great a challenge, and they’re connected. All development is so wonderful in many ways. What we do is further develop human knowledge, our problem-solving ability, all that. These are big things to tackle. We see fantastic technological advances, but at the same time this means travel will increase, but that must be done in an environmentally and socially sustainable way.

“Self-driving electric-powered cars are becoming a reality and will have an enormous impact on society. They’re also much safer than traditional cars. But at the trial level, we’re also seeing experiments with other technologies. In Dubai, tests are under way using electric-powered passenger drones as an option for shorter distances.

“For middle distances, we can use hyperloops or maglev trains and then we fly for longer distances. We’ll have even more long-distance flights, and that means we have to reduce the environmental impact of air travel. In this respect, biofuel looks like it could be an important part of the solution, and that would be something really good for Sweden – millions of cubic metres of material could be harvested from our forests, but we must first invest in the facilities that are needed.”

Drone is an umbrella term for remote-controlled or unmanned aerial vehicles. They are available in all sizes, from toy-size versions to those that can carry loads of several tonnes. More and more people see them as a potential means for transporting people. Instead of taking a car or taxi to the airport, passengers take a battery-powered drown from the bus stop and reduce car queues and emissions. Trials are under way in both the US and Dubai.

Zero friction
“Technology enables diversification, optimisation and individualisation, in everything from education to health to travel. Zero friction is my term for this. It means I get my trip the way I want it, when I want it. The servicification of travel, in terms of technology, has been under way for quite a while now. I think that in the years ahead, we’ll have the chance to order trips in which we efficiently link mass transit with other vehicles and transport modes. As soon as this is in place, we can optimise the transport system, have fewer queues and free up space in the city. This will change a lot of things – for instance, we won’t need as much space for roads and parking.

“I also think that we’ll soon see a different kind of airport than we’re used to thinking of. In the most small-scale version, it would be something like a bus stop, close to the city centre and really urban. Then we’ll have large airports, but this will involve a different kind of travel.

“If we optimise transport between cities, we can shorten travel times a great deal. Cities will continue to expand and grow. Then it’s a matter of us creating landing areas in the city, smaller airports, where we’re organised more based on traffic on demand. For long-haul travel around the planet, we’ll need large airports, but we know that aircraft are headed towards supersonic speed and will be increasingly quieter. As a result, airports can be located closer to cities, but location won’t be that important if there’s infrastructure that still allows us to get there quickly.”

Airports as testing laboratories
“The interesting thing about airports is that they’re a place where we all accept that we’re under total surveillance. It’s OK to infringe on our integrity there – something we wouldn’t accept anywhere else. I have to take off my shoes and someone pats me down. We actually subject ourselves to this.

“So the airport is an interesting place in behavioural terms for testing systems and special offers. It’s perfectly possible to combine safety and security with values that save time and simplify the airport experience. It’s obvious to me that when I go through the door, I should already be scanned. When I drop off my bag, preferably while I’m still at home, I won’t need to see it again until I reach the hotel. The combination of robots, automated transport and different kinds of tagging will make this possible. But it’s interesting to explore how we can create solutions that provide a high level of safety and security and that safeguard people’s integrity in a good way. Then we can use everything from augmented reality technology to smart lighting in floors to help guide me in an individualised flow,” adds Darja Isaksson, before continuing.

“One interesting question is how we combine possibilities to identify people easily with maintaining a high level of security. Today we have all kinds of sensors. Almost everyone has a fingerprint reader on their mobile, eye-scanning technology is everywhere, and we can insert chips under our skin in operations in order to identify us or unlock doors. But how do we do this and at the same time ensure that I have a high level of control as an individual over what personal data are collected and how that is used? These kinds of aspects can also be studied in airport environments.

“The benefit of chips may not be that great yet. To be honest, that’s probably what’s holding me back here. But are there other frequent flyers who would consider having a chip implanted in order to avoid security screening? I think there are.

“In my view, the challenge right now is that we’re only thinking in terms of Sweden, so it’s good to test technology in partnership with a cluster of airports, maybe including Heathrow, Arlanda, Frankfurt and Schiphol. Obviously over the next five years, Arlanda and the others should ensure they have access to the latest technology and the processes and working methods that are needed. The airports can be pieces of the ecosystem puzzle, not just in order to move people around but also to develop competencies. At the airport, there’s a lot of things we need to do – keeping a check on security is really important, as are flow management and automation. A test bed with a focus on security and automation – these are part of the airport’s core operations. Waiting for the market to come up with ready-made solutions is a sure way to fall behind.”

Innovative services
“I want to be able to test innovative services at Arlanda not in ten years but in three years. Perhaps they can start with something new as early as next year, but it seems obvious this should happen within three years. If someone is a frequent flyer or prepared to have a chip implanted, they should be able to test new security and automated services, and in ten years my zero friction experience of the right time and the right place through security solutions will be realised. In ten years, it will be taken for granted that things are automated so that I won’t even need to think about my baggage or security screening, or need to queue somewhere. If that’s more than ten years in the future, then Arlanda will already have been overtaken.

