Dear Subscriber,
Ask any Swede who has grown up in Sweden, and the likelihood that he or she has sold "Majblomman" (the Mayflower) as a child during the spring months will be close to 100%. The non-profit organisation Majblomman, with the mission to decrease the impact of child poverty in Sweden, is one of the world’s oldest children’s charities and part of cultural heritage. Since 1907, the charity has been financed by thousands of children selling this small flower pin all around the country during April and May. Children in families with a low level of income can apply to Majblomman for financial aid to cover costs such as after school activity fees, winter clothes or sports equipment. Children are eligible for Majblomman grants up until the year they turn 18.
Although an unknown concept in Singapore, from a Swedish perspective, we are now well into spring. We hope that everyone is enjoying the fact that we can meet up with friends and business partners in an almost covid restriction-free Singapore. The Midwinter Ball is back on the agenda for 5 November 2022 which we are very excited about, as well as a range of other in-person networking events for our distinguished business community.
And to all our SMEs - you are in the spotlight this year. Help us serve you even better by filling out the survey below.
Please find below the latest news from our business community.
Your dedicated SwedCham team,
Lisa & Anna
Photo: https://majblomman.se/ |
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| SMEs: Help us serve you even better |
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Sweden has a long tradition of fostering innovation and entrepreneurship. Not only do we have the largest number of multinational companies per capita in the world, we have also bred the largest number of unicorns per capita in the world, outside Silicon Valley. As most of these companies, big and small, have a presence in Singapore, SwedCham wants to make sure that our organisation provides relevant and leading-edge support and activities for companies of all sizes.
As the SwedCham Board Committee this year would like to put the spotlight on SwedCham's small- and medium-sized companies, we would like you to help us better understand the needs and expectations of an SME in 2022. In order for us to build a strong action plan, we hope that you can help us in this process by filling out the survey below. The main target groups for this survey are: - Swedish start-up/scale-up companies with an office in Singapore
- Start-up/scale-up companies founded in Singapore by a Swedish citizen
- Medium-sized Swedish companies with a newly established start-up team in Singapore (1-10 people)
- Medium-sized Swedish companies with a small or medium-sized team in Singapore (1-30 people), ie not newly established in Singapore.
Thank you SMEs for filling out the survey by latest 1 June. |
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| Christian Levin to SwedCham APAC CEO Series |
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On Friday 10 June at 3 pm, we will have the honour to welcome Mr Christian Levin, President & CEO of Scania Groupand Traton Group, to SwedCham APAC CEO Series. During our hour with Mr Levin, we will get an exclusive insight into what Scania is planning for Asia near term and what the secrets are behind its success in the region so far. Mr Levin will also outline his commitment to sustainability and how Scania is planning to reach zero emissions in Asia.
Register for this event here. |
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| SwedCham Connect @ < your company >? |
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SwedCham Connect@1880 has been the waterhole that took us through the pandemic. Over the past two years, lock-downs aside, we have been able to meet up for casual networking in groups of five, and lately in groups of ten, at this exclusive Members' Club by Robertson Quay.
As the event sells out in hours every month, we are pleased to announce that from September, we will be moving SwedCham Connect from 1880 to our Member companies' premises. With this new concept, we will give our Members the opportunity to connect with our business community on their own turf in a casual setting whilst giving everyone a good night out. A networking event and a company study visit, all-in-one. What a great way to start the weekend... |
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Save the date for our launch on Friday 30 September at 6:30-8 pm: SwedCham Connect @ Electrolux
Are you interested in hosting a SwedCham Connect at your company's offices? Send us an email at info@swedcham.sg, and let's discuss. |
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| What does it take to be a great employer in 2022? |
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As the race for talent hots up, how should employers re-define their value proposition?
Most employers are rethinking how their work gets done and are re-evaluating their cultures and employment policies to ensure they reflect the new emerging vision of the future of work. And rest assured that your employees and potential job candidates are doing exactly the same…
Come and discuss with us at SwedCham's offices on Tuesday 7 June as we get the intel from Universum's recent study, straight from the source. This study surveyed over 650 of the world’s leading employers on the the future of work and the results show clearly that employee experience is now taking centre stage: - 61% of employers who participated in the study have incorporated flexible working conditions into their Employer Value Propositions as it has proven to be key in preventing burnout and loss of talent
- 70% of all respondents expect flexible working to enhance overall employee wellness.
