Enterprise and industry

On 26–27 June, Europe’s key stakeholders in the life sciences sector will gather to highlight the importance of research and innovation in personalised medicine. The conference, organised within the framework of the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU, will be live-streamed.

The UK and Sweden share historic ties of friendship and are essential allies. We have forged a strong partnership, based on shared values and in support of multilateralism and a rules-based international order. We are united in our steadfast commitment to working together for the security and protection of our citizens and to strengthen European security as a whole. This Leaders’ Statement celebrates and reasserts the enduring and extensive connections between the United Kingdom and Sweden, which benefit from the agreements between the United Kingdom and the European Union, of which Sweden is a member.

Stockholm, June 8, 2023 Check against delivery

Last week, the Government decided to task Business Sweden with strengthening the coordination of efforts to set up large battery plants as part of the automotive industry’s green transition.

The importance of maintaining active competition enforcement with regard to markets and companies in times of crisis was a recurring message during the European Competition Day conference.

We are four months into the Swedish Presidency of the Council of the EU, and good progress has been made in achieving the energy transition and enhancing long-term growth and productivity in the EU. In parallel, negotiations on EU legislation are ongoing – several agreements have been made, including with regard to the European Chips Act and the Renewable Energy Directive.

Foreign direct investments are hugely important to Sweden’s business sector. At the same time, there are risks associated with foreign actors investing in protected activities. The Government has therefore today decided to refer a proposal to the Council on Legislation for a new act under which investments that involve security risks can be reviewed by a special screening authority and, if necessary, prohibited.

Statement from Minister for Energy, Business, and Industry Ebba Busch.

Statement from Minister for Energy, Business and Industry Ebba Busch.

Immediate and long-term support to Ukraine was on the agenda when EU leaders met in Brussels on 15 December. They also discussed the EU’s response to the energy crisis and EU-US relations. On 14 December, the first-ever summit between the leaders of EU and ASEAN member states was held. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson represented Sweden.

Sweden is joining the Industrial Deep Decarbonisation Initiative (IDDI), whose aim is to accelerate the green industry transition.

The Swedish Government has adopted an updated strategy to combat antibiotic resistance (AMR). 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 State is a significant company owner in Sweden. The portfolio of state-owned enterprises contains 43 fully and partially owned enterprises, of which two are listed. The State has a substantial responsibility to be an active and professional owner. The Government’s overall objective is for the enterprises to create value and, where applicable, to ensure that the specifically adopted public policy assignments are performed well.

Sweden will hold the Presidency of the EU Strategy for the Baltic Sea Region from 1 July until 30 June 2023.

To further accelerate the electrification of the transport sector, the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute (VTI) was commissioned by the Government to help build knowledge in this area. This need has been clearly highlighted in the work of the Government’s strategic innovation partnership programme Climate neutral industry.

The State is a significant company owner in Sweden. The portfolio of state-owned enterprises contains 46 fully and partially owned enterprises, of which two are listed. The State has a substantial responsibility to be an active and professional owner. The Government’s overall objective is for the enterprises to create value and, where applicable, to ensure that the specifically adopted public policy assignments are performed well.

Joint non-paper by the Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, the Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain and Sweden (2021-04-28).

At the beginning of June, the Government appointed Östen Ekengren, IVL Swedish Environmental Research Institute, as a new member of the Climate neutral industry partnership group. Östen Ekengren hopes to be able to contribute by strengthening collaboration with the export and innovation platform Smart City Sweden.

A paper on how to link the climate transition with skills investments in the innovation partnership programme Climate neutral industry, ultimately led to Kickstart Climate and Transition Leap.

Work within the partnership groups in the four innovation partnership programmes has been well underway since they were first launched in June 2019. Viveca Bergstrand is the Project Manager for the innovation partnership programme Climate neutral industry, and she already sees positive results emerging from the work of the partnership group.