News about: Trade and industry group

International guest researchers visit AI Innovation of Sweden

Published by Pauline Pontois 20 December, 2019 in Trade and industry group.

As part of the project Go Science, guest researchers from the University of Gothenburg and Chalmers got to visit and learn more about the new national center for AI research, AI Innovation of Sweden.

AI Innovation of Sweden is a national center for applied AI research and innovation, with the aim to strengthen the competitiveness of the Swedish industry and welfare. AI Innovation of Sweden is a national and neutral initiative, functioning as an engine in the Swedish AI ecosystem. The focus is on accelerating the implementation of AI through sharing knowledge and data and collaborative projects.

For one afternoon, 24 guest researchers were invited to listen to an inspirational lecture and attend a workshop to learn more about AI research in Sweden with the aim of using AI as a tool in their daily work.

Adrian Bumann (Chalmers) and Aram Karimi (University of Gothenburg) attended the lecture and workshop at AI Innovation of Sweden with Go Science.

Adrian Bumann is a PhD student in the Department of Entrepreneurship and Strategy, at the Department of Technology Economics and Organization. He researches information systems and digital transformation with a focus on innovation processes in the maritime and marine sectors where he uses AI as a tool.

– I’m involved in one of the data factories at AI Innovation of Sweden. I think it’s a great organization to bring people together from different areas. It’s great to have one place to go to if we have a question or looking for certain contacts to provide you with specific content and knowledge. Lots of people here have very different experiences with AI.

Aram Karimi, who is researching Natural Language Processing at the University of Gothenburg at the Department of Philosophy, Linguistics and Theory of Science, also uses AI in her daily work to understand semantics for text in Natural Language Understanding. She has been to several Go Science activities during the fall and appreciates it.

– Go Science is very good for international researchers. I would also like to have more meetings with companies and industries from the business community. We researchers need to understand and solve problems that help people in real working life.

From January 2020, the projects Student Gothenburg and Go Science will merge to form Unimeet Gothenburg. The purpose of the platform is to increase the collaboration between the University of Gothenburg, Chalmers University of Technology and the trade and industry. The new platform does not mean a major change and will continue with welcoming activities, however with an increased focus on collaboration between Gothenburg University, Chalmers and the business community. Together, we want to make Gothenburg an even better city for international students and guest researchers and show what the city has to offer in terms of business and competence.

Record number of JA companies in 2019

Published by Pauline Pontois 16 December, 2019 in Trade and industry group.

2,921 high school students run JA companies in the Gothenburg region. Photo: Junior Achievement.

The 2019/2020 academic year beats all records. Marking an increase of seven percent over the previous year, 33,706 high school students will run a Junior Achievement company this year, 2,921 of which are based in the Gothenburg region, where 807 JA companies were set up.

Gothenburg has a total of 46 JA schools, of which Polhem high school on Lindholmen leads the way, with over 200 JA students. The students who run JA companies come from many different vocational programmes, with the majority studying economics, technology and commerce. During the year there was also a rise in the number of students from the social science and electrical and energy programmes.

Since the start, in 1980, more than 450,000 students have run their own JA companies.

On 2 March there will be a big JA exhibition and JA companies will have a chance to exhibit at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre to present and sell their products and services. This is an opportunity not to be missed!

School students will become Future Ambassadors

Published by Pauline Pontois 9 December, 2019 in Gothenburg 400 years 2021, Trade and industry group.

The Future Ambassadors initiative has begun! More school students will leave compulsory school with passing grades. Students will also test the power of digitalisation to find new ways of learning.

School students will be educated in ways that are smart, sustainable and inclusive, guided by school requirements, the learning environments of the Universeum Science Centre and the global goals of Agenda 2030. The objective is to improve skills, promote equality and ultimately ensure that school students achieve higher goals. The project will also give heads of schools assistance with developing school resources and enhancing digital skills.

