Swedish Researcher Predicted Northvolt's Collapse - Paid a High Price

The Swedish battery manufacturer Northvolt was set to become the crown jewel of the EU's green transition. Now, the company has filed for bankruptcy—the largest bankruptcy in modern Swedish history.

One of the early critics of this multi-billion project was researcher Christian Sandström. He has written several books about the risks of state-subsidized industrial projects, including “Questioning the Entrepreneurial State” and “Moonshots and the New Industrial Policy,” which have gained global attention and have been recommended by figures like Tyler Cowen.

In a longer special interview within our YouTube series "The Fall or Rise of Europe?" Sandström elaborates on why Northvolt never stood a chance in the competition and what this indicates about the risks associated with Europe's Green Deal.

However, despite being proven right, Christian Sandström paid a high professional price for his criticism. Sweden's largest business newspaper, Dagens Industri, has examined how his criticism may have hindered his chances of becoming a professor, which has also been covered in detail by Academic Rights Watch: https://academicrightswatch.se/?p=5693.

About the program series

In ten episodes, Swedish YouTuber Henrik Jönsson travels to Brussels for an unfiltered and honest examination of the consequences of EU policies on growth, employment, and security policy. "The Fall or Rise of Europe?" is EPHI and Henrik Jönsson's first endeavor for an English-speaking audience and their second collaboration after the successful production "100%." In the series, Jönsson interviews prominent thinkers and politicians. The executive producer is Marie Söderqvist, CEO of EPHI. This is a special interview. Regular episodes are released on the YouTube channel "Fall or Rise of Europe" every Wednesday at 6:00 PM.