Epic - Innovation & Technology Center

What Epic - Innovation & Technology Center does

Epic – Innovation & Technology Center is a member-owned economic association (ekonomisk förening) headquartered on the Linnaeus University campus in Växjö, Kronoberg County, Sweden. The organization operates a technology park equipped for automation, CNC machining, robotics, welding, and prototype manufacturing, and functions as an education, competence validation, and applied research hub serving the regional manufacturing industry. It is owned and governed by 21 manufacturing companies (Volvo Construction Equipment, Andritz, Balco, Getinge Disinfection, Kito Crosby, Micropower Group, Profilgruppen, Wexiödisk, and others), with Linnaeus University and Växjö municipality as core institutional partners under a triple-helix model.

The center delivers a layered portfolio spanning upper secondary vocational programs (El- & Energiprogrammet Automation, Industritekniska programmet in partnership with Kungsmadskolan, Teknikprogrammet at Teknikum), bachelor-level engineering programs (Högskoleingenjör in Maskinteknik and Industriell ekonomi, 180 hp each, and a Tekniskt basår 60 fup foundation year) delivered through Linnaeus University, and a commercial professional development offering through Epic Academy covering automation, CNC, LEAN, PLC programming, welding licenses, and measurement technology. Epic also runs the Epic Trainee development program for early-career engineers and accredited certification testing under Svensk industrivalidering. Research and digitalization activities are delivered through the Smart Industri project (KK-stiftelsen funded, 2022–2026), the SMART-DAT SME digitalization project (2023–2026), and the European Digital Innovation Hub DigIT Hub Sweden, alongside youth outreach programs (ELKOLLO, ROBOTKOLLO, Epic Experience, Epic Week, Yrkesdagen career fair, Makerverkstad, Epic Breakfast).

The business model combines three revenue streams: recurring membership contributions from the 21 owner companies, multi-source public funding (Region Kronoberg, Växjö municipality, Linnaeus University, KK-stiftelsen, Tillväxtverket, ERUF, Vinnova, and Region Kalmar), and contracted professional development training through Epic Academy, which is free for member companies and quoted on a custom basis for non-members. Pricing is therefore membership-anchored with grant-funded subsidies on top, and go-to-market is community-led: outreach through schools, universities, career fairs, summer camps, and the member company's own referral networks, rather than through paid marketing channels.

Name

Epic - Innovation & Technology Center

Legal name

Epic Teknikens Hus

Website

https://goepic.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Epic – Innovation & Technology Center is a member-owned education and applied research center in Växjö, Sweden, owned by 21 manufacturing companies. It delivers secondary, bachelor, and professional development programs in automation, CNC, robotics, and welding on the Linnaeus University campus, bridging Kronoberg's industrial skills gap.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Technical Education and Workforce Training Services

NAICS

Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Universities with Strong Industry Partnerships (EDAHAEAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Universities with Specialized Engineering Domains (EDAHAEAI), Information Technology & Software (EDAAAPAB), Mechatronics Systems & Integration (EDAOAHAB)

Keywords

• Technical education services
• Vocational training programs
• Manufacturing workforce upskilling
• Industry-academia collaboration
• Professional development training

Headquarters

HQ city

Växjö

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership fees from owner companies: Epic is owned and operated by 21 manufacturing companies that collectively fund the center. Member companies contribute financially and in return receive access to a trained talent pipeline and upskilling services for their workforce.
2. Government and regional funding: Epic receives financial support from Region Kronoberg, Växjö municipality, and Linnéuniversitetet. The Epic Trainee program 2026/2027 is free for participating companies thanks to funding from Region Kronoberg. Various R&D projects (Smart Industri, SMART-DAT, DigIT Hub) are funded by KK-stiftelsen, Tillväxtverket, ERUF, Vinnova, and regional bodies.
3. Epic Academy professional development training: Epic Academy delivers contracted training programs to both member and non-member companies. Member companies receive training free of charge; non-member companies receive quotes. Programs include automation, CNC, LEAN, PLC programming, welding licenses, production leadership, and measurement technology.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Epic – Innovation & Technology Center is a member-owned education and research center that delivers upper secondary vocational programs, university engineering degrees (in partnership with Linnéuniversitetet), and contracted professional development training to manufacturing companies. It operates a physical technology park in Växjö with modern automation, CNC, robotics, and welding equipment, and serves as an accredited test center for Swedish Industry Validation (Svensk industrivalidering) and welding licenses.