“The air travel industry may be conservative, but if we look at every other sector, no matter which one, we see that the gap between those that don’t innovate and those that actually do is widening – day by day. The reason for this is that those that choose to innovate have built changeability into their work processes. They’ve moved from ironclad five-year plans, which we know never last, to managing work with agile processes and delivering. No one can say anymore that an industry is moving too slowly.”

Zero friction
“Technology enables diversification, optimisation and individualisation, in everything from education to health to travel. Zero friction is my term for this. It means I get my trip the way I want it, when I want it. The servicification of travel, in terms of technology, has been under way for quite a while now. I think that in the years ahead, we’ll have the chance to order trips in which we efficiently link mass transit with other vehicles and transport modes. As soon as this is in place, we can optimise the transport system, have fewer queues and free up space in the city. This will change a lot of things – for instance, we won’t need as much space for roads and parking.

“I also think that we’ll soon see a different kind of airport than we’re used to thinking of. In the most small-scale version, it would be something like a bus stop, close to the city centre and really urban. Then we’ll have large airports, but this will involve a different kind of travel.

“If we optimise transport between cities, we can shorten travel times a great deal. Cities will continue to expand and grow. Then it’s a matter of us creating landing areas in the city, smaller airports, where we’re organised more based on traffic on demand. For long-haul travel around the planet, we’ll need large airports, but we know that aircraft are headed towards supersonic speed and will be increasingly quieter. As a result, airports can be located closer to cities, but location won’t be that important if there’s infrastructure that still allows us to get there quickly.”

Airports as testing laboratories

“The interesting thing about airports is that they’re a place where we all accept that we’re under total surveillance. It’s OK to infringe on our integrity there – something we wouldn’t accept anywhere else. I have to take off my shoes and someone pats me down. We actually subject ourselves to this.

“So the airport is an interesting place in behavioural terms for testing systems and special offers. It’s perfectly possible to combine safety and security with values that save time and simplify the airport experience. It’s obvious to me that when I go through the door, I should already be scanned. When I drop off my bag, preferably while I’m still at home, I won’t need to see it again until I reach the hotel. The combination of robots, automated transport and different kinds of tagging will make this possible. But it’s interesting to explore how we can create solutions that provide a high level of safety and security and that safeguard people’s integrity in a good way. Then we can use everything from augmented reality technology to smart lighting in floors to help guide me in an individualised flow,” adds Darja Isaksson, before continuing.

“One interesting question is how we combine possibilities to identify people easily with maintaining a high level of security. Today we have all kinds of sensors. Almost everyone has a fingerprint reader on their mobile, eye-scanning technology is everywhere, and we can insert chips under our skin in operations in order to identify us or unlock doors. But how do we do this and at the same time ensure that I have a high level of control as an individual over what personal data are collected and how that is used? These kinds of aspects can also be studied in airport environments.

“The benefit of chips may not be that great yet. To be honest, that’s probably what’s holding me back here. But are there other frequent flyers who would consider having a chip implanted in order to avoid security screening? I think there are.

“In my view, the challenge right now is that we’re only thinking in terms of Sweden, so it’s good to test technology in partnership with a cluster of airports, maybe including Heathrow, Arlanda, Frankfurt and Schiphol. Obviously over the next five years, Arlanda and the others should ensure they have access to the latest technology and the processes and working methods that are needed. The airports can be pieces of the ecosystem puzzle, not just in order to move people around but also to develop competencies. At the airport, there’s a lot of things we need to do – keeping a check on security is really important, as are flow management and automation. A test bed with a focus on security and automation – these are part of the airport’s core operations. Waiting for the market to come up with ready-made solutions is a sure way to fall behind.”

Innovative services
“I want to be able to test innovative services at Arlanda not in ten years but in three years. Perhaps they can start with something new as early as next year, but it seems obvious this should happen within three years. If someone is a frequent flyer or prepared to have a chip implanted, they should be able to test new security and automated services, and in ten years my zero friction experience of the right time and the right place through security solutions will be realised. In ten years, it will be taken for granted that things are automated so that I won’t even need to think about my baggage or security screening, or need to queue somewhere. If that’s more than ten years in the future, then Arlanda will already have been overtaken.

“The air travel industry may be conservative, but if we look at every other sector, no matter which one, we see that the gap between those that don’t innovate and those that actually do is widening – day by day. The reason for this is that those that choose to innovate have built changeability into their work processes. They’ve moved from ironclad five-year plans, which we know never last, to managing work with agile processes and delivering. No one can say anymore that an industry is moving too slowly.”

Arlanda a showcase for Sweden?
“Instead of trying to be a showcase, Arlanda should make sure it’s a place where things happen. Then Arlanda will be a showcase. If you’re part of the innovation, it will be credible, but just putting up posters or having glass cases displaying things won’t work.

“We need to think about destinations in a context that enables us to strengthen one another through collaboration rather than through competition. Arlanda has the potential to be a place of innovation. When people go there, they should be able to use and test cutting-edge services – that’s what’s required. It’s more than brands, communication and architecture – functionality is what’s needed,” Darja Isaksson emphasises.