Limited to 25 participants. A light breakfast will be served. Register for this event here. |
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| Intellectual Property: You have rights! |
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Lawyer and Public Policy Consultant Jennifer Brant will join us on Zoom on Wednesday 1 June to talk Intellectual Property rights and how to access them. She will help us understand how to manage and protect IP rights and why it is critical to do so both for small and large innovators and entrepreneurs across sectors and countries. Ms Brant will also talk about the IP gender gap and how it comes that female entrepreneurs are less likely to protect their IP rights.
Register for this event here. |
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| The Midwinter Ball is back! |
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SwedCham is gearing up to make 2022 the year we will bring the Midwinter Ball back to Singapore. This signature event which has been held annually since 1985 for the Swedish business community, has had to pause for two years due to the pandemic. We are now confident that we will finally be able to host this 200 pax gala dinner again.
The Ball will be held at Goodwood Park Hotel on 5 November this year, with the theme of the evening being The Roaring 20s. We are looking forward to welcoming you and your guests to an exceptionally joyful evening, with a delicious gala dinner and first class entertainment. Following a long tradition, we will also hold the Award Ceremony for The Swedish Company of the Year and The Swede of the Year during the Midwinter Ball.
We are currently giving priority access for VIP and Corporate table reservations to SwedCham's Main Partners and Partners. Single tickets will go on sale in August. |
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| Join the #DoubleUp pledge! |
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Since 9 Swedish MNCs launched the pledge to double up on paternity leave in Singapore from 2 to 4 weeks in December 2021, we now have 28 companies onboard this initiative. We are also very excited to learn that many of these companies are actually implementing 4 weeks of paternity leave not only in Singapore but in the whole region.
From the pledge:
"Businesses have the choice to intentionally build a corporate culture that does not simply tolerate, but encourages fathers to be there for their baby. ... By promoting paternity leave, we can create a ripple effect towards equality. A truly equal workplace will ultimately level the playing field for both men and women, at home and at work."
JOIN THE #DOUBLEUP PLEDGE HERE
The following companies have joined the pledge so far : |
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| Member news: Edisen is growing in Asia |
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Do you know that we now have an Oscars and Cannes Lions award-winning production company as a SwedCham Member? Edisen, the baby of Henric Larsson's Chimney and Magnus Sorlander's Vigor, joined us as Members in the beginning of this year and we are looking forward to tap into their world of high-end visual effects and award-winning story telling as we get to know them.
With a legacy of 25 years of best-in-class entertainment and services, and now with an APAC HQ in Singapore, Edisen is ready to offer Swedish companies a range of production services within three integrated business areas: entertainment, marketing and technology. For SwedCham's Members, Edisen is happy to extend a 10% rebate on all services, including film production, video intelligence (EVI), photography, livestreaming, 3D animation, motion graphics, VFX, CGI, sound editorial, colour grading, asset optimisation, adaptations & delivery. For more details, please contact Claria Chng at claria.chng@edisen.com. |
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CELEBRATE 6 JUNE TOGETHER WITH SWEA & PARTNERS |
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Sweden's National Day will be celebrated in style on 6 June at 5pm at the Singapore Polo Club thanks to the Swedish Women's Educational Association in Singapore (SWEA) in partnership with the Embassy of Sweden, Svenska Skolan and SwedCham. There will be a buffet dinner and lots of activities and surprises for the whole family to enjoy. Sweden's Ambassador to Singapore H.E. Kent Härstedt will be there to greet our Swedish community and we will also hear from SWEA's National Day choir.
Register for this event here. |
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THE NORDIC GREEN RUN IS BACK. LET'S WIN, TEAM SWEDEN
Dax igen! All Swedes and Sweden lovers who are physically in Singapore from 30 May to 5 June, help us beat the other Nordic communities in the friendly, but fierce, NORDIC GREEN RUN organised by the Nordic Embassies in Singapore - all for a good cause. Last year Norway and Denmark proved too strong, but this year Team Sweden will beef up its efforts - they don't know what's coming. We need YOU to make it happen.