Product overview

Epic – Innovation & Technology Center is an educational and research center for upper secondary schools, universities, and regional businesses, located on the university campus in Växjö. The center offers a unified portfolio of vocational and higher education programs (El- & Energiprogrammet Automation, Industritekniska programmet, Teknikprogrammet, university engineering programs in Industrial Economics and Mechanical Engineering, and a Technical Foundation Year), professional development services through Epic Academy, and specialized training programs including Epic Trainee. The center also operates innovation and development projects (Smart Industri, SMART-DAT, EDIH - DigIT Hub) and outreach activities for youth (ELKOLLO, ROBOTKOLLO, Epic Experience, Epic Week, Yrkesdagen, Makerverkstad, Epic Breakfast). All programs are owned and operated by 21 member companies in the manufacturing industry, in close collaboration with Linnéuniversitetet and Växjö municipality.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Epic Trainee: A joint development program for engineers with up to three years of work experience, part of securing technical competence supply in the region.
• Epic Academy
• EDIH - DigIT Hub

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 300 industry employees trained in 2025
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers21 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Finmekanik i Småland ABcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 January 2026Finmekanik i Småland AB, based in Rörvik, Jönköpings county, joined as the 20th owner company of Epic in January 2026. Founded in 1958, the company specializes in automated turning and custom solutions with a focus on quality, flexibility, and fast delivery. Its membership extends Epic's reach beyond Kronoberg county into neighboring Jönköpings county.
• LG Produktion ABcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 January 2026LG Produktion AB, based in Hovmantorp, joined as the 21st owner company of Epic in January 2026. As a traditional contract manufacturing company focused on cutting machining for 40 years, it contributes manufacturing expertise and workforce development needs to the Epic ecosystem.
• LinnéuniversitetetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLinnéuniversitetet (Linnaeus University) is a key academic partner. Epic is physically located on the university campus in Växjö. The partnership enables delivery of university engineering programs (Högskoleingenjör: Maskinteknik and Industriell ekonomi, 180 hp each) and the Tekniskt basår (technical foundation year, 60 fup) at Epic's facilities. University faculty members also participate in Epic's R&D projects.
• Växjö kommuncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVäxjö municipality is a key municipal partner in Epic's triple-helix model. The municipality collaborates with Epic to ensure alignment between education offerings and regional industry needs, and provides institutional support for Epic's operations on the university campus.
• DigIT Hub Sweden (EDIH)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigIT Hub Sweden is a European Digital Innovation Hub (EDIH) coordinated by OpenTech (formerly Mobile Heights). Epic is a key partner in this initiative, which is funded by the European Regional Development Fund, Region Skåne, Region Blekinge, Region Kronoberg, and Vinnova. The hub helps companies and the public sector to digitalize, with Epic serving as a node for southern Sweden focused on manufacturing digitalization.
• Smart Industri project partners (Micropower Group, Epiroc, Strezia AB, Combitech, Scania, Solutions for tomorrow, SwePart Transmission AB, Virtual Manufacturing AB, Acoustic Agree AB, Zenta AB, Andritz AB, Volvo Construction Equipment AB, AB SKF, Additivt Teknikcenter i Hultsfred AB, Campus Ljungby, Digital Manufacturing Cluster (RISE), DigIT Hub Sweden)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Smart Industri project involves 17 organizations including manufacturers (Micropower Group, Epiroc, Scania, Volvo CE, Andritz, SKF), research institutions (RISE, Linnéuniversitetet), SMEs (Strezia, SwePart Transmission, Virtual Manufacturing, Acoustic Agree, Zenta, Additivt Teknikcenter), and support organizations (Campus Ljungby, DigIT Hub). Funded by KK-stiftelsen 2022–2026, it develops advanced courses in six focus areas: material and structure characterization, modeling and simulation, production and production control, smart maintenance, data management, and sustainability and energy efficiency.
• SMART-DAT project partners (IUC Kalmar, Campus Ljungby)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe SMART-DAT project (2023–2026) aims to strengthen innovation and productivity for SMEs in the manufacturing sector in the Linnéregion through automation and digitalization interventions. Partners include IUC Kalmar, Campus Ljungby, and Linnéuniversitetet, funded by Tillväxtverket, ERUF, Region Kalmar, Region Kronoberg, and Linnéuniversitetet.
• Teknikcollege KronobergcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeknikcollege Kronoberg is a regional quality label for technical vocational education programs. Epic collaborates with Teknikcollege Kronoberg to ensure high standards in vocational training and to coordinate industry-education alignment across the county's upper secondary schools.
• KungsmadskolancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKungsmadskolan in Växjö is the upper secondary school partner for Epic's Industritekniska program (Industrial Technology program). Through this partnership, Epic delivers practical training components and provides accreditation for welding licenses (IW diploma) via Kungsmadskolan as the education provider.
• TeknikumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeknikum is the upper secondary school in Växjö that hosts the Teknikprogrammet (Technology program) and El- & Energiprogrammet inriktning Automation (Electrical & Energy program, Automation specialization) in collaboration with Epic. Epic provides access to its facilities and practical training components for these programs.
• Mot nya höjder (Science Center network)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEpic is one of six Science Center nodes in Kronoberg county under the 'Mot nya höjder' regional program. The network connects schools with science center sites (Huseby Bruk, IKEA Museum, Vetenskapshuset, Kulturparken Småland, Veras Science Center, EPIC) and funds bus transport for school classes to visit the nodes.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Produktionstekniskt Centrum (PTC): Trollhättan-based competence center co-owned by regional manufacturing companies and partner universities, offering technical training and industrial upskilling. Directly mirrors Epic's triple-helix model in the Västra Götaland manufacturing cluster.
• Campus Ljungby: Industrial training and SME digitalization center in Ljungby, Kronoberg — explicitly listed as an Epic project partner in SMART-DAT and Smart Industri. Operates a near-identical industry-education bridge model in the same region.
• IUC Kalmar: Industrial Development Center (IUC) for Kalmar region, a Swedish national network of industry-academia competence centers. Listed as Epic's partner in SMART-DAT; comparable in mandate, structure, and SME-manufacturing focus.

