Specialist expertise behind ESS collaboration since 2015
Fagerström Industrikonsult
As a technical consultant company, Fagerström Industrikonsult is unique in that it also offers its own product portfolio. A consequence is that employees – engineers and designers – continually work with internally challenging projects that raise the level of expertise.
In 2015, the company took its first steps into the Big Science market. Carl Johan Fagerström, Managing Director of Fagerström, describes how this came about.
“ESS in Lund was just getting under way, and our consultants were commissioned to work with mechanical designs. Our high level of expertise put us in a strong position, and we’re now one of the larger companies on site at ESS.”
“We’re a small player that gets noticed. We start from scratch, asking ourselves the question ‘What’s the problem?’, and find our way to our very own solution.”
Since its first project for ESS, Fagerström Industrikonsult has widened its expertise and contact network in the research facilities, both in Sweden and in other countries. Carl Johan Fagerström underlines the value of Big Science Sweden.
“Big Science Sweden has been extremely important for us. They’ve shortened our communication channels to clients and partners. We’ve learned more about the facilities and their needs, and the ILOs have been invaluable sounding boards for discussing how to initiate contacts, who to talk to and, not least, how to handle cultural differences.”
In 2019, the company responded to a call to tender from ESO, European Southern Observatory, which was building the world’s largest telescope for visible and infrared light, placed in Chile. Against tough international competition, Fagerström won the order, and became responsible for designing and constructing the M1 Washing and Stripping Plant. With its automation concept, developed in-house, the company will wash and strip the old coating on the extremely expensive mirror segments, which is necessary before a new reflecting layer can be placed on the mirrors to retain the telescope’s performance.
“In the competition for contracts from the world’s research facilities, we’re a small player. We can’t work with procurements like most of the others. We must be on the ball and make an impression. We start from scratch, asking ourselves the question ‘What’s the problem?’, and find our way to our very own, better solution, and that’s what we offer in tenders. That’s our strength.”
Publishing year 2020
Last edited 2020