“Then people can use the airport to test new materials, perhaps things that can change characteristics, nanotechnology, or colour, design and shape, and then the airport can be a destination for innovation. In that case, one can get interesting input from many places and at the same time broad exposure. Perhaps there can be different kinds of innovative special offers for different target groups. I think that collaboration, openness and daring to share information are important.”

Concerning Sweden and the competition
“Competitiveness is extremely important. Digitisation makes it easier for new kinds of companies to enter the market. It also tends to increase the globalisation of business, no matter whether we’re talking about cloud services or optimising transport,” says Darja Isaksson, who ponders the platform economy and its effects on Sweden and the world.

“There’s one reason why Uber has the model they have. It’s not just about cars. Google Innovate has data transport services, so together they can be platforms for optimising transport for certain kinds of vehicles. The platform economy tends to lead to a small number of players getting substantial power. Then you can have gigantic ecosystems with services linked to them. It’s the same logic for everything, no matter whether we’re talking about the supply chain or transport. It’s access to data that gives optimised flows of everything. This also applies to automation. Value is created by those that have the position, whereas jobs are created by those that have the competency to develop business and technology.

“As a result of industrialisation, we in Sweden got good at building logistics flows and production factories. That was the basis of all our prosperity – it’s the same thing now. There are ten million people in Sweden. Together, we’re a city, seen in a global context, and then not even one of the bigger cities. We have to be able to add value in a globalised world. In that case, it makes a big difference whether we’re good at extracting and processing data and developing services. New technological opportunities are always opening up, but it’s a matter of being able to grab them and transform them into services, products and experiences. That’s an extremely important competency today.”

Airport City
“I would like to draw a parallel with ESS, the European Spallation Source, out in the Scanian fields of southern Sweden. It too is an artificial creation in some sense, just like Arlanda. ESS is also one of the things that give me hope about Sweden’s future – the most interesting investment in many years. But is it enough in terms of attractiveness to be located near an airport that serves as a hub? The answer is no. It’s a question of what can be offered in the form of value beyond this. A critical mass, creative people and interesting companies are needed for this to succeed. The fact that Stockholm is crowded and expensive favours an Airport City at Arlanda, but in the short term I wonder how people will work together in the area so that we gain strength in international terms.”

Me as a customer
The customer and the customer’s experience of a service are topics that have long occupied Darja Isaksson, and she is happy to use herself as an example.

“In order to link together my optimal travel package, many different stakeholders have to be able to work together. So we come to my favourite sport – it must be possible for data to move freely between players. Players have to open up and enable others to also develop services to link up with. Compared to many other sectors, the air travel industry was early and good at this, but now it would be good to be able to get the same smooth handling for air travel.

“One target is for everything – from my bike to the car pool to the handling of my baggage – to work smoothly. Then it’s important that a hotel developer like Petter Stordalen can sell transport together with my hotel booking so that I can get around. And if he is going to be able to do this, it requires transparent sales strategies for mass transit. Similarly, if I want to connect my short-distance travel with my flight, it’s not just a matter of choosing a taxi in the flow of payments to the airline. There have to be other smooth services available.”

The customer contract
“We flew to the Caribbean for Christmas. Four hours before departure, Google told me my flight was delayed. The airline didn’t tell me until I was at the airport. Google knew that the plane flying to Stockholm was delayed. What does that do to my confidence in the airport and in airlines when I have to be stuck in a waiting area for three hours with tired, hungry children? There’s something seriously wrong with the customer contract when it’s so obvious that the information is already available.”

Collaborative programmes
“Agreements on smart transport, car-sharing systems and mass transit cannot come from the top down in a country like Sweden. The Swedish management model doesn‘t work that way. It can’t. Every level has to take its ownership of the issues. We now have a national collaborative programme for the new generation of travel and transport. It’s a forum that was created so that participants on every level can meet and set common priorities. My sincere hope, from my perspective as a citizen,” says Darja Isaksson,” is that honourable, important priorities are set so that they can then be kept. But this isn’t just a political responsibility. The business community, politicians and academics also have a shared responsibility,” she emphasises. “People say we’re good at collaboration in Sweden.

“There are good innovation processes, but they don’t come from the inside out. If they do, then it’s unavoidable that people start prioritising their existing operations and their existing competencies. Instead, people should work from the user’s perspective, so that they prioritise from the outside in where there’s a problem. The truly relevant innovations occur when people see what’s happening in the space between their own operations and someone else’s operations – that’s called the customer perspective.

“Innovation and testing aren’t crazy risk-taking. It happens in a controlled manner, but it involves developed processes for how people should work and how people learn by transferring knowledge back to the team and the organisation. That’s when it’s good to have collaborative programmes,” says Darja Isaksson.

“It would be really interesting to look at airports from the perspective of innovative special offers. What’s needed to be an innovative partner in what is the core of an airport? I think it’s really interesting that Astra has opened up its labs to partners. They have control over the participants and what they work with, but they still have an inflow of people and resources in an entirely different way. Could that be a way?”