On September 7, 2023, the Business Climate Survey 2023 for the Netherlands was launched at the Swedish Embassy in The Hague, in collaboration with the Swedish Chamber of Commerce and Team Sweden. The survey measures the economic outlook, industry trends, success factors, local conditions, and opportunities for Swedish companies in the Netherlands and how they compare to global results.
“The Business Climate Survey deepens our understanding of the current business climate in the Netherlands and gives us a sound basis for the continued business dialogue. The Swedish–Dutch business relations run deep, which is reflected in the optimism felt by Swedish companies here”, said Ambassador Johannes Oljelund while opening the launch.
Håkan Jevrell, the State Secretary for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade underlined that the Swedish and Dutch markets share common features with a high level of innovation, technology, digitalization, and sustainability. “This presents further possibilities for deeper and broader business relations between Sweden and the Netherlands”.
State Secretary Jevrell also encouraged Swedish companies to continue promoting the benefits of doing business in the Netherlands: “This report shows that the Netherlands is a shining example of how things could and should be for Swedish companies abroad. I’m very confident that the Netherlands will remain an important trade partner for Sweden. The strategic location, and high level of innovation and digitalisation, also make it a stepping stone for entering new markets for many Swedish companies”.
Kerstin Gerlagh, managing director of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce presented the Business Climate Survey 2023 for the Netherlands and highlighted some of the key findings:
- Swedish companies in the Netherlands rate the business climate in the Netherlands 4.5 out of 5 which ranked the Netherlands first in Europe and third globally.
- In 2022, an impressive 83% of Swedish companies in the Netherlands reported profitability, surpassing the global average of 68%. This was the highest profitability rank globally, together with Brazil.
- The Netherlands has the highest environmental and sustainability interest from customers globally, together with the UK and Germany. In the Netherlands, the rate is at 87%.
- 34% of the responding Swedish companies report to have between 20-50% female staff in their management teams.
You can download the BCS the Netherlands 2023 report here, and the Global BCS 2023 report here.
The following panel of experts spoke at the event:
- Håkan Jevrell: State Secretary for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade (online)
- Johannes Oljelund: Ambassador of Sweden in the Netherlands
- Everth Flores: CEO at Ericsson Netherlands
- Bas Dubois: Managing Director at Benelux Volvo Buses
- Tomas Korseman: Trade & Invest, Commissioner of Sweden to Benelux at Business Sweden
- Patrick Blankers: Policy Director Sustainability at Ericsson Netherlands
- Kerstin Gerlagh: General Manager at the Swedish Chamber of Commerce
In the panel discussion that followed, Swedish companies based in the Netherlands elaborated on the following themes:
Sustainability
That sustainability means a lot to the Dutch customer is no surprise for Swedish companies, and many of them are confident that their Swedish roots help them to deliver on that promise. “Maybe not everyone realizes it, but Swedish companies here have a very significant presence in sectors such as energy, mobile traffic, and transportation. Our Swedish values and strive for sustainability do add to the success Swedish companies experience in the Dutch market”, on company representative underlined.
Finding talent
The survey showed that one of the few challenges Swedish companies in the Netherlands have is finding talent not least female talent in the tech sector. One suggestion was to involve school pupils to get to know tech from an early age and what it actually means to society today.
Housing
Companies recognized the difficulty in finding affordable housing in the Netherlands when having to attract talent from abroad. “Why should talents come to the Netherlands when the cost of living is so high?” one company representative said, adding one suggested solution: “We don’t move them any longer – we work online”.
Conclusion
The conditions in the Netherlands are very good for Swedish companies. Swedish values mean added value when attracting customers and talent. Sweden is leading witin equality, innovation, sustainability, and design. Sharing Swedish values more both internally and externally can help boost business even further.
June 29, 2023
09.00 – 11.00
Volvo Cars Netherlands
Stationsweg 2, 4153 RD Beesd
On June 29, 2023, we had the pleasure of launching the Diversity & Inclusion Breakfast series by the Swedish Chamber of Commerce. This event was hosted by Volvo Car Netherlands BV and aimed to inspire and empower business leaders in creating inclusive and diverse workplaces. The morning began with a delightful breakfast, followed by a presentation from Patricia van Hazendonk, People Experience & Competence and Management Team Member at Volvo Cars Netherlands, who shared insights into Volvo Cars’ Diversity & Inclusion strategy and the Volvo Family Bond Program.
