HiQ lands new contract to develop new software for global mining and infrastructure machinery manufacturer Epiroc. "We're really excited about this deal. Epiroc is a world-leading manufacturer for the mining industry and like us, innovation is at the top of their agenda. We're very familiar with this kind of software development, it's a core part of our business. But I think our work with Epiroc clearly boosts Sweden's competitive edges for heavy industry," says Lars Stugemo, President and CEO of HiQ.

The mining industry is, to a great extent, the backbone of Swedish industry, and the minerals and metals that are extracted are necessary to modern society. At the same time, like all industries in the Nordics, the challenge is to increase efficiency both sustainably and safely. New technologies like autonomous vehicles, remote control and battery operation are important to future development. Swedish company Epiroc is a leading global productivity partner to the mining and infrastructure industry, developing drilling rigs, and mining and construction equipment with a strong focus on innovation and digital development.

“We’ve been working with Epiroc for many years, and I’m both happy and proud that we’re now increasing our collaboration further. It’s proof that we deliver high quality,” says Anders Nilsson, Managing Director of HiQ Mälardalen.

Epiroc and HiQ are now increasing their software development collaboration. In addition to previous undertakings, HiQ is delivering two complete development teams to Epiroc’s development site in Örebro. The teams will focus on developing software for embedded systems in mining machines used both above and below ground.

“I’m really pleased about this collaboration. HiQ’s ability to quickly deliver two entire development teams was crucial to this deal and will enable us to maintain our high pace of development. It will help us take advantage of today’s rapid technology development,” says Jörgen Appelgren, VP of Automation & Technology Products at Epiroc.

The City of Helsingborg goes to the polls on 12 January to vote on whether the city should continue to be the majority owner in energy company Öresundskraft. HiQ is contributing to the democratic process by creating digital support for printing poll cards for the referendum on site. “This is an assignment that is extra close to our hearts. Being able to deliver a fast, flexible, secure solution that enables this is completely in line with our ambition to simplify things for people by using technology,” says Anna Kleine, Managing Director of HiQ in Skåne

For national elections in Sweden you can vote without your physical poll card and you can always get a duplicate poll card printed at the polling station. But the conditions are different for local elections.

“When there’s a referendum that’s not linked to a general election, we can’t use the election authority’s IT system. That’s why HiQ has helped us develop one locally,” says Cecilia Holm, Election Coordinator for the City of Helsingborg.

Through the application that HiQ has created, a person who wants to vote can enter their personal ID number and show identification on site. A search is done in the electoral register and a duplicate poll card is generated and printed – quickly and easily.

“We want to make it as easy as possible for our citizens. Being able to vote even if you’ve lost your poll card or if you spontaneously want to vote early at one of our polling stations and don’t have your poll card with you is a matter of accessibility,” says Cecilia Holm.

“Our local presence in the city, where many of our own employees work and live, of course makes it extra nice for us to contribute in this way,” says Anna Kleine.

The referendum will be held on 12 January, with the opportunity to vote early as from 2 January.

HiQ has developed Valuefication’s platform for influencer marketing, which is now being launched to companies and influencers in the global market. Valuefication’s vision is to create a tool that can help communicators and marketers work more effectively with influencer marketing and gain control over the actual impact of marketing. “This is an incredibly exciting project and company to work with. We have long talked about the impact of digitalisation on marketing and this is a great example. Digital technology makes marketing more efficient and more accurate,” says Jerker Lindstén, Managing Director of HiQ Gothenburg.

What has happened lately in influencer marketing is that it is going from a few big influencers to many smaller ones, which requires more when it comes to measuring the impact of their investments. This is something that can be solved with digital technology. In close collaboration between Valuefication’s development team and a HiQ development team, they have built a tool that will help marketers and communicators around the world create campaigns that offer completely new opportunities to measure and evaluate the work done in digital channels.

“We couldn’t find a good tool that really evaluated authenticity, value and influence online for brands and influencers, so we created it together with HiQ,” says Susanne Lundberg Gulickx, CEO of Valuefication.

Companies and agencies pay to use the service, while influencers can join for free. In December, a beta version of Valuefication’s platform will be released to influencers as well as a group of selected test customers, and as from the start of 2020 the service will be available to everyone.

“We are convinced that this is a tool needed in the market. So far, companies and agencies have been forced to rely too much on assumptions and gut feelings, but with Valuefication, they will be able to support their decisions with real data,” says Jerker Lindstén at HiQ.

Following the largest film festival in the Nordics is ready to step into the future. To invigorate its innovative strength and increase the pace of its digital development, the Göteborg Film Festival has chosen HiQ as its digital partner. "We are incredibly enthusiastic about this partnership. Together with the Göteborg Film Festival, we want to develop the festival and its streaming service into the obvious choice for Nordic film lovers,” says Jerker Lindstén, Managing Director of HiQ Gothenburg.

The Göteborg Film Festival is one of the highlights of the year for film lovers throughout the Nordics. Industry professionals and international celebrities mix with film enthusiasts and moviegoers, and the magic of the silver screen bathes participants in glamour, light and warmth when the Gothenburg winter is at its darkest.

In addition to the festival itself, the Göteborg Film Festival also runs Draken Film, its own streaming service, which has been named the best Swedish streaming service by Internetworld. The collaboration will be centred around getting the two parts to work together and HiQ’s role is digital innovation partner for new services and a simplified customer journey.

“We see incredible potential in this combination, with the digital and physical merging into a strong platform. We want to develop it so we can continue to circulate quality films and create a counterweight to an industry dominated by global players. HiQ’s strong digital expertise and experience from similar projects make them a perfect partner for us. Together we will be able to create completely new experiences for all film lovers,” says Mirja Wester, MD of the Göteborg Film Festival.

HiQ has previously delivered strong concepts for the Gothenburg Symphony and Royal Swedish Opera. Partnering with the Göteborg Film Festival will be another exciting challenge in the cultural sector. The first step in the work focuses on creating a customer journey that makes it easy and fun to buy movie experiences both at the festival and in the streaming service.

The partnership extends through the 45th edition of the festival, which takes place in 2022.