Bankruptcy. The word every entrepreneur fears.
In 2024 we stood face to face with it. Covid-19 had shattered our business model. Client projects were frozen. Revenue collapsed. Despite everything we tried — cost cuts, pivots, emergency measures — Hisland Solutions went under.
But just like the island we are named after, we did not stay down.
Hisingen, the island at the heart of Gothenburg, taught us everything about resilience. It flourished in the 1960s and 70s, driven by shipyards and heavy industry. Then came the crash. The shipyards emptied. Dreams were shattered. But the island did not die — it adapted, reinvented itself and rose again with new industries, new energy, new purpose.
That is our story too. From Himec Engineering to Hisland Solutions, to bankruptcy and on to Hisland Sweden — we have gone through the whole cycle. And we are here to say: the comeback is always possible.
The fall: when everything collapsed
Let us be honest about what happened. It was not sudden. It was a slow unravelling that began in early 2020.
When Covid-19 hit, our business model — built on long-term engineering-consultancy assignments in automotive, energy and offshore wind — collapsed almost overnight. Clients paused projects indefinitely. New contracts evaporated. The pipeline that had carried 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 opportunity, however small. We had even won the prestigious DI Gasell award in 2018 for being one of Sweden’s fastest-growing companies — but awards pay no 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 does not care about your past successes. Resilience alone is not enough if the foundation is not there. And sometimes the bravest decision is to admit defeat — so that you can build something stronger.
The dark period: finding light in uncertainty
The months after the bankruptcy were the hardest of our working 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 other countries — did not scatter. They kept in touch. They believed in what we had 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 is not bought with marketing — it is earned through years of delivery and by treating people with integrity.
We realised that although the company had fallen, the mission had not. The vision of using technology to create a better world — it was still alive. And so were we.
The hard decisions came fast. We could not start over the same way. We needed to become leaner, more focused, more adaptable. We needed to build on what worked and let go of what didn’t.
Above all, we needed to be honest — with ourselves and with our stakeholders — about what we could realistically achieve. No more overreaching. No more chasing every opportunity. Focus. Purpose. Sustainability.
The turning point: the decision to rise again
The decision to rebuild was not romantic. It was pragmatic, almost clinical.
We looked at the numbers. The renewable-energy sector was accelerating, not slowing down. Smart cities were not a buzzword — they were becoming reality. The skills and expertise we had 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: A leaner operation, lower overheads, faster decisions.
- Focus: We doubled down on renewable energy and smart-city solutions — our proven strengths.
- Partnerships: Strategic alliances over broad service catalogues.
- Financial model: Conservative growth, positive cash flow from day one.
- Brand: Hisland Sweden — to honour our roots while signalling a fresh start.
What stayed the same:
- The mission: To develop technology that has a positive impact on the world.
- The values: Integrity, collaboration, respect for human potential.
- The culture: Multicultural, inclusive, with a focus on personal leadership.
- The philosophy: “Nothing is impossible” and “How hard can it be?”
We did not abandon who we were. We became the most focused, most honest version of ourselves.
The comeback: Hisland Sweden launches
In late 2024, Hisland Sweden opened its doors.
Not with a grand announcement or a flashy marketing campaign. Quietly. Deliberately. With the same three clear focus areas: consulting, solution development and training.
We began reaching out to former clients. We reconnected with our global network across more than 30 countries. We told them what had happened, what we had learned and what we were building.
The response has been overwhelming.
Within weeks we had our first contracts. Projects we had thought dead came back to life. New opportunities arose from partners who admired the courage it took to start over.
People do business with people they trust. And trust is not built on never failing — it is built on how you handle adversity and what you do next.
Today Hisland Sweden operates from a new home — Kungälv — but still carries the lessons of resilience from Hisingen. We are smaller than before, but more focused. Less broad in services, but deeper in expertise.
We are not trying to be everything to everyone. We are trying to be exceptional at what matters most: helping companies transition to sustainable energy through cutting-edge engineering.
Looking ahead: stronger, wiser, more focused
Bankruptcy teaches you things that 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 are 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 striving toward ambitious goals.
The transition to renewable energy is not slowing down. Europe must reach ambitious climate targets. Sweden is leading the way toward net zero. Smart cities need the infrastructure we help build. The world still needs what we do.
And we are ready. Not naive about the challenges. Not overconfident about our abilities. But committed, focused and wiser for having walked through the fire.
Why this matters to you
If you are reading this as a potential client, partner or employee — here is how we see Hisland Sweden:
- We are honest. About what we can deliver, what we can’t and what the challenges are.
- We are experienced. Not only in success, but in failure and recovery. We know what it takes to build sustainably.
- We are committed. That we rebuilt after a bankruptcy shows this is not just a job. It is a mission.
- We are focused. On renewable energy, smart grids and electrification. That is what we do best, and that is where we put all our energy.
The comeback is not just about business. It is proof that resilience is not just a word we use in marketing — it is built into our DNA, inherited from the island that gave us our name.
Hisingen fell and rose again. So did we. And we will keep rising, keep renewing, keep building — because the world needs the technology that can save it, and we know how to deliver it.
Follow our journey. We have only just begun.