Digital launch of  the annual Global Business Climate Survey 2021

The unprecedented shift in both the social and professional realms over the past year has not only altered the way we do business but how companies and countries are perceived in the global marketplace.

The Global Business Climate Survey captures the current views and future expectations of Swedish companies and is a valuable source of information when doing business abroad. The survey builds on collected data from 1,400 company representatives in 22 markets worldwide in a joint collaboration between Business Sweden, Swedish Chambers International (SCI), the local Swedish Chambers of Commerce, embassies, and consulates abroad.

• Krister Nilsson, State Secretary to Anna Hallberg,
  Minister of Foreign Trade and Nordic Affairs
• Jan Larsson, President & CEO
  Business Sweden
• Andreas Hatzigeorgiou, President
  Swedish Chambers International (SCI)
• Joel Granath, Senior Vice President
  Power Solutions Scania CV AB
• Preet Dhupar, CFO IKEA India
• Josef Hinterberger, President
  Getinge DACH
  

The link to connect to the Webinar will be sent out to participants the same day as the event.

Webinar

Date: June 15, 2021

Time: 14.00 – 15.00

On June 15, 2021, the Swedish Chamber welcomed Bas Dubois, Managing Director Benelux Volvo Bus, and Eugene Grüter, CEO Sweco Nederland to talk about Urban Insights and Mobility at the Swedish Chamber’s first digital Round Table.

During this Round Table, our speakers discussed how we can transform society to be more sustainable. The message was very clear; we cannot continue on the chosen path, it´s a dead end. Today the cars have conquered the streets and we are facing a lot of health problems due to pollution and the cost for society due to noise is enormous. There is also a lack of space for meetings and interactions. We have to put people first and cars second by lower speeds, multifunctional use of spaces, and restrict access for cars in certain areas. We should aim for more urban well-being with a walkable city where you have everything you need 15 min away. We should create space to live in rather than just move throw. To make this happen we need to involve the people and give them ownership, momentum, and support. We should look for opportunities together and we should work alongside to a sustainable future

The Swedish Chamber of Commerce would like to thank our speakers Eugene Grüter, CEO Sweco Nederland, and Bas Dubois, Managing Director Benelux Volvo Bus, for sharing their expertise, experience, and thoughts.

Watch the webinar below:

More than 70 percent of people in European cities breathe dangerous air, according to the European Environment Agency and 1 million deaths occur annually due to physical inactivity in Europe, states the World Health Organisation. The key to a healthier, more productive, greener, and less polluted city could be a new planning and design strategy based on the idea of shared speed in urban space.

The pandemic has given us new perspectives and revealed the flaws in street space distribution and public space as it disrupted people’s travel behavior, compelling us to work from home, move shorter distances, and explore the city on a more local scale.

At the same time, about 70 percent of the global population – an astonishing 7 billion people – are expected to live in cities by 2050. With air pollution causing damage to human health and ecosystems, large parts of the population will not live in a healthy environment.

Eugene Grüter will share the outcome of the new Urban Insight report where Sweco envisions proximity, density, and shared speed as paths for transforming streets into incubators for health and well-being.

“A core strategy of streets as health incubators entails treating the city’s various modes of transportation, from driving to walking, as more equal, a planning and design strategy that we call shared speed,” says David Lindelöw, transport planner at SWECO in Gothenburg, Sweden, and one of the report’s authors.

Bas Dubois, Managing Director Benelux at Volvo Bus:

“Just imagine a city with zero-emission vehicles only; clean and silent. For almost two decades Volvo buses is developing electromobility products and services for cities and in this presentation and Bas Dubois will take you on the journey Volvo buses has made and share the insights and experiences gained.”

Welcome to join us!

Keynote Speakers:

  Bas Dubois Managing Director Benelux at Volvo Bus

Bas Dubois is an automotive engineer and working since 1992 in the Volvo Group. Bas has had various positions in the Volvo group; in sales engineering, service market management, sales management, key account management and is today the managing director of the Volvo Bus activities in Belgium, Netherlands, and Luxemburg (Benelux). Bas is married, has two children, and lives in The Netherlands and as a good Dutchman Bas likes to cycle on a road bike in his free time.

   Eugene Grüter CEO Sweco Nederland

Eugene Grüter, CEO of SWECO Netherlands is an experienced leader who builds strong relationships with clients and employees. He has a solid track record in achieving results and transforming organizations and a broad, top-level executive experience from the consulting engineering and construction industries, having served in top management positions in Royal HaskoningDHV and Royal BAM Group. Eugene Grüter has extensive experience in organizational and management development. Eugene Grüter is a member of SWECO’s Executive Team.

Date: June 10, 2021

Time: 13:00 – 16:00 CET

Tech Forum: Towards an AI-Enabled Future

Tech Forum 2021 brings together business leaders, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and academics to discuss an AI-enabled future. Artificial intelligence is already having an almost revolutionary and transformational impact on society, but where is it taking us? We will be looking at the adoption of AI in organizations, AI as a driver for smart transport, investing in the tech of tomorrow, but also diving into the ethical dilemma. Through keynotes, panels, and interactive talk shows, with stellar line-ups of speakers, the forum is a great way to connect with the UK-Nordic tech ecosystem.

