Arvidsjaur is a community of some 7,000 persons located in the heart of Sweden’s historic and picturesque Lapland. With the movement of Swedes into the region during the mid-1700s Arvidsjaur developed a unique blend of Lappish and Swedish cultures that exists up to the present day. Some 20 Lapp families in the area have large reindeer herds and continue to herd reindeer, the most traditional of Lapp occupations; an occupation that values hard work, a love of the outdoors and a loyalty to the land.

The majority of the community’s inhabitants, while maintaining such traditional values, work in more modern occupations. The area’s residents and government are open to new technologies and think of change as a way to preserve their unique community while at the same time being a part of Europe and the world. A new fiber optic network that supports Internet connections and is able to rapidly transmit large amounts of data is one example of how the community has moved into the 21st century. The area is well-connected to Sweden and Europe through a road and rail network capable of moving both passengers and freight. The Arvidsjaur airport has daily flights to Stockholm’s Arlanda airport and direct flight several times a week to Munich, Hanover and Paris.

In the past decade, Arvidsjaur has developed a reputation as one Sweden’s ideal areas for cold weather testing of automobiles and automotive components. The climate in the area is stable, making it an ideal place for extreme cold weather testing. The region’s lakes and valleys are another feature useful during testing. The large and small lakes are frozen for months and the ice is thick enough to support level test tracks. The valleys have microclimates where temperatures remain constant and create ideal conditions for winter testing.

Many of Arvidsjaur’s inhabitants have worked in occupations where following of directions and the ability to use technology have been important worker qualities. For winter testing, these qualities mean that a skilled and dedicated workforce is immediately available.

The word “Arvidsjaur” is from the Lapp language and means “the generous lake” – a reference to the area’s rich natural resources that have fed and protected the Lapp people. In today’s world, these words, while still true, can be taken to have a second meaning; one that refers to the people and resources of this rich area!