In 2023, Steen & Strøm as part of the Klépierre Group has renewed our CSR ambition with four commitments - achieving net zero, servicing communities, growing people, and promoting sustainable lifestyles. The objectives are concrete – with one overriding purpose, building the most sustainable platform for commerce by 2030. Our commitment involves expanding our offering to include more sustainable consumption options, raising awareness, supporting responsible initiatives.

We aim for our shopping centers to be a natural part of people’s everyday lives in the local community. Hosting and supporting the JA (Junior Achievement/UF) fairs is fully in line with Steen & Ström’s CSR strategy, where we want to contribute to the communities in which we operate. UF (Ung Företagsamhet, UF) is a Swedish organization and an education (UF-corporation) where high school students for the duration of a year can run their own company, with real goods and services and with real money.

We have UF companies that have a very high turnover and are run as limited companies after high school. Similarly, we have those who most want to complete the subject at school with a passing grade. But what they all have in common is that they get to try out entrepreneurship during school hours and come out more prepared for working life, says Minna Kujanpää, Project Manager for Upper Secondary School at UF Skåne.

Emporia, Marieberg Galleria and Kupolen have once again been hosting the local Junior Achievement Fairs.

Skåne’s future filled Emporia to brim

For the 10th time, the UF Fair has been organized at Emporia in Malmö and this was celebrated by giving 1,400 UF entrepreneurs the opportunity to exhibit and showcase their 390 companies to the approximately 60,000 visitors to the fair.

During our 10 years in Emporia, the UF fair has evolved, and it is thanks to our great collaboration that it becomes a pleasant and cool happening for both UF students and customers, says Regional Manager UF Johan Ceimertz.

We are proud to host the UF Fair once again. Here, students can meet a large customer base through our visitors, contributing to making their entrepreneurship, marketing, and sales efforts genuine, says Christina Holst, Marketing Manager Emporia.

UF Fair at Marieberg Galleria for the second year in a row

For the second year, Marieberg Galleria hosted the UF fair in Örebro County. 122 companies were registered, and 450 students exhibited at the fair. Throughout Örebro County, 1,417 upper secondary school students managed a total of 527 companies.

Hugo Hultqvist, Project Manager for UF in Örebro County, explains:

This year, too, the trend towards sustainability and reuse was strong. At the fair, we saw many self-made crafts in needlework, construction, and wood production and in food and baking.

It was great that UF chose to return with the UF fair this year and that I once again had the great honor of being part of the jury for the UF fair and later the UF gala. UF highlights exciting business ideas and builds important competencies among high school students and perhaps it is the future tenants of Marieberg Galleria that we have met,“ says Sofie Källgren, Center Manager in Marieberg Galleria.

5 UF companies and 613 young entrepreneurs were welcomed to Kupolen

Kupolen was the venue, for the fifth time, for the JA(UF) fair in Dalarna. 215 JA companies from 17 different high schools in Dalarna were present and a total of 613 young entrepreneurs.

“We are very happy and proud to once again welcome young, innovative entrepreneurs to Kupolen. For us, it is important that we are part of the everyday life of Dalmatians. Here high school students can meet a large and broad customer group, our visitors, and increase their chances of both good product exposure and not least sales”, says Sofie Källgren, Center Manager at Kupolen.

Jessica Hallqvist, Project Manager for JA Fair in Dalarna, explains: We are pleased to be working with Kupolen, which is a good meeting place for the whole of Dalarna. Again, this year, the reuse trend was strong, as were items for the home such as recycled glass and cutting boards. The fair featured many self-made crafts in handicrafts, jewelry, construction and wood production, board games, and food and baking products. The variety of products sold was great.