HiQ continues its European expansion and strengthens its presence in Germany by integrating the acquired company Scandio under the unified HiQ brand. This move is part of a long-term strategy to meet the increasing demand for advanced digital solutions across Europe.

After thirty years of strong presence in the Nordics, HiQ is now taking the next step in its European expansion. Companies and organizations across Europe face growing regulatory requirements, rapid technological advancements, and an increasing need for digital transformation – all while geopolitical uncertainty adds further complexity. Europe’s ability to drive digital innovation independently is becoming more critical to keeping pace with global technological development.

“Europe is undergoing a massive digital transformation, and the need for tech solutions that combine innovation, security, and scalability has never been greater. At the same time, global competition is intensifying, and Europe must accelerate its digitalization efforts to remain competitive,” says Peter Arrhenius, CEO of HiQ Group.

Nordic Tech Expertise for a Growing European Market

By fully integrating Scandio in Germany and with a total of 1,700 tech experts and 23 offices operating under the HiQ brand in Sweden, Germany, Finland, and Poland, HiQ strengthens its platform for delivering business-critical tech solutions across Europe.

Scandio, which has been part of the HiQ Group since its acquisition a few years ago, brings cutting-edge expertise in cloud engineering, agile software development, and Atlassian solutions as a Platinum Solution Partner. At the same time, HiQ introduces its highly regarded Nordic approach – characterized by innovation, pragmatism, and close collaboration – to the German market.

“Germany is one of Europe’s largest and most dynamic markets for digital solutions. Strengthening our position in Germany is a key part of our growth strategy and enables us to help more companies navigate digital transformation and unlock technology’s full potential across Europe. We see a strong interest in the Nordic approach to tech and innovation, combined with significant demand for our services, and we look forward to continuing our growth together with our customers,” concludes Peter Arrhenius.

Sweden is facing major challenges in its power system. To ensure a stable electricity supply, HiQ has been selected as one of two suppliers in Svenska kraftnät’s new IT framework agreement, tasked with working on a new method for efficiently balancing the Nordic power system.

As the power system undergoes rapid transformation, the challenges of ensuring a stable and reliable power supply are increasing. Svenska kraftnät is the authority leading the development of the Nordic Balancing Model (NBM) – a new, future-proof balancing model for the entire Nordic region. It is being developed in collaboration with the region’s transmission system operators and is aligned with the EU’s common electricity market to support the energy transition.

For this development, Svenska kraftnät has signed a framework agreement with two suppliers, HiQ and Knowit. The agreement has an estimated total value of up to SEK 1.2 billion and runs for an initial period of three years, with the possibility of extending up to eight years. Security aspects are a key consideration, and the suppliers may be subject to security protection agreements under the Security Protection Act.

Experience with complex infrastructure essential to society

HiQ has extensive experience in delivering digital solutions for critical infrastructure, including ongoing collaborations with Svenska kraftnät and other clients across various industries and societal sectors.

“Earning the trust to contribute to such a critical societal function as the power system is a great honor. With our deep understanding and our experience in working with complex tech solutions, we look forward to helping ensure a robust and future-proof method for Sweden’s electricity supply,” says David Sandberg, Head of Public Sector at HiQ.

HiQ today announces it has appointed Peter Arrhenius as the new Group CEO. The change in leadership comes after CEO Samuel Skott decided to leave the company.

“I wish to thank Samuel Skott for his contributions as CEO and his instrumental role in establishing a solid platform for growth and building a European tech champion, and wish him success in his next endeavor”, says Magnus Meyer, Chairman of the board of directors of HiQ.

The new Group CEO, Peter Arrhenius, is an experienced senior executive in the Nordic tech industry with more than two decades of experience from leadership roles.

“HiQ has an unrivalled legacy and a brand that encompasses tech innovation and a strong inclusive and value-driven culture. Having spent my entire career in the tech industry, I have the utmost respect for the history and track-record of HiQ, all of the highly talented and creative colleagues, and their ability to build critical and customized solutions for our clients. HiQ is a tech leader in the Nordics and Germany, and I am proud to be entrusted with the responsibility of leading the company”, says Peter Arrhenius, CEO of HiQ.

“With Peter Arrhenius’ deep experience and proven ability to lead digital transformation consulting services, we welcome a passionate, customer-centric and commercially driven leader, who has a long track-record of growth, operational excellence and people development. Peter will help develop and build on the unique culture that makes HiQ a leader in the sector, bring tech innovation to our customers and accelerate our commercial strategy”, says Magnus Meyer, Chairman of the board of directors of HiQ.

Peter Arrhenius joins from Netcompany where he held the position as partner. Before that he was CEO of the digitization company Inera, which he transformed into a customer-centric organization. In addition, Peter has worked for many years with digitization, consulting and tech in the global IT industry, and he has, among other things, been VP and COO Scandinavia at CGI, VP Head of Financial Services at Capgemini and Managing Director / Industry General Manager at CSC.

Samuel Skott will remain as CEO of HiQ until the transition takes effect from February 10th 2025.

HiQ West has appointed Malin Ekwall as the new Sales Manager. Malin Ekwall has extensive experience in the consulting industry and most recently comes from the Randstad Group. She will now be responsible for leading sales efforts in a region where HiQ has long been a strong player in digital innovation, transformation, and pioneering technical solutions.

Malin Ekwall has an impressive track record in the Swedish consulting industry, including roles such as Director at Randstad Technologies, Sales Director at Randstad Digital, and Sales Manager at Dfind IT.

“I look forward to joining HiQ and, together with my new colleagues and customers, further strengthening West Sweden’s competitiveness,” says Malin. “It is a dynamic region with a strong technological tradition and an impressive capacity for innovation. I see great opportunities in the rapid digital transformation within both the private and public sectors.”

In addition to her role as Sales Manager, Malin Ekwall will also join HiQ West’s management team. Regional Manager Dan Jonsson is very positive about the new addition:

“We are very pleased to welcome Malin to our team. Her understanding of the technological landscape, combined with her commitment to innovation and navigating the rapid digital transformation, will be invaluable in our efforts to create even greater value for our customers.”

The HiQ operations in Sweden are divided into five regions, with the West region holding a prominent position characterized by strong innovation – developing autonomous self-driving vehicles as well as business-critical personnel systems for the global aviation industry and world-class digital-physical brand experiences.