Ministry of Enterprise and Innovation

Together with the Centre Party and the Liberal Party, the Government is proposing an additional SEK 400 million for Almi Invest. The additional funding is aimed at bridging the crisis in small innovative businesses and avoiding the loss of structural capital and intangible assets in the life science sector and others.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party are presenting new measures to strengthen digital infrastructure. Under the proposal in the additional amending budget, SEK 202.8 million will be provided to the Rural Development Programme for 2014–2020 to ensure that budget funds previously set aside to support broadband expansion can be paid.

The Swedish Government has adopted an updated strategy to combat antibiotic resistance. The overarching goal continues to be preserving the possibility of effective treatment of bacterial infections in humans and animals. The strategy will apply until the end of 2023.

The Government has decided to change the requirements on Almi Invest’s operations to facilitate investments in new and existing innovative companies. The measure is part of the Government’s efforts to facilitate the supply of capital to companies and reduce the economic consequences of the virus outbreak.

The Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences is increasing the number of student places. One hundred new places are already being created for summer courses this year and the number of places in the foundation year is being increased. The aim is to meet the increased need for education and transition in the labour market as a result of the effects of the COVID-19 virus.

The Government is relaunching an initiative for green jobs for people who are far from the labour market. The initiative is aimed at mitigating unemployment linked to the ongoing outbreak of COVID-19. SEK 150 million has been set aside for 2020 and is part of the Government’s proposed Spring Amending Budget for 2020, which is based on an agreement between the Government, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

After the European Commission approved the Government’s state aid notification on Wednesday, the Government could today adopt an ordinance on a discount for fixed rental costs in vulnerable sectors as a way to mitigate the financial consequences of the virus outbreak. The new aid is based on an agreement between the Government, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party.

On 9 April, the Government adopted a legislative amendment that makes it possible for the National Veterinary Institute to conduct diagnostic tests for the COVID-19 virus in people.

Listen to the Minister for Business, Industry and Innovation, Ibrahim Baylan, talk about company initiatives during the virus outbreak.

Through an investment initiative, the European Commission has proposed measures aimed at making it easier for countries and regions to introduce measures to respond to the impacts of COVID-19. On 27 March, the Government therefore instructed the Swedish Agency for Economic and Regional Growth to work with the regions to analyse needs and prioritise measures to deal with the impacts of COVID-19 within European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) programmes. The Government considers that focus should be on measures to finance working capital in small- and medium-sized enterprises.