Dear Subscriber,
In the OECD’s latest ranking of countries according to labour force participation rate, Sweden is ranked first. Among other things, a strong focus on gender equality, parental leave and child care have contributed to reaching this position in the ranking. Here are some interesting facts found on sweden.se: - Parental leave in Sweden is paid for 480 days and shared between parents - mother and father
- 90 days are reserved for each parent while the remaining days can be shared at will
- If you need to take days off to care for a sick child, there is compensation through the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, which is available for parents with children under 12 years
- From the day they turn one, children in Sweden have the right to a place in nursery school
- Affordable childcare is one of the main reasons why most parents in Sweden choose to go back to work after their parental leave.
We are excited to see that Singapore in this year's budget decided that government-paid paternity leave will be doubled from two to four weeks for fathers of Singaporean children born from 1 January 2024. We applaud this effort by Singapore's government to support dads to get more involved with their newborns! And we encourage more business communities in Singapore to join the dialogue around gender equality and the contribution of both women and men to grow a strong and healthy economy.
Please find below the latest news from our business community.
Your dedicated SwedCham team,
Lisa & Anna
Photo: Magnus Liam Karlsson/imagebank.sweden.se |
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SwedCham welcomes the following new member to its business community:
Elekta: Develops and produces radiation therapy and radiosurgery-related equipment and clinical management for the treatment of cancer and brain disorders. Founded in 1972, Elekta is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, with offices in more than 120 countries and listed on Nasdaq Stockholm. It has a global team of 4,700 employees.
Key contact: Marco Lee, Senior Vice President, APAC & Japan. |
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| New SwedCham Gold Sponsor |
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SwedCham is delighted to welcome DBS Bank as new Gold Sponsor. We have had the opportunity to work with DBS for a few years now, and the collaboration has fostered knowledge exchange, new connections and innovation, not the least within the important areas of digitalisation and sustainability.
We look forward to continue this journey with DBS, championing the interests of Swedish enterprises in Singapore and the region. |
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| Midwinter Ball tickets almost sold out! |
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Get ready to don your most dazzling attire, put on your sparkling dancing shoes, and join us for the most anticipated event of the year:
SwedCham's Annual Midwinter Ball Silver & Gold
Since 1985, this signature event has been the talk of the town, and this year promises to be even more spectacular. At SwedCham we know how to party, and we invite you to experience the magic firsthand.
This is also the night when we will reveal the winners of the 2023 Swedish Company of the Year and Swede of the Year Awards.
What to expect: - An enchanting evening of music and dance
- Delectable cuisine
- Free-flowing drinks
- Live entertainment
- Prizes and surprises.
Whether you're a Swedish national, a friend of Sweden, or simply someone who loves a good time, this is the event for you.
All our VIP and Corporate tables are sold out, and we are are approaching sold-out also for our single tickets, so don't wait to get yours here. |
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| Investment protection - what you need to know |
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Did you know that there are about 3,000 international treaties in place to protect your company's investments in Asia and beyond?
As many businesses still rely solely on contracts and national law when making cross-border investments, SwedCham's next online knowledge session could be a real eye opener. On 21 September, Jakob Ragnwaldh, Partner at law firm Mannheimer Swartling, will share what every business should know about investment protection.
Register for this virtual event here. |
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| Wanna test drive a Polestar? |
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Our next SwedCham Connect will be hosted at Polestar Space, the show room of our brand new Partner Member Polestar on Leng Kee Road. A part from providing a great night out for our Swedish business community, this Swedish electric performance car brand will also give 10 guests the opportunity to test drive a Polestar 2 during the evening - first come, first served. The Polestar 3 will also be on show that night we have been promised...
Register for this event here. Exclusively for SwedCham Members. Max 40 guests. |
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| New W4W cross-chamber event |
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Our next women's cross-chamber AW is coming up on 3 October - this time hosted by DABS and DutchCham. Expect a great crowd as 11 international Chambers join forces.
Register for this event here. For more information about SwedCham's Women4Women Forum, scroll down this page. |
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| Crayfish with Young Professionals |
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SwedCham's Young Professionals network recently held their biggest event to date as 30 members got together for a traditional Swedish crayfish party, complete with snaps, krondill, silly hats and bi-lingual snapsvisor. Helan Går, YP!
Register here for our next YP event: After Work on 14 September. More information about the YP network can be found here. |
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Circular fashion in focus for next GIC community workshop
On Saturday 9 September 9-12 pm, SwedCham and H&M will be hosting our third GIC community workshop at the Cosy Garden in Bukit Batok - this time on the topic of CIRCULAR FASHION. During the morning, both adults and kids can learn how everyone can help drive sustainable change in our society when it comes to fashion and textiles.
The Fashion Pulpit, Singapore largest garment swapping platform, will throw Bukit Batok's first ever COMMUNITY CLOTHES SWAPPING PARTY, we will hear from Singapore Fashion Council how Singapore is working towards a more sustainable fashion industry within the SG Green Plan 2030 and Biekaleidoscope will show us how to repurpose textile into beautiful art.
Free breakfast will be served - expect lots of family activities and interesting people to meet. For free access to the garment swapping event, bring three pieces of clothing.