Next, Wendy Broersen, CEO/Founder of Superpeople Company, took the stage. Wendy is an esteemed international expert in gender diversity and inclusion, serving as a guest lecturer at the University of Amsterdam and author of the book ‘NOT for HR.’ With her company, Superpeople Company, she assists organizations both domestically and internationally in attracting and retaining more diverse talent and fostering optimal development. During this interactive session on Diversity and Inclusion, Wendy discussed the different stages an organization goes through on the path to inclusivity, highlighting key focus areas, recommended actions for each stage, and strategies for achieving optimal results. Participants also had the opportunity to reflect on their own organizations, identify their current phase, and determine the next steps to take.
We extend our gratitude to Herrik van der Gaag, Managing Director at Volvo Car Germany GmbH & Volvo Car Netherlands BV, for hosting the Swedish Chamber of Commerce’s first D&I Breakfast. We would also like to thank the speakers and Roger van Polanen Petel, PR & Communication Manager at Volvo Cars Netherlands, for his efforts in organizing and moderating the session.
We are excited to announce that our next D&I Breakfast, which will be a combination event with the Swedish Chamber Tech Table series – Diversity in Tech, will take place on September 14. SKF Netherlands will be hosting this event. For more information, click here.
We look forward to welcoming you!
PROGRAM
08.45
Doors open, a delicious breakfast will be served
09.00
Welcome by Herrik van der Gaag, Managing Director at Volvo Car Germany GmbH & Volvo Car Netherlands BV
09.15
Volvo Cars Diversity & Inclusion strategy, including the Volvo Family Bond Program, and how it has been implemented in the company by
Patricia van Hazendonk, People Experience & Competence and Management Team Member at Volvo Cars Netherlnads
09.45
How to take the first steps towards creating a diverse and inclusive workplace and how to expand it throughout your organization by
Wendy Broersen, CEO/Founder Superpeople Company
10.50
Thank you by Swedish Chamber of Commerce
11.00
End of D&I Meeting
Moderator:
Roger van Polanen Petel
PR & Communication Manager | Consumer Experience | The Netherlands
ABOUT THE SWEDISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE DIVERSITY & INCLUSIVE BREAKFAST
Our aim is to provide a series to discuss strategies with a focus on new perspectives, share real cases and research and to support you with concrete tools to increase and develop D&I within your organization. We will discuss how to get started, which topics to prioritize, and the business case for diversity and inclusion. This will be an interactive event on one of the top priority topics, that we all know we ”should” address, but don´t know ”how”.
WHO SHOULD ATTEND?
CEO, D&I, HR and Business Senior managers and everyone who would like to start the journey for Inclusion and Diversity.
This event is a collaboration between:
Would you like to host a Swedish Chamber Diversity & Inclusion Breakfast?, contact events@swedishchaber.nl for more information.
Digital Webinar by Swe-Cham Member Montae & Partners “Explore new Dutch pension law impacts: essential for employers in the Netherlands.”
June 28, 2023
13.00 – 14.00
Mark your calendars for June 28. Join our webinar to delve into the implications of the newly approved Dutch pension legislation, essential for all employers and organizations operating in the Netherlands. Initiated after 15 years, this legislation brings pivotal changes affecting all employers and employees. Particularly for international companies operating both domestically and abroad, understanding these changes is crucial.
This webinar offers a more in-depth, yet easily digestible understanding of these changes.
Don’t miss this opportunity to grasp how this new legislation might impact on your organization.
Speakers:
Martijn van Alphen, Senior Pension Advisor and Maarten Reesink, Consultant Pension
Who should attend:
- Heads of tax, Tax Directors
- Heads of Finance and Business
- Leaders from multinational groups
- Any other who is interested in national and international taxation
This is a by Member for Member event organized by the Swedish Chamber of Commerces in collaboration with our Member company Montae & Partners and is offered free of charge, registration is however mandatory.
Powered by:
Date: June 14, 2023
Time: 17.00 – 19.00
Venue:
Swedish Chamber of Commerce, Edge Olympic, Fred. Roeskestraat 115, Amsterdam
On June 14, 2023, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with Business Sweden were very pleased to host the event “Enabling Technology Innovation: The Role of the Ecosystem – Insights from Sweden and the Netherlands” and to welcome representatives from several Swedish business regions together with Swedish companies and members and guests of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the Netherlands.