The first concept, entitled Sustainable Seas, began at the end of November with around 150 students in years 4–6 from six different classes around the city. The work is divided into various sessions guided by teachers, with preparations and finishing off in the classroom, as well as visits to the Universeum Science Centre where the students explore new learning environments and gain new tools to enhance learning. Based on the foundations of biology and global goal 14 Life Below Water the students will use problem-based learning and mixed learning environments as tools to understand the contemporary world.

During the 2019/2020 academic year the project will be extended to 16 new classes and two further concepts: the Body and Health (years 1–3), and Space (years 6–9). More concepts will be developed for introduction in the 2020/2021 academic year. The intention is that the Future Ambassadors will develop from a project into a method that can be applied on a wider scale.

The project is part of the Knowledge and Enlightenment focus theme in the run-up to Gothenburg’s 400-year anniversary in 2021.

Gothenburg solution facilitates climate-smart food choices

Published by Stefan Gadd 3 December, 2019 in Trade and industry group.

With the smart service CarbonAte consumers are able to make climate smart food choices. The idea – developed at the FoodTech startup CarbonCloud in Gothenbrug – is now spreading through Sweden.
“Foodstuffs make up one quarter of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. If we are serious about reaching our climate goals, this is one of the areas where we can act,” says David Bryngelsson, CEO and co-founder of CarbonCloud.

David Bryngelsson with part of the team at CarbonCloud.

Imagine a lunch menu with these options: meat 1.2kg CO2e, fish 0.82 or veggie 0.55. Several Gothenburg restaurants now offer guests the possibility to pick their lunch based on the climate impact of each specific dish. The innovation is the result of several years of Chalmers-based research by David Bryngelsson and some of his colleagues. A technical physicist, he has a background in climate mitigation research, one focus area being foodstuffs. This gave rise to the idea to develop a product that would make it easier for consumers and producers to make climate smart food choices and reduce their climate impact. The goal is that all food we consume should carry a climate label, with a clear indication of its climate footprint.

The company initially developed a service for restaurants, enabling staff and guests to see the climate footprint of each individual dish. The service was tested at Chalmers Conference and Restaurants, and the weekly lunch menu on the company’s website includes information about the climate footprint of each course. The same information can be seen on displays inside the university restaurants. Very well received, the service – called CarbonAte – is now available in some 40 restaurants throughout Sweden.

The amount of interest in their service has further fuelled CarbonCloud’s ambitions. Its researchers, climate strategists and web developers are currently working on the company’s next major endeavour, CarbonData, which is geared towards the food industry. It is based on the same principle as the restaurant service – to make it easier for consumers to make climate smart choices and for producers to reduce their climate footprint.

“Our business idea is to package an advanced system for life-cycle analysis into a user-friendly web-service that the clients can easily manage. This will not only make the information easily accessible but also ensure that it is current and updated, which can otherwise be a problem for companies when performing business-related life-cycle analyses. Once you are done, the information may rapidly become outdated,” says David Bryngelsson.

The Chalmers-based startup is currently expanding, in the hope that their services will find a wider customer-base. David Bryngelsson is convinced there is an interest in services such as theirs.

“The food industry has a lot to gain from measuring their climate footprint. Consumers are becoming increasingly environmentally conscious, wanting to know the impact of the products they buy. The number of government regulations will also increase in the years to come. Keeping track of and being transparent about your emissions is a simple way to reduce your risk-taking, ensure customer loyalty and save money,” says David Bryngelsson.

Having a location in the vicinity of Chalmers in Gothenburg has been a key success factor to CarbonCloud. This enables a research-related business and makes it easier to secure the right talent. Another vital facilitator has been the existing institutional support framework in the area.

“It’s absolutely fantastic. As a startup company you depend on funding from authorities and organisations who support innovative initiatives for the future; players who will make sure that you succeed without looking to gain from it themselves. That is very stimulating,” says David Bryngelsson.