Broad incumbents

• Teknikcollege: National Swedish quality label for technical vocational education programs. Epic operates Teknikcollege Kronoberg as one node; Teknikcollege is the parent network governing standards across Sweden's technical upper-secondary programs.
• RISE Research Institutes of Sweden: Sweden's national research institute, partner in Epic's Smart Industri project via RISE's Digital Manufacturing Cluster. Operates overlapping applied manufacturing R&D and digitalization programs at a national scale.
• Chalmers Professional Education: Continuing and professional education arm of Chalmers University of Technology. Competes for industrial upskilling contracts from Swedish manufacturers that Epic's Epic Academy also serves.
• KTH Executive Education: Royal Institute of Technology's commissioned training program for Swedish industry. Competes in the same industrial upskilling and advanced manufacturing training market that Epic's Academy and Smart Industri project address.

Emerging players

• Additivt Teknikcenter i Hultsfred: Niche competence center for additive manufacturing (3D printing) in Småland, listed as a Smart Industri partner. Overlaps with Epic on industrial 3D printing training but with a more specialized focus.

Regional players

• Teknikens Hus (Luleå Science Center): Northern Sweden's main science/technology center in Luleå. Comparable youth outreach, school-visit, and maker-space programming, but focused on Norrbotten rather than Kronoberg and not owned by industrial members.

Others

• Linnéuniversitetet: Linnaeus University, Epic's academic partner and host of Epic's campus in Växjö. Co-delivers Epic's engineering degree programs and Tech Foundation Year; both organizations share physical facilities and faculty engagement.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/epic-innovation-technology-center
• Instagraminstagram.com/goepic.se

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Epic - Innovation & Technology Center