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    Successful Collaboration Project Continues

    25 October 2024, 14:30 CET

    The collaboration project “Safe and Sustainable Transport in Reindeer Herding Areas,” which we conducted together with Sattajärvi Sami Village, among others, concluded with positive results at the beginning of 2024. We are now moving forward with a follow-up project, “Safe, Sustainable Transport in Reindeer Herding Areas 2.0,” to continue developing the working methods and all the beneficial aspects that emerged in the previous project.

    In the first phase of the project, the number of wildlife collisions involving reindeer was reduced by 70% on the road stretch between Autio and Peräjävaara. This stretch, about ten kilometers long, runs through traditional winter grazing land for reindeer, with approximately 200 trucks and other mining-related traffic passing daily.
    – "We see that good collaboration yields results, and we want to continue working in this way. By working together, we can reduce risks for the grazing reindeer, which, of course, is a relief for the Sami village. We also create a much safer traffic environment for all road users, not just those transporting for the mining industry in the area," says Hans Djurberg, Head of Sustainability at Kaunis Iron.

    A part of the continuation of our cooperation involves testing more innovative ideas to further increase safety and reduce accidents. For example, we will continue developing technology that uses transmitters to show the location of reindeer. This allows us to see if any reindeer are near the roads, enabling our traffic management team to warn drivers and thereby prevent reindeer collisions.

    The project also includes Boliden, LKAB, Volvo Trucks, the Swedish Transport Administration, Luleå University of Technology (LTU), and LTU Business. The project is funded by Vinnova, the Swedish Energy Agency, and Formas through the strategic innovation program, Swedish Mining Innovation.