KISTA
story
Enter The Kloud universe - Scroll down to explore, or fast forward in time by changing selecting year below:
2022
The Kloud is Kista's voice. An initiative that activates, develops and communicates the possibilities of today and tomorrow.
Change is in the air
The Kloud starts actively working to develop Kista and unlock the district's potential. It is a broad collaboration between commercial property owners, Ericsson, KTH, Stockholm University, the City of Stockholm, Region Stockholm and Kista Science City.
We are the ones who say ”why not” when others say ”hell no”
Turning the first sod in Kista Äng
On May 24, ByggVesta broke ground in Kista Äng. Here, a living urban environment is being created with nice neighborhoods, courtyards, parks and meeting places. In addition to about 1,600 homes of various types, a large primary school and several preschools are also being built.
The vision: Build Sweden's next big industry
/ Exeger on Powerfoyle
Exeger comes to Kista
The integrated solar cell foil Powerfoyle is used in a number of products, including Urbanista's self-charging headphones and Poc's smart bicycle helmets. Exeger, the company that manufactures Powerfoyle, announces that it will open Europe's largest solar cell factory in Kista.
To be located on existing premises, the factory will have the capacity to produce 2.5 million square meters of solar cells per year. Powerfoyle is a winner of the Great Design Prize, which is awarded by Teknikföretagen in collaboration with the Swedish Industrial Design Foundation and Svensk Form.
The manufacturing company is scaling up with a new factory right here in Kista.
2021
Kista Limitless is formed
Kista 5.0 – a collaboration between Kista's largest commercial property owners – leads to the formation of the joint company Kista Limitless AB and the launch of The Kloud.
2018
Kista as test environment
for new technology
The testing of Sweden's first self-driving buses in regular traffic takes place in Kista. Two small free-to-ride buses with room for twelve passengers operate in the district for six months. The project is called Autopiloten and is carried out within the framework of the Urban ICT Arena and in collaboration with Nobina and Ericsson.
Urban ICT Arena is an initiative within Kista Science City. It aims to offer a common infrastructure for using Kista's urban environment to test new and innovative solutions in a number of different areas.
2012
Electric go-karts at 70kms
O'Leary's in Kista Galleria opens Europe's most modern go-kart track, with electric-powered go-karts that go over 70 kilometers per hour. The track offers a mix of curves and straights, is lined like a Formula 1 track, and is surrounded by a self-sustaining barrier. In the room there is also a 70-meter-long LED wall. Via cameras on the karts, guests can watch the races on site or from inside the restaurant.
2011
Another skyscraper
117.6 meters, 34 floors, 299 rooms and an unrivalled skybar located at the top. Victoria Tower takes over the title of Northern Europe's tallest hotel building from Oslo Plaza, which is just 0.6 meters shorter. In the new skyscraper there is also a restaurant, conference facilities and office space.
Victoria Tower takes over the title of Northern Europe's tallest hotel building.
2009
The mall is growing
Kista Galleria expands its 48,000 square meters to 59,000. The mall has approximately 130 shops, restaurants, a cinema and entertainment. The location and wide selection make Kista Galleria the area’s obvious gathering place.
2002
Unique trading hours with Kista Galleria opening 10-20 every day.
Kista center becomes Kista Galleria
Kista Galleria is inaugurated and its extended opening hours, from 10am to 8pm, are something new that people aren’t used to, as shops normally close at latest 6pm. When the center is transformed into a mall, its size also grows – from 22,000 to 48,000 square meters.
2002
Kista Science Tower
A skyscraper and a landmark, Kista Science Tower, designed by White Arkitekter and built by NCC, is ready. With its 32 floors and 124 meters, it’s the tallest office building in the Nordics. The block's six connected and triangular buildings contain about 39,000 square meters of offices, plus restaurants, shops, a gym, and garages.
Sweden's fastest elevators
The elevators in Kista Science Tower reach a top speed of approximately 6 meters per second. Going from the entrance level to the top 32nd floor takes just 24 seconds.
There is quite a stir when Kista Science Tower's five express lifts beat Kaknästornet's previous Swedish record, which has been held since 1967.
