Bankruptcy. The word every entrepreneur fears.
In 2024, we faced it. COVID-19 had devastated our business model. Client projects froze. Revenue collapsed. Despite our best efforts – cost cuts, pivots, emergency measures – Hisland Solutions went under.
But like the island we’re named after, we didn’t stay down.
Hisingen, the island in Göteborg’s heart, taught us everything about resilience. It soared in the ’60s and ’70s, powered by shipyards and heavy industry. Then came the crash. Dockyards emptied. Dreams shattered. But the island didn’t die – it adapted, reinvented, and rose again with new industries, new energy, new purpose.
That’s our story too. From Himec Engineering to Hisland Solutions to bankruptcy to Hisland Sweden – we’ve walked the full cycle. And we’re here to tell you: the comeback is always possible.
The Fall: When Everything Collapsed
Let’s be honest about what happened. It wasn’t sudden. It was a slow unraveling that started in early 2020.
When COVID-19 hit, our business model – built on long-term engineering consultancy contracts in automotive, energy, and offshore wind – crumbled almost overnight. Clients paused projects indefinitely. New contracts evaporated. The pipeline that had sustained us for over a decade dried up within months.
We tried everything. We cut costs to the bone. We pivoted to new sectors. We chased every lead, no matter how small. We even won the prestigious DI Gasell Award in 2018 for being one of Sweden’s fastest-growing companies – but awards don’t pay the bills when clients can’t commit to projects.
By mid-2024, we had to face the truth: Hisland Solutions AB could not continue.
The lessons? The market doesn’t care about your past successes. Resilience alone isn’t enough if the fundamentals aren’t there. And sometimes, the bravest decision is to admit defeat – so you can rebuild stronger.
The Dark Period: Finding Light in Uncertainty
The months following bankruptcy were the hardest of our professional lives.
There were days when we questioned everything. Should we walk away entirely? Had we failed our team, our clients, our vision of contributing to a better world through technology? The weight of those questions was crushing.
But even in the darkness, something remarkable happened. Our team – that incredible multicultural group from Sweden, Sri Lanka, India, Russia, Zambia, Kenya, Pakistan, and beyond – didn’t scatter. They stayed connected. They believed in what we’d built together.
Clients reached out, not with blame, but with hope. “When you’re ready,” they said, “we’ll be here.” Some even asked if they could help. That kind of loyalty isn’t bought with marketing – it’s earned through years of delivering excellence and treating people with integrity.
“We realized that while the company had fallen, the mission hadn’t. The vision of using technology to create a better world – that was still alive. And so were we.”
The tough decisions came fast. We couldn’t restart the same way. We needed to be leaner, more focused, more adaptable. We needed to build on what worked and let go of what didn’t.
Most importantly, we needed to be honest – with ourselves, with our stakeholders, about what we could realistically achieve. No more overextending. No more chasing every opportunity. Focus. Purpose. Sustainability.
The Turning Point: Deciding to Rise Again
The decision to rebuild wasn’t romantic. It was pragmatic, almost clinical.
We looked at the data. The renewable energy sector was accelerating, not slowing. Smart cities weren’t a buzzword – they were becoming reality. The skills and expertise we’d built in offshore wind, virtual power plants, IoT, and electrification were more valuable than ever.
The market still needed what we offered. We just needed to offer it differently.
What changed:
Structure: Leaner operations, lower overhead, faster decision-making
Focus: Doubled down on renewable energy and smart city solutions – our proven strengths
Partnerships: Strategic alliances over broad service offerings
Financial model: Conservative growth, cash flow positive from day one
Brand: Hisland Sweden – honoring our roots while signaling fresh start
What stayed the same:
Mission: Developing technology that has a positive impact on the world
Values: Integrity, cooperation, respect for human potential
Culture: Multicultural, inclusive, focused on personal leadership
Philosophy: “Nothing is impossible” and “How hard can it be?”
We weren’t abandoning who we were. We were becoming the most focused, honest version of ourselves.
The Comeback: Hisland Sweden Launches
In late 2024, Hisland Sweden opened its doors.
Not with a grand announcement or flashy marketing campaign. Quietly. Deliberately. With the same three clear focus areas: consultancy, solution engineering and training.
We started reaching out to former clients. We reconnected with our global network across 30+ countries. We explained what happened, what we learned, and what we were building.
The response has been overwhelming.
Within weeks, we had our first contracts. Projects we’d thought were dead came back to life. New opportunities emerged from partners who admired the courage it took to restart.
“People do business with people they trust. And trust isn’t built on never failing – it’s built on how you handle failure and what you do next.”
Today, Hisland Sweden operates from a new place – Kungälv, but still carry the lessons of resilience learnt from Hisingen island. We’re smaller than before, but more focused. Less diverse in services, but deeper in expertise.
We’re not trying to be everything to everyone. We’re trying to be exceptional at what matters most: helping companies transition to sustainable energy through cutting-edge engineering.
Looking Forward: Stronger, Wiser, More Focused
Bankruptcy teaches you things success never can.
It strips away the ego. It forces brutal honesty. It reveals who your real partners are and what truly matters to your clients. It shows you the difference between revenue and value, between growth and sustainability.
Are we the same company that won the DI Gasell Award in 2018? No. We’re better.
Better at saying no to projects that don’t align with our mission. Better at building genuine partnerships instead of transactional relationships. Better at managing risk while still pursuing ambitious goals.
We’re still working on solution providing – but now with partners who share the risk and vision. We’re still contributing to offshore wind – but with more realistic timelines and sustainable contracts. We’re still bringing together that incredible multicultural team – but with clearer roles and shared ownership of success.
The renewable energy transition isn’t slowing down. Europe needs to meet ambitious climate goals. Sweden is leading the charge toward net zero. Smart cities need the infrastructure we help build. The world still needs what we do.
And we’re ready. Not naive about the challenges. Not overconfident about our abilities. But committed, focused, and wiser for having walked through fire.
Why This Matters to You
If you’re reading this as a potential client, partner, or team member, here’s what you should know about Hisland Sweden:
We’re honest. About what we can deliver, what we can’t, and what the challenges are.
We’re experienced. Not just in success, but in failure and recovery. We know what it takes to build sustainably.
We’re committed. The fact that we rebuilt after bankruptcy shows this isn’t just a job. It’s a mission.
We’re focused. On renewable energy, smart grids, and electrification. That’s what we do best, and that’s where we’re putting all our energy.
The comeback isn’t just about business. It’s proof that resilience isn’t just a word we use in marketing – it’s embedded in our DNA, inherited from the island that gave us our name.
“Hisingen fell and rose again. So did we. And we’ll keep rising, keep innovating, keep building – because the world needs the technology that can save it, and we know how to deliver it.”
Follow Our Journey. We’re Just Getting Started.
Connect with us: hello@hisland.com
LinkedIn: Hisland Sweden