Facts: CarbonCloud
Gothenburg-based startup company which has developed services to measure the climate footprint of foodstuffs.
More information about CarbonCloud

Stuart found a new way of life in Gothenburg

Published by Stefan Gadd 26 November, 2019 in Trade and industry group.

– For me, the best thing about living in Sweden and Gothenburg is the quality of life. I am able to achieve a great work-life balance and spend lots of time with my family. I also have easy access to one of the most beautiful natural environments in Europe.
These are the words of Stuart Templar, a Manchester-born former diplomat and Director of Sustainability at Volvo Cars.

Stuart Templar at the launch of the XC40 Recharge. Photo: Aurelie Briout

After 16 years with the UK Foreign Office, Stuart Templar is now in his third year as Director of Sustainability at Volvo Cars in Gothenburg, Sweden. As a diplomat, he used to travel all over Europe, working on a variety of topics including human rights, EU affairs, as well as an international marketing campaign to promote Britain overseas (for which he received an honor from HM The Queen). He traded in all of this for a life by the sea on the outskirts of Gothenburg, with his partner Monika and son Kasper, 5. And he’s never looked back since.

– I really appreciate the little things you take for granted here. Being able to cycle with my son in safe bicycle lanes, going swimming in the sea, exploring the wonderful west coast islands, and spending a day with the family in Liseberg.

Proximity to nature and the sea is a big part of why Stuart loves his life in Sweden. But he also acknowledges the value of the family-oriented work culture.

– In Sweden, I feel people work to live rather than live to work. Moreover, the working culture, including at Volvo, is incredibly supportive of parents. Colleagues very rarely work late into the evening, or feel they have to, which I often did while in the UK. It’s easy to take a day or two off just to take care of your child, and no-one bats an eyelid if you have to leave a meeting early to pick them up. Finally, childcare is of a high standard and affordable – around 10 percent of what friends in London pay.

Even if Stuart loves his family life in Sweden – he also loves his job. It’s an exciting time to be working on sustainability within Volvo Cars, with the issue now a high priority within the company.

– For me, my proudest moment since I joined Volvo was in October 2019 when we launched our first fully electric vehicle, the XC40 Recharge, and announced our ambition to become climate neutral by 2040. This was a major milestone in the company’s history. We publically recognized we contribute to climate change, and have to do much more to help protect the planet, in the same way we’ve protected people over many decades. Our CEO made clear that sustainability is now as important as safety to Volvo Cars. It’s critical to our future success, not least as consumers increasingly want more sustainable products. A truly purpose-driven company is key to attracting and retaining the best talent.

Around 40,000 people work within the automotive industry in Gothenburg. Stuart calls the Gothenburg region ‘the automotive archipelago’ with Volvo, CEVT, Geely, Zenuity and Polestar (where Monika works) all operating in the region.

– In many ways I feel that Gothenburg is helping shape the future of the automotive business – it’s an innovation hub. The companies within the region, often in collaboration with local academic and research institutes, are at the cutting edge of seismic trends which are transforming the industry, such as autonomous drive technology, electrification and mobility services. And they are based in a city which is itself committed to sustainable transportation, with AB Volvo’s electric buses rolling along the streets and Stena’s battery hybrid ferries sailing to Germany and Denmark every day.

For Stuart, moving to Sweden was never the plan. In one of life’s twists of fate, he met his Swedish partner Monika, at a wedding in Romania, fell in love with her and the west coast of Sweden, and eventually found his place at Volvo.

– I’m really enjoying life in Sweden and Gothenburg. I work on an issue that I’m passionate about, in an attractive city and region that values openness and innovation, and, most importantly, in a country where I am supported in being a good parent. Besides family and old friends, the only things I miss are British pubs – but you can’t have everything.

GROWTH COMPANIES MATCHED WITH INVESTORS AT #CONNECT2CAPITAL

Published by Pauline Pontois in Trade and industry group.

On 14–15 November, this year’s #Connect2Capital event was held at the Clarion Post Hotel, where investors and growth companies met up to match ideas with venture capital. Attracting over 400 participants, including 80 investors, the event is an important platform for companies seeking venture capital and investors.

For the fifth year in a row, local, national and international entrepreneurs and investors gathered at the Clarion Post Hotel. The #Connect2Capital event enables companies seeking capital to meet investors and business angels under one roof. It offers two days of panel discussions, keynote speeches and pitching competitions on stage in front of a jury, as well as individual meetings that give entrepreneurs the chance to sell their ideas directly to investors. At the evening event, Gothenburg-based startup Silicon VikingsPrecisely were selected to represent Sweden in the Startup World Cup in San Francisco in May 2020.

“#Connect2Capital is a great forum for promoting innovative companies from our region. It is also an excellent opportunity to give more Nordic startups access to business opportunities and new networks,” said Malin Kjällström, project manager at Connect West for #Connect2Capital.

Emma Rozada, founder and COO of The Techno Creatives attended the event to draw more attention to enterprise in Gothenburg. Two years ago, she made her own pitch to investors. This year she took part in a panel discussion entitled “How to break through” and talked about breakthrough and breakdown in the development of a growth company.

“Pitching is an ongoing journey. You have to keep it fresh and vibrant all the time, because by the time you need money it is too late to start pitching. Events like #Connect2Capital are incredibly important and it’s great to have it in Gothenburg, which is generally more industrial than the rest of Sweden. It gives you the opportunity to network with companies that have more insight in technology.”

#Connect2Capital is organised by Connect Sweden, Region West, in collaboration with Göteborg & Co’s Trade & Industry Group, Almi, Business Region Göteborg and Region Västra Götaland

RECORD NUMBERS OF VISITORS TO GYMNASIEDAGARNA AND FUTURE SKILLS 2019

Published by Pauline Pontois 23 October, 2019 in Trade and industry group.

This year’s “Gymnasiedagarna” (upper secondary school days) and Future Skills exhibition set a new record, with 35,000 visitors. Around 900 job seekers, adult learners and students of Swedish for Immigrants came to meet representatives of around 100 companies and learn more about the future job market. The Trade & Industry Group was committed to opening up the fair to more visitors this year.

On 8–10 October, the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre was filled with school students, guardians, job seekers, adult learners and students of Swedish for Immigrants, who came to take part in Gymnasiedagarna and Future Skills. The annual information and guidance fair is an opportunity for visitors to talk to upper secondary schools in the region, as well as labour market representatives and education and career counsellors, to help them choose the right upper secondary education.

This year, the Trade & Industry Group aimed to reach out to more students by arranging a variety of activities, including a bus tour from Hammarkullen to the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre and an information meeting in Arabic.

As a result of collaboration with Nytorpsskolan, 35 guardians travelled by bus from Hammarkullen to the fair.

“It’s important to get together like this. Parents are our most important intermediaries, and I’m convinced that parents’ involvement in their children’s high school choices helps students to make more considered choices that suit them in the long term. An added bonus was that parents also had an opportunity to engage with entrepreneurs, representatives from industry and various educators, so they could also gather information about different career opportunities themselves, which many said was important,” said Else-Marie Hallqvist, principal of Nytorpsskolan in Hammarkullen.

Gymnasiedagarna is arranged by the Göteborg Region Association of Local Authorities (GR). Future Skills is jointly organised by GR, Business Region Göteborg, Region Västra Götaland, the Trade & Industry Group at Gothenburg & Co, and the Swedish Public Employment Service. For more information, see www.gymnasiedagarna.se

POSITIVE RESULTS FOR BONNIERHOOPS THIS YEAR

Published by Pauline Pontois 17 October, 2019 in Trade and industry group.

For the second year in a row a range of activities were organised in the district of Biskopsgården as part of the BonnierHoops initiative. Hundreds of children and young people took part in many different activities, including street basketball, reading in the book lounge, a poetry workshop, handicrafts and much more. Apart from the success of these activities the project is also believed to have contributed to a reduction in reported crime in the area.