About the Forum: 

Tech Forum is a platform for Swedish-British tech and investors to meet, learn and discuss. Celebrating the best of the latest in technology from across the North Sea, whether it’s artificial intelligence, blockchain, or virtual reality (and beyond) – the forum features leading experts at global success stories, exciting entrepreneurs, and challengers alongside passionate purse-string partners.

Register for the event:

Members register SCC UK website here, please add “Member Swedish Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands” in the “comments” field.

SCC member price: Free
YP member price: Free
Non-member price: £45

To learn more about the Tech Forum and the Speaker Line-Up: Click Here

Read about Female lead in AI here

Read about Adopting AI across an organization here

This is Tech Forum: 

When: June 10, 2021
Time: 18.30 – 21.00

Venue: tba

Recruitment strategies
Hendrik Jan Guitink

Guest Speaker: Tba

 

At this final meeting we will also  evaluate on personal lessons learned and you  will receive a certificate for accomplishing the Swedish Chamber of Commerce Mentorship Program 2020-2021.

 

For further information regarding the Mentorship Program please contact the Swedish Chamber of Commerce by sending an email to info@swedishchamber.nl

 

The Mentorship Program is made possible by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce and AIMS sponsored by
Inter IKEA Systems.

 

About Hendrik Jan Guitink, Managing Partner of AIMS International Netherlands B.V. , member of AIMS International, a global leader in Executive Search and Leadership Consulting

“My name is Hendrik Jan Guitink, I am the Managing Partner of AIMS International Netherlands B.V., member of AIMS International, a global leader in Executive Search and Leadership Consulting with offices in over 50 countries. We Find&Grow Your Leaders. Within our Talent Management Practice, coaching and mentoring are two aspects that we specialize in as part of Leadership Development Programs or for individual cases. Having been a Mentor within this program for the past 2 years and being a professional business coach and trainer, I am very excited to take on the challenge. As Mentor, I have had the privilege to partner with 2 very bright and ambitious young professionals. I think I can say that both the mentees and I learned a lot from each other.

I am married to a Swedish beauty and also have a very strong business relationship with our AIMS partner in Sweden, delivering our services to our mutual clients.  Hence the membership of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce.

The ambition for the Mentorship Program is to give young professionals the opportunity to connect with a senior business executive outside of his or her direct environment. Giving the participants access to guidance in issues concerning their future career.

As a group we will work on specific topics such as culture and building trusted relationships and we will invite subject matter experts to come and talk to us. The Mentees and Mentors will also spend time together on subjects of their own choice.”

Hendrik Jan Guitink

Date: June 8, 2021

Time: 10.00 – 11.30

Tech Finance and Venture Capital

Funding is essential for the growth of startups and scaleups. It is what makes them able to compete on a global stage. What are the bottlenecks and challenges when finding (the right) investors and trying to accelerate growth as a start-up or scale-up?

Making the right investments and introducing the right technology is of the essence for any companies trying to stay innovative. With the ever-increasing ways of investing in technology and innovations, there is a larger need for companies to strategize their use of capital. How can this be done to boost growth and competitiveness?

A new report by Danske Bank shows that venture funds are considerably more impact-focused in the Nordics than in other regions. Simultaneously, in an article by Bloomberg is to read that Stockholm has bred more tech unicorns per capita than any other region in the world outside Silicon Valley. What’s the secret?

In this webinar we bring together experts and stakeholders to explore the dynamic evolvements in Venture Capital, Technology and the various ways companies can become investment ready or boost their innovation through tech investments. An important aspect for discussion purposes is to boost equality in VC and the diversity of funding by achieving better access to Venture Capital for female founders.

Recording of the webinar

Speakers:

Isabella De Feudis,
CEO at SVCA Swedish Private Equity & Venture Capital Association

Jens Ingelstedt

WeWork Labs | +impact accelerator | Investor & advisor

Maria Grabowska
Manager at +impact accelerator I Growth & Impact, Danske Bank

Elin Fälted
Expert Capital, Techleap.nl

Moderator:

“New technologies and developments are leading to innovative, interesting and complex (legal) issues. So especially in this sector it is crucial to share best practices, insights, experiences and know how. I believe making connections is key in the Tech sector. This is exactly where the Tech Tables are meant for”.

-Rens Goudsmit, Moderator, Head of TK Tech & Attorney at law, TeekensKarstens advocaten notarissenRens Goudsmit, Head of TK Tech & Attorney at law.

