How do you start a shipping company? A new shipping service? Where can you find funding, research or tools for comparing different transport alternatives? The new Välj sjöfart (“Choose Shipping”) web portal brings together information on how Swedish shipping works in one place. And Lighthouse has been given a prominent place in the new knowledge hub.

It was at the Swedish Maritime Administration’s industry meeting on Thursday that Björn Garberg, National Coordinator for Shipping at the Swedish Transport Administration, and Kristofer Andrén, CEO of Seadvise, presented the new information portal Välj sjöfart. The initiative grew out of Kristofer Andrén’s own attempts to establish a new shipping service on the Göta Älv river, with the aim of shifting transports of hazardous waste from road to sea.

“​​It was a perfect case. Exactly the kind of initiative we want to get going. But he got bogged down in permit processes, discussions with different authorities and the search for information. The project never happened,” says Björn Garberg.

Instead, Andrén came up with an idea: why not gather all the information needed for processes like this in one place? Germany already had a website of this kind. Björn Garberg took the idea to the Swedish government in 2023, and two years later the Swedish Transport Administration has developed a portal aimed at shipping companies, transport buyers and ports. But not only them.

“The ambition has grown along the way. Initially, the main aim was to make it easier to establish new shipping services. But we quickly realised that this was too narrow. We also needed to include the perspectives of transport buyers and public authorities, while at the same time creating a showcase for shipping.”

So it is not just about helping shipping companies find the right form or contact person. Välj sjöfart is also intended to increase knowledge about how shipping works. This applies particularly to public authorities that deal with the industry on individual issues but may lack an overview of the entire chain and an understanding of how a decision can affect the possibility of establishing a new shipping service.

“Shipping often comes into focus in connection with problems that arise during various disruptions. But there also needs to be greater awareness that this is an important sector. I hope the portal can help provide that broader understanding,” says Björn Garberg.

Lighthouse is featured in several parts of the portal. Under the Knowledge section, anyone looking for research findings can browse Lighthouse reports. Lighthouse is also presented under Collaboration Forums as a natural platform for those who want to network or are looking for opportunities to collaborate on research and innovation with universities, research institutes, public authorities or industry.

When the portal’s news feed comes up in conversation, it also turns out that Lighthouse External Environment Analysis 2026 – Shipping is affected by an increasingly uncertain world, published the same day, is at the top of the feed.

“Well, damn, that shows it works,” Garberg says, continuing:

“I thought we needed something that would keep the portal alive. So I just threw out the idea of having a news feed. I thought I might be going out on a limb, but everyone immediately liked the idea. It updates automatically and will keep ticking along.”

Välj sjöfart is operated by the Swedish Transport Administration on behalf of the Swedish government until 31 December 2028. Before then, both the information portal and the assignment as a whole will be evaluated and reported on, on 1 October and 4 December 2028 respectively. The government will then need to decide whether the Swedish Transport Administration should continue to operate the portal.

The portal has been developed in consultation with the shipping industry and through cooperation between the Swedish Maritime Administration, the Swedish Transport Agency, the Swedish Transport Administration and other public authorities.

Välj sjöfart