“It’s a good place and there are nice people here. Everyone comes from different nationalities, so I think it’s great that we enjoy being together here. It creates a strong sense of community!” said Abbe, age 14, who lives in Biskopsgården.

The successful project combines basketball and cultural activities that aim to promote interest in reading and language, as well as giving children and young people a safe place to meet. Recent police statistics comparing annual crime figures for the district show a clear downward trend, starting in the year when BonnierHoops was first held.

“The figures for certain types of crime dropped dramatically in Biskopsgården during the summer, and the number of reports has fallen. So we are pleased to report that the project has clearly had a positive impact in this area. Even though we can’t rule out the possibility that other initiatives in the area have also contributed to the improvement, this is clear evidence that outreach activities for children and young people in vulnerable areas are important. It also gives members of the police an opportunity to meet young people and build trust and long-term relationships,” said Daniel Johnsson, municipal police officer for Västra Hisingen.

The organisers hope to continue the project next year.

The positive results of this year’s BonnierHoops initiative were reported in several media outlets. Read more here (in Swedish):

THOUSANDS OF STUDENTS SET UP JA COMPANIES

Published by Pauline Pontois 11 October, 2019 in Trade and industry group.

Around 3,000 students gathered at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre on 7 October for the annual kick-off of the Junior Achievement “Startup” fair. The event combines advice on setting up and running a startup company with inspiration from entrepreneurs and advisers who have taken part in the young enterprise journey themselves.

Photo: Christopher Busck/Ung Företagsamhet

“Startup” is the annual student kick-off for any students who want to start a Junior Achievement company during the academic year. In the 2019/2020 academic year, 3,000 high school students from 45 schools in the Gothenburg region will set up and run a JA company.

“During the school year the students will write business plans, contact suppliers, sell their products or services, write competition entries, exhibit at trade fairs and gain experience in all aspects of entrepreneurship. With the help of advisers who listen to their ideas and share their own knowledge and experience they learn to run a business, which is so exciting!” said Johan Sandahl, regional manager of Junior Achievement in the Gothenburg region.

Apart from the information activities, another goal of the kickoff is to inspire students through stories of successful young entrepreneurs who left school just a few years ago. Lina Thunberg, age 24, talked about her journey from JA entrepreneur to apprentice and then sales manager of the skin and hair care company Löwengrip during its growth phase. Lina has now set up her own company and she sees many similarities between running a JA company and a startup. Her advice includes encouraging students to see themselves as “beta versions”, and continuing to improve themselves every day.

From skin and hair care products to tech and business. Tech entrepreneur Josef Fallesen, age 26, inspired the students with his story of how he set up and ran Businesspodden, the biggest podcast on entrepreneurship in the Nordic region. Josef now works as a tech partner and investor at CG Partners.

On 2 March 2020 the big regional Junior Achievement fair will be held at the Swedish Exhibition & Congress Centre. The fair gives students an opportunity to exhibit, present and sell their products and services to the public. The winners in various categories will be announced at an evening event, and they will then go on to the Swedish championship final. This is an opportunity not to be missed!

Junior Achievement is an apolitical, not-for-profit educational organisation. Since 1980 it has been preparing high school students for entrepreneurship through experiential learning in the Junior Achievement network.

Göteborg & Co’s Trade & Industry Group is a partner of Junior Achievement and also hosts the prestigious JA Company of the Year competition.

SUCCESS FOR SPACE WEEK

Published by Pauline Pontois 2 October, 2019 in Gothenburg 400 years 2021, Trade and industry group.

On 14–22 September, Gothenburg and West Sweden celebrated the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing. Around 60 organisations arranged 150 activities during a week dedicated to the theme of space, to highlight West Sweden’s role as a strong space region.