On behalf of The Swedish Chamber of Commerce and Business Sweden, we would like to give a warm thank you to our fantastic speakers: Myrthe Hooijman, Director Policy & Governmental Affairs, Tech Leap., Jan Sundelin, Partner PartInc Captial, CEO Tiekinetix, Board Member Swedish Chamber of Commerce and Chairman the Swe-Cham Tech Committee., Jelmer Wind, Co-Founder / Business Lead Team5PM, and Alexander Ljungström, Managing Director, Einar & Partners for their engaged presentations and for sharing their expertise and experiences. A special thanks to Tomas Korseman, Trade and Invest Commissioner of Sweden to Benelux at Business Sweden and Christina Härd, Business Sweden Benelux for the great cooperation and excellent networking opportunities. Finally, most importantly, we want to give a big thank you to all the attendees for joining us and contributing to the success of the event.
June 1, 2023
09:30-11:15
Swedish Chamber of Commerce
Edge Stadium
Fred. Roeskesstraat 110
On June 1, 2023 the Swedish Chamber of Commerce had the pleasure to welcome Mattias Frumerie, Director, Head of Delegation to UNFCCC Ministry of Climate and Enterprise Climate department, Stockholm, to engage with some of the Swedish Chambers Patron Members and sustainability experts on how to accelerate climate actions globally.
At the same date the Swedish Government announces that Sweden’s chief negotiator Mattias Frumerie has been appointed Ambassador for Sweden’s global climate work. The climate ambassador’s mission is to lead and represent Sweden’s international climate work. Mattias Frumerie has been Sweden’s chief negotiator for the climate negotiations within the UN climate convention, UNFCCC, for just over three years and he continues as chief negotiator also in his new role as ambassador. Sweden was one of the first countries to appoint a special climate ambassador to raise the importance and ambition of international climate work. Many other countries have now followed and appointed their own climate ambassadors.
“Happy, honored and humbled to be appointed as Sweden’s Climate Ambassador in addition to continuing in my role as Head of Delegation to UNFCCC UN. Looking forward to further strengthening the #TeamSweden effort in encouraging and ensuring more ambition in #ClimateAction globally, highlighting the urgency and opportunity of Climate Action. Proud of the solutions Swedish actors can offer to facilitate the transition in countries globally,” says Mattias Frumerie in a reaction on his LinkedIn.
The Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the Netherlands would like to thank Mattias Frumerie for a very inspiring and insightful meeting and we wish him the best of luck in his new role as Ambassador for Sweden’s global climate work.
In collaboration with:
May 30, 2023
18.30-21.00
Hosted by Swe-Cham Patron Member Heussen Advocaten en Notarissen
May 22, 2023
16:00-19:00
Venue: Klarna Amsterdam
On May 22, 2023, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce organized the second Tech Table which this time about Fintech and hosted by Klarna Netherlands. We would like to give a warm thank you to our fantastic speakers: Näva von Rosen, Head of Expansion at Klarna; Damien Perillat, Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) of Billie; and Anna Blyablina, Co-founder and Chairwoman of the Board at Sthlm Fintech Week for their engaged presentations and for sharing their experiences. The Fintech event was moderated by our Tech Table moderator, Lex Keukens, Attorney at Law/Partner at Swe+Cham Member TK Tech and member of the Swedish Chamber Tech Committee. We would also like to thank Wilko Klaassen, Global Klarna Open Banking & Bank Transfer Domain Lead and Managing Director (CEO) Sofort., for the pleasant hosting of the event and for providing excellent network opportunities with drinks and snacks at Klarnas HQ in Amsterdam.
ABOUT THE SWEDISH CHAMBER TECH TABLE SERIES
Tech Tables is a platform for Swedish-Dutch tech leaders, entrepreneurs, and investors to meet, learn, and discuss the latest trends in technology. The Swedish Chamber of Commerce’s Tech Tables invite Swedish Chamber Members and leading experts, exciting entrepreneurs, and challengers alongside passionate changemakers from Sweden and the Netherlands to participate in the exciting discussions on how technology will shape the future and what can we learn from each other.
April 25, 2023
16.00 – 18.00
Venue: NORNORM
Edge Olympic
“The future of office furniture is flexible and circular”
On April 25, 2023, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce together with Member company NORNORM welcomed our members and guests to an inspiring company presentation “The future of office furniture is flexible and circular” at the show room office of NORNORM at Edge Olympic in Amsterdam. We would like to thank Douwe Dirks for his inspiring presentation about the principles of NORNORM and how the circular business plans work for them. A lot of food for thoughts which was proven at the mingle and talks at NORNORMs show room/office after the presentation. We would like to thank Douwe Dirks and Patrick Nijssen, NORNORM for hosting this company visit and for sharing the essential idea behind the future office build on circularity, where every piece of furniture is kept in a loop from one workspace to the next, and every product carefully maintained and refurbished to extend its lifespan. Good for business, people and the planet.
Click here for more information about NORNORM.
In collaboration with:
