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The Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce Georgia strengthens economic trade, commerce and investment between Sweden and the State of Georgia, creates a distinctive networking platform for the international business community, and provides a forum for cultural outreach and education.

Georgia is the place to be, it offers international business partners a thriving community of global commerce and the most culturally diverse environment in the region. Georgia is the crossroads of the US by air, land and sea. With the world’s largest airport, two deep water ports, and the most extensive surface transportation network in the country, Georgia can provide you access to over 80 percent of the U.S. industrial market within a couple of days.

Whether you are looking for business contacts, need trade related information, or have an interest in the Swedish culture, you will benefit from what Georgia and SACC-Georgia can offer. 

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SACC-Georgia Member Update

One of our own members of SACC-Georgia has been keeping very busy over the past couple of months—and making quite a few headlines in the process!

Brent Darnell has been awarded the honor of being named Top 25 Newsmaker of 2011 by Engineering News-Record for his Emotional Intelligence training approach to business success through client consulting, new editions of his popular primers, university teaching and multimedia tools that aim to turn so-called “tough guys” into exceptional leaders within the industry. Most noteworthy is the fact that within this group of 25 outstanding men and women being honored for their success, are past participants of Brent Darnell’s coaching and training program. Brent is truly a leading authority on Emotional Intelligence and the real-life proof has helped to earn him this very ‘newsworthy ‘title.

In addition to the Top 25 Newsmaker award, ENR also gave Brent’s best-selling book “The People-Profit Connection: How Emotional Intelligence can maximize your people skills and maximize your profits” a glowing review and high recommendation (Read it here). ENR says, “In an industry driven by human interactions and networking, The People-Profit Connection has never been more important.” Also, Matt Handal, author of the “Help Everybody Everyday” blog reviewed the People-Profit Connection with the same enthusiasm for its teachings (Read it here). Matt writes, “The demonstrations of his concepts are almost so unbelievable they seem like magic tricks.”

Brent Darnell has tapped into something special and his expertise on the application of Emotional Intelligence in the construction industry is now reaching more people than ever! Learn more about Brent Darnell by visiting his web site and about his book, The People-Profit Connection, by visiting Amazon.

 

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 Anders Borg, named European finance minister of the year by the Financial Times

 01/03/2012

 

In a tumultuous year for the continent’s economies, the Swedish finance minister won praise for his lucidity on economic policy, his contribution to continent-wide solutions and also for the strong performance of Sweden’s economy.                       

While Greece and Italy have only recently turned to “technocrats” to run their economies, Sweden has in effect, had an elected economic technocrat running its public finances for the past six years. Before becoming finance minister, Mr. Borg worked as a bank economist in the private sector and as an adviser to both Sweden’s central bank and the country’s Moderate party.

In an interview with the newspaper on Wednesday, Borg said that countries with strong public finances such as Sweden and Germany should be on stand-by to provide emergency fiscal stimulus if Europe falls into deep recession.

He said that if growth contracted and unemployment worsened then Sweden would “be willing to use stimulus measures because we could do that without running into major deficit problems”. 

Source: Financial Times

 

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SACC-Georgia’s 26th Annual Lucia Gala

12/10/2011 

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Swede among the rednecks

I am writing this against the backdrop of cotton fields, peanut silos, and full knowledge that even in the city that I live in I am surrounded by rednecks. Of course rednecks are stereotypes just as they are real people. And is it not so also with Swedes?

What is it that makes me Swedish? I have wondered and continue to contemplate where I live in the south.

What is a redneck for that matter? A guy wearing a baseball cap, driving a pickup truck, and hanging a Confederate flag in front of his house or trailer? Perhaps.

What is a Swede? A sill-eating Social Democrat commuting to work by pedaling in trätofflor on a bicycle? Perhaps.

Read the full column by Ulf Kirchdorfer here.

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Yesterday the 2011 Anholt-GfK Roper Nation Brands Index, was released. The annual report rates countries’ reputation, based on an average of ratings in governance, culture, people, immigration, investments, exports and tourism. The 2011 Nation Brand Index is based on the ratings of 50 nations by 20,337 people in 20 countries, and concludes that the U.S. remains number one, increasing its lead on Germany, compared to last year. Sweden, with a strong industry, cutting edge technology, breathtaking landscape and exciting culture is ranked on 10^th place and best of the Nordic countries, same place as last year’s ranking.

