Mikael Damberg

Sweden is innovative, vibrant and globally competitive. According to the OECD and the World Economic Forum, Sweden ranks at the top end of the scale in many rankings. This includes economic development, subjective wellbeing and social connections, environmental quality, health status and health care, gender equality, personal safety, education and skills.

On the afternoon of 31 January, Minister for Enterprise and Innovation Mikael Damberg held roundtable discussions focusing on innovation and cooperation for a sustainable future at the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences. Among the participants were representatives of German and Swedish businesses, institutions and government agencies.

Sweden and Germany are now joining forces in a new innovation partnership between the two countries. This is a unique agreement on cooperation to promote innovative societal solutions, new export products and stronger competitiveness. The agreement will be concluded in connection with the visit of Federal Chancellor Angela Merkel to Sweden on Tuesday 31 January.

The Government's efforts to strengthen Sweden's life sciences and the significance of policy innovations in developing the reception and introduction system for newly arrived immigrants were two of the topics discussed when the National Innovation Council held its first meeting of the year on Thursday 25 February.

The Swedish Government considers that the European Commission broke the rules when it authorised the continued use of lead chromates in the EU. The decision is bad for people’s health and distorts competition for responsible businesses that have stopped using these hazardous substances. The Government therefore decided today to refer the Commission’s decision to the Court of Justice of the European Union for a preliminary ruling.

The central government will contribute SEK 40 million per year to the Nobel Center’s operations from the day it opens and the following three years. In all, with increased support from Stockholm City, the Center will receive SEK 60 million per year over a three-year period. This amounts to SEK 180 million the first three years. This was announced today by Minister for Enterprise and Innovation Mikael Damberg, Minister for Higher Education and Research Helene Hellmark Knutsson and Stockholm’s Commissioner of the City Planning and Culture Division, Roger Mogert.

On Monday 12 September, the Government welcomed a Chinese business delegation consisting of some thirty corporate leaders and some twenty Swedish companies to Rosenbad for talks on investment opportunities in Sweden. Prime Minister Stefan Löfven and Minister for Enterprise and Innovation Mikael Damberg hosted the meeting, along with Business Sweden and the Sweden China Trade Council. The aim of the meeting was to highlight the qualities that make Sweden unique as an investment country, and to show the Government’s engagement in business relations with China.

On 18 April this year, the Government received a request from Vattenfall’s governing board for owner coordination regarding the sale of Vattenfall’s lignite operations in Germany. The transaction comprises the sale of the two companies that wholly or jointly own four lignite-fired power plants (Schwarze Pumpe, Lippendorf, Boxberg and Jänschwalde in Germany, located in the states of Brandenburg and Saxony), and the lignite mines that supply three of these power plants with fuel.

Sweden’s prosperity is built on innovative and successful export companies that time and again have managed to renew and reorganise production and products to keep pace with changing markets. The Government’s strategy for new industrialisation is an important stage of the effort to benefit from the window of opportunity for new industrialisation that is now open to Sweden.

King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia will pay a State Visit to Germany on 5–8 October 2016 at the invitation of Federal President Joachim Gauck. The Government will be represented by Minister for Foreign Affairs Margot Wallström and Minister for Enterprise and Innovation Mikael Damberg.