“We are enormously pleased with the success of Space Week – a unique joint venture with academia and business, cultural institutions and other organisations. It drew a great deal of publicity as well as a lot of visitors. Everyone involved has done an outstanding job of publicising and disseminating knowledge about space, from the early days and into the future. We hope we have succeeded in raising awareness of all the exciting space-related activities taking place in the region, as well as inspiring children and adults to explore the subject further. Knowledge and understanding of space are important for the whole of society in many different ways, not least for the environment and climate,” said Catrin Mattsson, project manager for Space Week.

Space Week was eventful. It included a visit by Matilda Ernkrans, Swedish minister for space matters, who opened the new Space Travel exhibition at the Universeum Science Centre, and a concert entitled The Step on the Moon by Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra, accompanied by Swedish astronaut Christer Fuglesang. Chalmers University of Technology arranged a ground-breaking ceremony at Onsala Space Observatory to mark the start of work on a new visitor centre. Activities for all ages were arranged at Alfie Atkins’ Cultural Centre and at Tre Stiftelser retirement home.

Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra conducted by Daniel Bjarnason, with Hasselblad images from NASA projected on the walls. Photo: Francis Löfvenholm/GSO

Although Space Week itself has ended, several other space-related activities are continuing. The recently opened exhibition at the Universeum Science Centre has now been made one of its permanent exhibitions. The same applies to the Hasselblad and the Moon exhibition at the Hasselblad Center. During Space Week, Chalmers University of Technology set up a technology competition for students in 6th grade. This will continue throughout autumn and the winners will be announced in March next year. Chalmers will also be holding a seminar on 4 May on the subject of Production in Space.

“This year our theme for Space Week was based on the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing. But we are convinced that space exploration will remain important in the future in some form, not least in light of the very successful space industry and research that exists in our region,” said Christina Backman, CEO of the Hasselblad Foundation.

Space Week was initiated by Chalmers University of Technology and the Hasselblad Foundation. The event is co-hosted by the Universeum Science Centre, the University of Gothenburg, Gothenburg Symphony Orchestra and Alfie Atkins’ Cultural Centre, among others. Space Week is also supported by the Trade & Industry Group at Göteborg & Co and Region Västra Götaland. The event is part of Gothenburg’s 400-year anniversary in 2021 and the focus theme for 2019: Knowledge and Enlightenment.

Student Göteborg welcomes the new students at the Museum of World Culture

Published by Pauline Pontois 20 September, 2019 in Events, Trade and industry group.

This autumn’s program for Student Göteborg kicked off on September 17th with a big welcome ceremony at the Museum of World Culture, where around 700 students participated in the evening’s activities.

It is really packed at the Museum of World Culture tonight where all new students in Gothenburg are gathered for the launch of Student Göteborg’s autumn activities. The evening starts with food and drinks, followed by speeches of Chalmers’ rector and the University of Gothenburg’s vice rector. Various art and music performances will complete the evening. Some students came in group, others came to the launch by themselves to meet and mingle with future classmates.

We meet Lucie, Bérénice and Charles who arrived in Sweden a month ago. They came from France to study architecture at Chalmers and look forward to the next nine months in Gothenburg. All three are excited about the activities the program has to offer.

− It is really nice that so much is arranged for the students! says Charles. While Lucie looks forward to the football match between IFK Gothenburg and IK Sirius, Lucie chooses to focus on art and the museum tours arranged in October. Boat trips also seem to be fun, everyone agrees.

Lucie, Charles och Bérénice came from Paris, France,to study architecture at Chalmers. Photo: Göteborg & Co

We leave the trio and meet Ophelia, who has come here from Shanghai, China, to read a two-year Master in Strategic Human Resources Management at the University of Gothenburg. She admits that she doesn’t know much about Gothenburg yet, but has signed up for many welcome activities to get to know the city in an exciting way.

– I am very happy to be here and feel a very warm welcome from Gothenburg. Student Göteborg and other activities organized by the university help students explore the city as well as meet and mingle with persons that one would not have met in other circumstances, says Ophelia.