The Scandinavian has the privilege of holding both functional and decorative values. Most people think of most countries as being either predominantly useful or predominantly decorative. One of the reasons why Sweden’s image is so perfect is because it is unusually well balanced. Sweden manages to be both in almost equal proportions: competent and stylish, efficient and sexy, smart and attractive. Sweden’s so called brand value is the result of factors such as a good business environment, the welfare system, international diplomatic relation, long-lasting peace and generous attitude towards poorer countries.

“The strengths of America’s international standing continue to be innovation, opportunities and vibrancy,” says index founder Simon Anholt. Although increased since last year, the U.S. rating on domestic and foreign politics is still lowering the overall high score. The turbulent politic and economic climate in Europe during the last year also presumably contributed to the increasing U.S. lead.

  

 

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Stockholm world’s No1 for intellectual capital

09/19/2011

Stockholm is the world’s top city for intellectual capital and innovation, according to a new report by consulting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers. In the overall ranking the Swedish capital climbed to 4^th place in the prestigious Cities of Opportunity report, New York came in at number 1.

Stockholm is being described as “a busy regional hub with a low-density lifestyle” with world leading competitiveness in a number of fields. “Stockholm ranks first in intellectual capital and innovation; health, safety and security; and remarkably, demographics and livability, which includes the thermal comfort variable that quantifies the idea that more temperate and consistent climes are more attractive.“

Intellectual capital and innovation is being described in the report as the “mindware” that will build future cities and the engine of both social and economic development. Stockholm ranks first, by a significant margin. “Swedes are in the vanguard of thinking about this issue; and Sweden is in the forefront of embracing the policies needed to expand and reinforce its own intellectual capital”, the report said. What is striking is how thoroughly Stockholm commands the category.

Stockholm also moved from ninth to first this year in the category demographics and liability. The city, true to its reputation for environmental leadership, also scored highest in green space.

Source: PWC, Cities of opportunities

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Stockholm – a Scandinavian Tiger

August 30th

The recent years’ turbulence hasn’t made much scratch on Sweden’s capital Stockholm. The business community, known for international diversity and tech-driven innovation, remains a safe-haven for investors.  Stockholm is strengthened in the city’s position as the capital of Scandinavia.

Stockholm’s cosmopolitan energy is a magnet for talent. Leading universities such as the Royal Institute of Technology and Karolinska Institutet, ranked as one of the world’s best medical universities, has attracted students and researchers for decades. This is one of the keys for understanding the cities strong position.

Stockholm attracts an increasing amount of investments. During 2010, 183 qualified foreign direct investments were made in the region, an increase of 12 percent compared to 2009. Stockholm is strengthened as the first choice for investors in Scandinavia as half of every regional headquarter is based on the city.

The most attractive sector for investors 2010 remained to be ICT, followed by retail, business services and cleantech.

The full article is found on Currents Online

 

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Sweden: ‘The rock star of the recovery’

July 5th

Almost every developed nation in the world was walloped by the financial crisis, their economies paralyzed, their prospects for the future muddied.

- And then there’s Sweden, the rock star of the recovery.

The Washington Post wrote that Sweden has accomplished what the United States, Britain and Japan can only dream of: Growing rapidly, creating jobs and gaining a competitive edge.

Sweden was far from immune to the global downturn of 2008-09. But unlike other countries, it is bouncing back. Its 5.5 percent growth rate last year trounces the 2.8 percent expansion in the United States and was stronger than any other developed nation in Europe. And compared with the United States, unemployment peaked lower (around 9 percent, compared with 10 percent) and has come down faster (it now stands near 7 percent, compared with 9 percent in the U.S.).

Sweden’s five lessons for a crisis-stricken nation:

1. Keep your fiscal house in order when times are good, so you will have more room to maneuver when things are bad.

2. Fiscal stimulus can be more effective when it is automatic.

3. Use monetary policy aggressively

4. Keep the value of your currency flexible.

5. Bankers will always make blunders; just make sure they don’t doom the economy.

The full article was published by the Washington Post on June 24th, 2011.