About us

We meet the challenges of the future

The share of infrastructure in municipal investments is significant. Yet investment needs to increase, especially in water and sewage and roads.

Mistra InfraMaint is a research programme in which researchers and municipalities work together to develop tools for decision support, better processes and smarter municipal organization.

Over the next 20 years, investment in water and sanitation will need to be 35 percent higher than at present if the status is not to deteriorate. Almost a fifth of the municipal road and cycle path network needs immediate action. This is the situation for Sweden as a whole. What does it look like in your area?

The truth is that many municipalities do not even really know how great the needs are. There is a lack of analysis, renewal plans and financial foresight for investments. A research study shows that it is unusual to find descriptions of the management and development of water and wastewater facilities in both budgets and annual reports.

Above all, descriptions of status and maintenance are rare. And when the information is missing – how can politicians make the right decisions?

Difficult to make an impact

Health, education and care are the most important issues for voters and therefore the ones that become the focus of debates and packages of measures. Politicians and companies that manage infrastructure do not have the same impact, despite the fact that these are vital functions.

Getting it right

Wise prioritization requires that the whole long life-cycle perspective is taken into account when considering new investments. It is not always about building new and replacing entire systems. It may be more sustainable to repair the most critical areas. This is part of smart maintenance. In our program, researchers, municipalities and other public and private actors work together to achieve this. Read more about our program partners here.

Asset Management

Asset management is a coherent and structured approach to managing fixed assets throughout their life cycle.

It involves a wide range of skills, processes, tools and information, all working together. Making the right decisions, from daily to strategic, is a complex reality. It requires planning and good tools to ensure that it works operationally, tactically and strategically in the best possible way.

Our projects:

The projects within Mistra InfraMaint are based on three thematic areas:

Sustainable decision support based on relevant and objective data.
Sustainable business models and organizations
Sustainable skills development to ensure future skills supply.