Molndal. Swedish public health faces significant challenges.
Henrik Lundqvist is part of a multi-billion dollar investment to beat it.
– It will be very exciting, says the hockey legend.
He has not been lazy since the end of his ice hockey career. An expert in the Olympic studio last winter, he has similarly participated in New York Rangers TV shows, and various financial projects in Sweden. And then the massive GoCo Active project in Mölndal, which in the long run will help Swedish public health get back on its feet.
Henrik Lundqvist He actually made a lot of money on his own. With the project now entering its second phase of construction, he will be more visible in his role as an ambassador.
– This would be gigantic. I think I had an idea when I talked to them a few years ago about where you’re going. But he tells Sportbladet it’s still fun to watch.
The project is a collaboration between different parts, everything from Astra Zeneca to University of Gothenburg, Chalmers, Sahlgrenska. Together with other construction companies and research institutes, a huge area is being built with an emphasis on physical and mental health.
Business and Research Constellation, you have all the parts here. It’s a very exciting feeling.
‘Huge investment’
Among other things, Lundqvist is working with the design of the building, the house as he calls it, which will be the heart of his portion of the investment. Working with an architecture firm in New York, he’s also got help and advice from former athletics superstar Michael Johnson.
– He has a huge investment in Texas and has also worked on similar projects in different parts of the world. We try to help each other in the process. What could be good for us, partly now that we build, but also later when it’s ready in the spring of 2024.
In total, the district will cover an area as large as 30 football fields, conduct research in 50 different fields, and employ 7,000 employees in 350 different companies from 80 different countries. Lundqvist’s ambition is to be a pioneer GoCo.
– Not only in the region here, but in all the country.
This may be necessary, because at the same time a bleak picture of Swedish public health is painted. At the press conference, Agneta Holmäng, Professor of Laboratory Medicine and Dean of the Sahlgrenska Academy, said Sweden faces significant challenges ahead.
– Both society as a whole and health care. This is due to improper living habits and lifestyle. Half of Sweden’s population is overweight and obese, and a third of them are not physically active. It carries a significant risk of developing serious diseases, such as cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and cancer.
Lundqvist understands the risks.
Nothing escaped him, especially the mental aspect as well. They go hand in hand and are very important to me too. The mental part, how do you feel. It’s important to be able to start training, because it’s a 22nd moment sometimes. To go and train, you need energy, and to get energy you need to go and train. A lot starts with how we think. So it would be great with that part of the house, the mental part. It’s a big part of overall health, and it would fit in here.
“It was something they said early on.”
Above all, he hopes the project will give researchers new opportunities.
– It was something they said early on, that they had a lot of information, but maybe not the opportunity to get it all out. There, I think this area is going to be important.
Can you imagine becoming the face of a greater investment in public health?
– Yes…so I will be an ambassador for GoCo Active. Then it’s a big concept, so I don’t know if I can take on the role and be the face of it, haha. It’s more about being able to use my contacts and what I’ve been through in my life and adding something to the home and territory. this is my goal. Then there are many parts here that together would be able to do a lot. Those involved have a lot of knowledge. The important thing now is for everyone to feel good.
You seem to be feeling pretty good, but it must be hard to find the adrenaline rush from matches here?
– Yes exactly. This is it. But my goal is not to try to replace the rush I felt there. I think it is very difficult. But on the other hand, I’m inspired, I feel good, I’m happy. To me, it’s at least as important, and perhaps more sustainable in the long run, than seeking out these rushing, adrenaline-filled feelings.