As of 1 September, Emil Hägglund will be the director of the business incubator eXpression Umeå. He succeeds Barbro Renkel, who is retiring after many years in the innovation support system.

- "It feels like a great privilege to lead such an exciting and progressive business. The creative sector in Sweden has a turnover of SEK 650 billion and has in a short time grown into a basic industry," says Emil Hägglund.
- "Investing in Umeå's and the region's cultural and creative businesses has never felt more relevant. It's hard not to get excited about a mission like this.

Emil Hägglund has worked at eXpression since 2019 as a strategist and business coach. Previously, he has over ten years of experience as a consultant in innovation management, marketing communication and PR.
Barbro Renkel is handing over the baton after many years at the incubator. During September there will be an overlapping period, before she retires on 1 October.

- "It's been a fantastic journey where I've been involved in building the incubator system together with so many competent people. The fact that I have also met so many creative entrepreneurs with exciting business ideas over the years has been incredibly inspiring," says Barbro Renkel.
- I will miss it a lot, but I will also enjoy following the developments. I hope to continue to contribute with my experience from the innovation support system.

eXpression Umeå is one of Sweden's leading business incubators for cultural and creative companies. Every year, around 100 creators are supported to test and develop their business ideas through coaching, expertise and networks. The business is located on the artistic campus in Umeå.