Sweden - A Trading Nation

International trade is of great importance to Sweden. The words "Made in Sweden" carry a special meaning to Swedes, who realize that quality is the very heart and soul of our trading nation.

Sweden has always been internationally oriented. Free trade, multinational companies and dependence on export has provided international experience and global business expertise. With a small home market, there has been little choice but to go international.

Sweden is the home to more large multinational corporations per capita than most other countries. In the last years, about 25 of the Fortune 500 companies in Europe were Swedish, according to the Finacial Times.

Some well-known Swedish brands; VOLVO, SAAB, IKEA, ASTRA ZENECA, ERICSSON, SONY ERICSSON, SKF, ATLAS COPCO, TETRA PAK, SANDVIK, ELECTROLUX, SECURITAS, TRELLEBORG, AKZO NOBEL, AGA, ALFA LAVAL, H&M, SCANIA, ABB, ASSA ABLOY, STORA ENSO, AUTOLIV, KINNARPS. These companies, many of them with over 100 years of global operations, are a valuable school for international managers.

Swedish technology and consumer goods are household names in the international business world. Swedish cars such as VOLVO and SAAB move people and freight from Alaska to Adelaide. ABBA and Pippi Longstocking took the world by storm and continue to enthrall people of all continents. The Nobel Prize is an institution that needs no introduction.

Sweden is not only commercial and technical know-how, it is a great tourist destination too. Sweden has an asset and natural resources of landscape and a scenery that few countries in Europe can compare with. A leading country in environmental conservation, Sweden boasts great scenic beauty, and was the first country in Europe to protect the most vulnerable parts of its natural heritage. More than half of the country is covered with forest while lakes and rivers make up 10 per cent of its surface area.

Sweden, a Scandinavian kingdom of nine million inhabitants, almost two million of whom live in and around the capital, Stockholm. Urban Sweden is modern, stylish and safe. Rural Sweden breathes tranquillity and natural Sweden harbours some of the largest uninhabited expanses left in western Europe.

Sweden is a country where it is said that winter is winter and summer is summer. Although the northern tip of the country lies above the Arctic circle, its climate is tempered by the Gulf Stream.

In international politics, Sweden has built a reputation as a nation of mediators. The country pursues non-alignment in international conflicts and strives to offer a safe haven for diplomatic debate among warring factions the world over. As a result, the Swedes have seen a long list of important international positions entrusted to their fellow citizens.

Despite its natural riches, Sweden is a country built on people. During the second half of the last century, Swedish dependence on timber and iron ore, gradually gave way to an emphasis on human resources. Today, knowledge is Sweden's prime asset, with education kept in the public domain and developed to a standard that ranks consistently high in OECD statistics.