The Swedish Chamber of Commerce Tech Talent webinar is supported by TK

The Nordics have a strong reputation for creating innovative startups working to create a sustainable impact in the world. But what’s the real state of play? Do Nordic countries really over-index for impact innovation? What is an impact startup anyway? And can they offer investment returns as well as real world change? Every year Danske Bank supports the creation of a report examining in detail development of the Nordic impact startup scene, to assess and nuance the common perception of the ecosystem. Predictably, not all myths hold true.With this report we wish to bring data and facts about the Nordic Impact startups to the table, with an added focus on ‘Green Growth’ startups. By doing so we hope to shed light on the challenges and opportunities in the Nordic and broader Impact ecosystems.In the following, you will see the most detailed analysis of the Nordic impact ecosystem to date, based on data from 1,230 startups, 1,365 funding rounds, supplemented by qualitative insights from experts and industry players.
Download the Report here: https://hello.plus-impact.io/impactreport2021/

In our Webinar on June 8 you will meet Maria Grabowska who will be presenting the report.

Date: June 3, 2021

Time: 10.30 – 12:00

Venue: Zoom

On 3 June 2021, we welcome all Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the Netherlands members to join the 61st  Annual General Meeting. The AGM will this year be carried out in a virtual setting. 

The Swedish Chamber of Commerce is very pleased to invite you the Annual General Meeting on June 3, 2021 at 10.30 — 12.00 CET. The meeting will take place online and will be followed by a Scholarship ceremony and an address by H.E. Ambassador or Sweden Mrs Annika Markovic.

AGM Agenda, Proposals and Descisions 2021 and Minutes of Meeting June 20, 2020
You will find these documents by clicking on Program below

Voting Procedure

During the Annual General Meeting, the Members present will be asked to approve the Minutes of last year’s AGM as well as the Financial Statements of 2020 and elect the Members of the Board. As we will be working with a modified voting procedure, we ask all Members to submit questions or comments with regard to the issues on our agenda in advance as much as possible – by email to info@swedishchamber.nl. Instead of asking for approval by a raise of hands, we will include a small timeslot for Members to react via Chat. If no comments or objections come in, the topic at hand will be considered approved.

Registration

We kindly request all Members to register in advance. All meeting details will be sent to you prior to the meeting.

The AGM is free of charge and open for Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the Netherlands members.

N.B. Young professional membership of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the Netherlands is an  associate membership of the SCC, and as such these members are unable to attend and vote at the Annual General Meeting.

New Board Member Candidates 2021

The Swedish Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors are very honored to present their 3 new Board Member Candidates for the Board 2021 to be elected at the Annual Meeting on June 3, 2021. We welcome all members of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the Netherlands to attend the Annual General Meeting via Zoom to meet the new candidates and to elect the new members of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors 2021.

READ THE SWEDISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
ANNUAL REPORT 2020 HERE

Date: June 1, 2021

Time: 12:00 – 13:00 CET

Finding Flow; Connect with yourself, others and the planet by Kristina Zumpolle

In this webinar Kristina Zumpolle, co-author of the book Finding Flow will highlight some of the most effective activities and routines that can be used to connect with yourself and others. In addition, she will share a collection of ideas, tools, and tips that will have a positive and lasting impact on individuals and teams, across industries. You will be nudged to rethink, reset, and reorganize some of the building blocks of life and to create personal (climate) goals. Kristina will encourage you to evaluate your impact on people and on the world and inspire you to improve yourself and your habits in daily life and work to make a difference and create a positive flow.

A Finding Flow session
It’s an interactive, straightforward, and motivating session to further understand what helps you stay in Flow and what doesn’t.

The workshop will also help you get to know other members of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in a more personal way.
The session is based on the book Finding Flow – connect with yourself, others, and the planet.

Some words from others partaking in this workshop:
“Good energy, dynamic, and format”.
“Just what I needed now. Making connections. Sharing our feelings and having fun”.

Date: May 27, 2021

Time: 11.30 CET

Working with the brand Sweden

A brand is a reputation. It is the expression of an identity, a name, a logo, values, a philosophy… Sweden, a small country in northern Europe with only 0.13% of the world’s population, is one of the first nations in the world to have implemented an official nation branding strategy.

Sweden benefits from a positive brand image abroad. The country is positioned among the leading nations in various global indexes of economic performance, social commitments, capacity for innovation, governance, sustainable commitments, etc. IKEA is a brand that strategically communicates Swedish cultural concepts, symbols and values, and exports them across the world.

What happens when you apply the concept of branding to an entire country? Can companies and nations co-brand on their identity? Why and how? What are the benefits and limits?

In collaboration with the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in France and the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in the UK, and in partnership with SCI -Swedish Chambers International, The Swedish Chamber of Commerce in the Netherlands welcomes you to join us in reflecting on how Sweden and Swedish companies may join forces in co-branding. How can a nation and companies reflect each other’s assets and thus strengthen their positions?

Guest speakers

Madeleine Sjöstedt — Director-General Swedish Institute
Lena Herder — Country Retail Manager IKEA Sweden
Simon Anholt — Independent policy advisor, author, and expert in nation branding