Thank you to SwedCham Main Partner ATLAS COPCO for sponsoring the run! All the proceeds will go to the non-profit organisation Seven Clean Seas, an ocean clean-up organisation whose mission is to preserve the marine environment by ridding the ocean of plastic for good.
Please sign up for Team Sweden on Strava here. |
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ENTERPRISESG AND EPICENTER JOINING FORCES
On April 20 the Epicenter Stockholm Accelerate Singapore Program was inaugurated – a business partnership between Epicenter and Enterprise Singapore as part of their Global Innovation Alliance (GIA) programme. The aim is to contribute to the international growth of Singaporean start-ups through insights into the Swedish model for innovation.
Through this program, twelve selected Singaporean start-ups/scale-ups will get access to tailor-made coaching/mentoring and matchmaking to maximise their growth. Epicenter has the overall responsibility for running the accelerator programme in Sweden. Business Sweden identifies entrepreneurs in Singapore, and Vinnova supports the initiative in Sweden.
Last week we had the Swedish core team for the program visiting Singapore: Marie Claire Maxwell, Program Manager Digital Technology at Business Sweden, Jack Melcher-Claësson, Head of Accelerate at Epicenter and Edgar Luczak, Partner & Head of Advisory at Epicenter spent the week promoting the historic first batch of Epicenter Stockholm Accelerate Program - Singapore cohort 2022.
The application window is still open for Singapore-based start-ups ready to scale internationally to apply. More details can be found here. |
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Left to right: Edgar Luczak, Partner & Head of Advisory at Epicenter; Marie Claire Maxwell, Program Manager Digital Technology at Business Sweden; Jack Melcher-Claësson, Head of Accelerate at Epicenter. |
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2x BUSINESS SWEDEN INITIATIVES
Digital Health Innovation Challenge
The Digital Health Innovation Challenge is envisioned to accelerate a collaborative ecosystem of open innovation to enhance patient-centricity and improve patient outcomes in Malaysia. The aim of the Challenge is to identify solutions which will empower chronic disease patients and the community at risk to proactively reduce the risk factors of these diseases by encouraging healthy living and increasing accessibility to digital tools enabling self-care and monitoring.
To kick start this Challenge, please join us for a webinar to learn more if this initiative is for you and your company. Hear about what challenges Malaysia is facing in regards to the growing burden of chronic diseases and ask any questions you may have.
Register for this webinar here.
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Join Sweden Summit 2022
Are you interested in investment opportunities in Sweden and collaborations that will help build a smart society and accelerate the race towards net zero? Join us in Stockholm or digitally this summer to see how international companies can invest, expand, collaborate, and improve global competitiveness while turning the big ideas from industry, science, technology, and governments into reality.
The Join Sweden Summit 2022 is a physical event organised by Business Sweden which will be supported by a complementary digital broadcast. The Summit will bring together leaders and game changers from academia, politics, industry, and innovative environments to explore Sweden's investment potential and opportunities to pioneer the possible.
For the detailed program and to register, please click here. |
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NORDIC INNOVATION HOUSE
Get insights into new opportunities enabled by 5G!
On 24 May at 4pm you will have the opportunity to hear from the following Nordic and Singaporean companies on 5G: SingTel, Axis Communications, Immersal and SUTD. What you can expect to learn during this webinar: - Live examples of new applications that benefit from 5G
- How the success of 5G in the network security industry will be driven by partnerships in the ecosystem
- Growing opportunities enabled by connecting IoT devices using multiple technologies including 5G.
This webinar is presented by Nordic Innovation House Singapore and SGInnovate. Register for the event here. |
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Thursday 25 August: How AI is Changing Branded Content and Storytelling with Mr Sunny Hermano, MD, Edisen Singapore.
Thursday 15 September: Market Outlook Japan with Business Sweden Japan.
Friday 30 September: SwedCham Connect @ Electrolux.
Wednesday 5 October: Distribution Management with Thomas Vernersson, President Industrial Division APAC at Alimak Group.
Saturday 5 November 2022: Midwinter Ball, Goodwood Park Hotel. Theme: The Roaring 20s.
Tuesday 22 November: APAC CEO Series with Mats Rahmström, CEO Atlas Copco. |
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