As we have reached 100 registrations for this event, it is no longer possible to register online, but walk-in is still possible. |
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Cancer Can Give workshop on therapeutic gardening
On 26 August, AstraZeneca engaged with Cosy Garden's volunteers to host GIC’s second community workshop focusing on gardening and therapeutic horticulture for AstraZeneca's Cancer Can Give (CCG) community. The workshop was designed to promote mindfulness, encourage positive social interactions, and build a connection with nature. The session was attended by cancer survivors from Singapore Cancer Society, Singapore Liver and Pancreas Cancer Support Group, employees from AstraZeneca Singapore, and was facilitated by Paul Bhathal from the Singapore National Parks Board (nPark), whose extensive experience in cultivating community gardens lent expertise to the workshop. The multi-partied partnership exemplifies the synergy among partners from industry, patient groups and the government converging to inspire change and drive greater sustainability for the community in Singapore. Together, we can create a sustainable future for all! |
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SwedCham family event at the GIC
One Saturday morning in August, we had the pleasure of welcoming close to 90 people from SwedCham's business community with their families to discover the Green Innovation Centre in Cosy Garden.
All our MNC and SME partners were represented during this morning session to give hands-on explanations of all the cool things that have installed in the garden, such as a renewable energy loop powered by solar, smart security solutions, smart rodent traps, a rainwater harvesting system, low-carbon concrete pathways, a net zero outdoor living room, and a therapeutic garden. Volunteers from Cosy Garden shared their wealth of knowledge on traditional gardening, hydroponic gardening, composting and explained how this city oasis came about a decade ago.
For the younger ones, there was a recycling workshop led by GreenSproutz Singapore as well as a digital explorer trail to follow in the garden to learn more about sustainability. |
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The Green Innovation Centre in brief
Through this unique collaborative initiative, sponsored by 13 SwedCham companies, SwedCham has linked arms with a garden community in Bukit Batok as well as with South West CDC and the People's Association in Bukit Batok. Based on a collaborative bottom-up process, the project aims to support the local community in exploring a sustainable urban lifestyle with knowledge, solutions and services around the 3Rs (Reduce, Reuse & Recycle) and green living (gardening and connecting with nature).
SwedCham's team is partnering with schools, sustainability-focused local SMEs and resident volunteers to create an agora at the Cosy Garden, which has been lovingly built by local volunteers over the past decade, where people of all ages can meet and learn about sustainable urban living.
The initiative, which was launched on 8 June 2023, includes e.g. installations of a closed solar energy loop with a battery storage system, smart rodent traps, a therapeutic garden, smart security solutions, a rainwater harvesting system, low-carbon concrete pathways, and a net zero outdoor living room made of recycled scaffolding pipes and a PolyAl roof made out of recycled beverage cartons.
SwedCham is also launching hands-on community workshops in Bukit Batok around sustainability topics such recycling of packaging material, circular fashion and healthy eating / food waste. You can visit the Green Innovation Centre at Blk 106 Bukit Batok Central or explore it virtually through our digital explorer trail where 10 students from Butik Batok Secondary School and Queenstown Secondary School will guide you around the different sustainability stations. Download susGain's app and use this link to access the trail.
The GIC launch video can be found here.
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The results of Team Sweden's Business Climate Survey 2023 have now been launched and can be downloaded below: The Singapore results left and global results right. Happy reading! |
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SWEA (SWEDISH WOMEN'S EDUCATIONAL ASSOCIATION)
Nu har SWEA startat upp för hösten! Den 13 september kl 10:30-12 på Svenska Residenset (39 Andrew Rd) blir det välkomstträff för nya och gamla medlemmar samt för dig som vill veta mer om vår organisation. Du får också chansen att träffa representanter från flera andra svenska organisationer och instanser i Singapore (Ambassaden, SwedCham, Svenska Skolan, Svenskar i Världen). SWEA bjuder på kaffe och bullar.
Anmäl dig på SWEA's hemsida här.
SAVE THE DATE: INDO-PACIFIC BUSINESS SUMMIT 2023
Team Sweden will host an Indo-Pacific Business Summit on 5 December this year. This Summit will be a direct continuation of the Sweden-Southeast Asia Business Summit (SSEABS) that has been held in 2016, 2018 and 2021. As such, it is a high-level meeting with the purpose to secure long-term collaboration between Sweden and Singapore in the direction of driving innovation that enables the green transition. The summit has a regional outlook and participants include governmental representatives, business leaders, and the academia.
The overarching theme for Indo-Pacific Business Summit 2023 will be: Creating a Singapore-Sweden innovation platform for the Green Transition in the Indo-Pacific region. Supporting themes include: - Creating a competitive advantage to capture green growth opportunities
- Attracting and develop talent in an era a green transition
- Building a resilient society.
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| Frantzén Group's 2nd restaurant now open |
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After the huge success of Restaurant Zén, Frantzén Group has now opened its second restaurant in Singapore: Brasserie Astoria. This new, more casual Singapore outpost is set in the grandeur of the Victoria Concert Hall and mirrors its Stockholm flagship that occupies what was once Astoria Cinema. Diners can expect an extensive à la carte menu, including, for example, råraka, the Swedish answer to rösti, featuring crisp Agria potatoes topped with löjrom (vendace roe), and Toast Astoria, a nod to traditional Swedish Toast Skagen with mounds of Baltic prawns and Norwegian king crab dressed with wasabi aioli and served on crisp sourdough. |
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| Mamma Mia! returns to Singapore |
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Longing for some ABBA? Look no further. Their much loved musical is back in town for the third time in October-November. Mamma Mia - here we go again! |
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Wednesday 6 September: SwedCham Women4Women forum held an After Work at Wine Connection @ Tanglin mall.
SwedCham Gold Sponsor DBS together with SwedCham Partner Member Scania held a session on how to advance digital transformation.
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