Ophelia thinks that Student Göteborg offers a nice way to discover and explore the city. Photo: Göteborg & Co

Student Göteborg started in 2006 with the aim of making it easier for new students to get to know each other and discover all the city has to offer. The program organizes welcome activities and creates meeting places for national and international students. Student Göteborg is an investment from the Trade and Industry Group at Göteborg & Co in collaboration with the University of Gothenburg, Chalmers and the student unions.

Volvo aims to contribute to Gothenburg’s development

Published by Stefan Gadd 20 August, 2019 in Destination, Trade and industry group.

Two of Sweden’s biggest private employers are located in Gothenburg – Volvo Cars and Volvo Group. Roughly a quarter of a million people in the Gothenburg region depend on these two companies for their livelihood, either directly or indirectly.

Paul Welander in front of a vintage Volvo P 1800

“A wide spectrum of businesses depend on our presence in the city, from the smallest hot dog stand to a large part of the service sector,” says Paul Welander, Senior Vice President at Volvo Cars.

In light of this, he finds it disturbing when some people glibly suggest that the automotive industry will disappear within a decade.

“What does the automotive industry contribute to society? We create opportunities for everybody to get around and have more freedom. Moreover, our vehicles are constantly being developed to become more sustainable and more integrated with other transport solutions,” he says.

He adds that in future, the automotive industry needs to get more involved in Gothenburg’s development as a city.

“As a company, we want to have a higher purpose and give back to society. We’re not just here to earn money; we want to improve safety. We have a vision that nobody will be seriously injured in a Volvo vehicle in 2020. When we invented the three-point seat belt, we made the design free for other automotive manufacturers to use. The same philosophy applies to many of our safety solutions.”

Volvo Cars made headlines by declaring that 50% of its sold cars would be all-electric by 2025, and it’s important to meet this target.

“It’s hard to predict how self-driving and connected vehicles will impact on people’s time, but we hope to be able to give back a week of quality time per year by 2025. This is equivalent to the time drivers typically spend in tailbacks today.

“We all depend on smooth-running infrastructure and mobility, and efficient transport is necessary to attract more outside investment. This is especially true in a city with canals and trams like Gothenburg. We must think bigger in terms of social economy.”

Paul’s background is in polymer engineering, but he has worked most of his career in the automotive industry.

“I love the core of this culture, that people are our central focus and that we offer products that are relevant to everyone.”

He remembers one Friday night when he and his wife had parked outside a restaurant in a newly launched Volvo XC60. A man came up and spoke to them.

“He asked if I liked the car. I said that I certainly did. ‘So do I, because I built it,’ said the guy, smiling proudly.”

Paul doesn’t think this kind of pride could have been created anywhere else.

“If Volvo Cars had been headquartered in Stockholm, we’d have been a different company. Our history, with the textile industry that created SKF, which in turn created Volvo, could only happen here. And with the city’s harbour and shipyards, Volvo and Gothenburg are constantly strengthening each other.”

Paul gives us a tour of the Volvo Museum. It’s an exciting journey through Sweden’s industrial history and social development with a large dose of nostalgia. Plans are underway to make this history more accessible to everyone visiting Gothenburg. Discussions are in progress about creating an activity and experience centre next to Liseberg, Sweden’s largest amusement park, which is currently investing in a big new family hotel and water park.

Liseberg’s CEO Andreas Andersen is very positive to these plans.

“The synergy is clear for all three players: Gothenburg, Volvo and Liseberg. From a national perspective, Liseberg is a leading brand – one of Sweden’s top five – but internationally, Volvo has a stronger brand than either Liseberg or Gothenburg. When I’m abroad I sometimes get asked if I’m from Volvo city,” he says.

Copyright: Ulrica Segersten (text), Samuel Unéus (photo)

This article is an excerpt from “Magasin Göteborg”. To read the entire Magazine (in Swedish) click here.

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