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Sweden is one of the most competitive, productive and globalised nations in the world. A global leader in innovation and in the tech industry with a highly skilled workforce, sophisticated consumers, smooth business procedures and a stable economy.
Embassy of Sweden meets global tech creators for inspiring talks. This podcast series highlight Sweden and the UK as global leading start up nations and the tech sectors impact on society and trade. The Embassy of Sweden in London together with Natalia Brzezinski and prominent guests elaborate on startup eco systems, disruptive technologies and business models and the ever changing trade relations between people and nations.
https://www.acast.com/techbridgeswedenuk
Stockholm is the tech startup capital of Europe with the 2nd most unicorns per capita in the world, behind only Silicon Valley. The Swedish unicorns Skype, Spotify, Klarna, Mojang (Minecraft) and King (Candy Crush) were all founded in Stockholm. These billion dollar companies are five out of a total of ca 8 000 startups that employ ca 52 000 people in Sweden.
Listen to the Embassy's Tech Bridge podcast on the digital health transformation. Guests include CEO's of innovative health tech companies and the NHS.
Sweden has a large and dynamic life science sector with world-leading companies and internationally renowned science. The Swedish life science sector provides huge potential for investors and partners and the technology-driven environment, characterized as it is by close collaboration between academia, healthcare and industry, has produced many notable medtech innovations. The pacemaker, the ultrasound and the dialysis machine are just three examples.
The healthcare sector is becoming increasingly digitalised. With high levels of digital development Sweden is at the forefront, ranking 3rd in the world in the Digital Economy and Society Index (DESI).
Sweden is home to more than 800 companies and ca 40 000 sector employees. Since 2009 the Swedish government has substantially increased life science research funding. There are many successful international companies of Swedish origin, such as Gambro, Elekta, Getinge Infection Control, SCA, Mölnlycke Healthcare, Sobi and AstraZeneca. Key, foreign companies have also established a base in Sweden, such as Pfizer, Philips and GE Healthcare.
More about Sweden’s recipe for delivering world-class healthcare and science
A historic tradition of inventors, a commitment to gender equality, and a strong belief in the individual has lead to Sweden becoming the 2nd most innovative country in the world.
Research institutes collaborate closely with both private and public sectors, further enhancing this outcome.
An international mindset, along with trust and a social safety net have all been vital factors in growing successful global businesses from inventions.
Tomorrow’s world is being invented in Sweden
10 innovations you didn't know were Swedish
Because the domestic market is small, Swedish companies typically think internationally from day one. Sweden is well known globally for international collaboration, licencing and financing. The main business sectors are drug development, biotech tools, diagnostics and medtech, including digital health.
Sweden is home to the largest number of multinational companies per capita in the world, with brands such as IKEA, H&M, Volvo, Spotify, Ericsson, Sandvik, ABB, Acne, Nudie Jeans, Astra Zeneca, Scania, Electrolux and Skype.
Sweden has a thriving start-up scene. A vital ingredient for the success is a special quality endemic in the Swedish society: trust. According to an EU-funded study, Sweden ranks 2nd in the world intrapreneurship, an important factor for generating new ideas and business opportunities. Intrapreneurship thrives when there is a high level of trust, both within individual economies, and society at large. This is the case in Sweden.
The high level of trust also benefits entrepreneurism, with large established companies trusting small start-ups enough to collaborate with and share knowledge.
The strong social safety net in Sweden, including generous parental leave, makes Swedes more confident starting new businesses.