2001
The IT University
KTH and Stockholm University form the IT University in Kista. The aim is to create an interdisciplinary and international environment where researchers, teachers and students can collaborate and realize ideas in the field of IT.
moving forward to a next generation
1999
Kista Science City
The company Kista Science City is formed and named. The new company is owned by the Electrum Foundation and takes over the foundation's mission to make Kista world leading in ICT (information and communication technology). The work in Kista Science City is based on a close collaboration between business, academia, and the public sector – a so-called triple helix.
1991
Ericsson launches GSM
GSM is the first digital mobile phone system in Europe. It is also called 2G or second-generation mobile telephony. Its success is soon realized, and Ericsson Radio continues to double its turnover every two years, from 1984 to the year 2000. The orange and almost fort-like building Skalholt, across the square from Kista Centre, is the heart of the top-secret product development and is nicknamed the "GSM Castle".
Photo: Alexander Vujadinovic
1987
Research and education move in
In August 1987, the first tenants move into the newly built Electrum house. Here, research, education and entrepreneurship come together in a state-of-the-art building with a spectacular indoor atrium and a marble walkway.
The Electrum house on Kistagången is Kista's most modern and exciting building.
1986
The Electrum Foundation
The local business community, academia and public actors come together and form the Electrum Foundation, with the mission of making Kista, and the region, a world-leading center for electronics research.
1981
Kista's mobile technology reaches the world
On September 1, the world's first commercial mobile phone system is inaugurated in Saudi Arabia. The analogue technology is based on Swedish Televerket's NMT system and Ericsson's MTX switches. Sweden takes the lead in the world's mobile development.
1978
"The Big Blue"
IBM, often called "The Big Blue" and one of the world's most admired companies, moves to Oddegatan 5 in Kista. The long, winding brick building offers exciting architecture and lies almost as if in a world
of its own, magically embedded in the pine forest.
1977
The subway comes to Kista.
Royal visit
In March 1977, King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia inaugurate Sweden's largest indoor center in Kista. It has 25 shops, two large department stores, restaurants, offices, a cinema with three lounges, and more.
Sweden's largest
indoor center opens in kista.
Photo: Svenska Bostäder, Jan Gustavsson
1976
Kista gets its first offices
The first major offices in Kista belong to Ericsson's subsidiaries SRA and Rifa. Life for the employees on Torshamnsgatan and Isafjordsgatan is rather unglamorous and crazy in the beginning. Often, they need to balance on construction planks or walk across wood shavings to get to their office entrances. That's how it is when you break new ground!
1975
One million homes
During the Million Program 1965–1975, just over one million homes were built in Sweden. In addition to countering the housing shortage, the Million Program also aims to reduce overcrowding and raise the general Swedish housing standard. Kista is the last area of Järva to be built on, and the new district has its own architecture with star-shaped houses, terraced houses and townhouses close to untouched nature.
Kista has its own style with star-shaped houses, terrace houses and townhouses.
1942
The big bang
At the beginning of the 20th century, the military in Stockholm needs to expand its training areas. Large parts of Järvafältet are bought in 1905 and soon many military exercises are held in Kista.
On March 25, 1942, in the middle of World War II, a huge bang is heard over the entire area. It's not a bomb, but an underground cellar full of ammunition that has exploded. The military period at Järvafältet lasts until 1970, when housing construction in the area is already in full swing.
JÄRVA as a military training area
1717
Kista gård
Stockholms stadsmuseum / Photo: Ingrid Johansson
The farm and the name
Kista gård's main building is ready and initially has nine rooms. It is a so-called "utgård" that belongs to a larger farm with the same name in Norrviken in Sollentuna.
The farm has many different owners and tenants over the centuries. In the 1950s, a captain Holm lives here and then the tenant Stina Andersson.
The place name Kista therefore originally comes from the neighboring municipality of Sollentuna.
1000
The Kista rune stone
Long before coding and programming languages come to Kista, it is the runes carved on granite stones that matter. The Kista rune stone stands at Kista alléväg near Kista gård. The inscription on the 1.4-meter-high stone reads "Sigvid had this stone erected after his father Egvid and his mother Holmfrid, and Jovurfrid".