March 2017
WORDS FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
 
This past week President Trump gave his first address to C ongress. It was exciting to watch the address and see all of the democrats and republicans gathered in the same room.  While the content remained the same, the speech represented a palpable change of tone for Trump.  In a decidedly more presidential manner Trump opened his address with a nod to the civil rights movement and with reference to several recent bias-related incidents, condemned "hate and evil in all of its very ugly forms." 
 
Despite a softer delivery, the content and agenda remained more of the same, including mention of Trump's pledged infrastructure investment.  The continued promise of a large investment to upgrade roads, railways, airports, and bridges in the U.S. has positive potential for a number of Swedish companies.  One important sector is of course the steel industry, where the U.S. consumes more steel than it produces.  Since steel is needed for all of the aforementioned projects, investment can benefit Swedish steel manufacturers.   With its manufacturing facilities in the U.S., SSAB is an example of a company that might stand to gain from the effect of increased infrastructure investment on the demand for steel. 
 
In light of this,  trade policy issues are particularly important in the current environment and something that SACC-USA will closely follow this spring.  Trade policy in a changing political environment will also be an important topic at our flagship event, Executive Forum on June 1st.  In an evolving environment of uncertainty but also opportunities, the strong trade and economic ties between Sweden and the U.S. are as important as ever.  Sweden is   the largest foreign investor per capita in the U .S. and the U.S. is Sweden's most important export market. SACC is committed to strengthening these ties by promoting trade and business, dialog, and talent mobility between our two markets.






SAVE THE DATE
EXECUTIVE FORUM
June 1, 2017

The 2017 edition of Executive Forum will examine Swedish-American business from several crucial  angles and provide in-depth analyses of the first 100 days with the Trump administration. Executive Forum will be an excellent opportunity to network and discuss different perspectives on Swedish-American trade with top business leaders, government representatives, political experts, and other key stakeholders.  The event will feature speakers, panels, and discussions and will be conducted under the Chatham House Rules to encourage openness and the sharing of information.
 
There will be a number of highly successful speakers including Ms. Ann Linde, Sweden's Minister for EU Affairs and Trade (TBC); Jonas Prising, Chairman and CEO of ManpowerGroup; Congressman Randy Hultgren (TBC);   Niklas Heuveldop, Senior Vice President and Head of Sales Ericsson; Nancy McLernon, President and CEO Organization for International Investment; Marek Gootman, Fellow and Director, Strategic Partnerships & Global Initiatives Brookings Institution; Johan Henriksson, President and CEO Skanska Infrastructure Development ; Maria Rankka, CEO Stockholm Chamber of Commerce; and representatives from the Trump administration (TBA).  

Click here for more information, 
or  please contact Mikaela Mijatovic at  memberservices@sacc-usa.org.
 

INSIGHTS
ONGOING DEBATE - ROBOTS STEALING JOBS?
New technology and its effects on job creation in the U.S. and Sweden

There has much recent vocal concern in the U.S. about job loss due to increasing automation and computerization. A common refrain is that "robots are stealing our jobs." This concern is easy to understand given that many industries are expected to experience large changes in the near future.  This includes the transportation industry with the advent of driverless cars and trucks, the retail industry with the growth of internet shopping and automated cashiers, and the manufacturing industry with the ever increasing use of automated production lines. 

However, according to many experts, the worry that robots are stealing jobs is relatively ungrounded.  Since the advent of the industrial revolution, technology has been a force for dynamic change in the labor market, simultaneously disrupting and creating jobs.  Nearly every major new technological innovation that has been introduced in the past two centuries has made old professions redundant while creating new and previously unimagined employment opportunities. In the long run, technological evolution will lead to increased efficiency and prosperity. An example of this in the past is that, according the U.S. Chamber of Commerce , automation has helped the U.S. increase production of goods by approximately 85 percent over the 1987 level with about two thirds the number of workers.  Simultaneously, the labor market has evolved as employment has shifted away from manufacturing and into the service sector.  

Although technological developments will lead to overall greater prosperity in the long run, conditions along the way depend on how the government and labor market partners manage the dislocations associated with technological change.  According to Mårten Blix, PhD in Economics at the Swedish Research Institute of Industrial Economics, successfully promoting stable future employment depends on reducing payroll taxes, updating regulations for the digital age, promoting life-long learning, and reducing social-security system differences between employees and the self-employed.  As a country that has embraced automation in a wide range of sectors, Sweden offers a good example for those in the U.S. who are worried about the future of technology's impact on employment.  Over the past twenty years the quick and pervasive spread of automation in Sweden has been accompanied by a large increase in highly paid jobs and strong overall wage growth. 

Read more about automation in Sweden  here.

NEWS 
SPOTIFY EXPANDING IN THE U.S.
Spotify is set to add 1,000 jobs and move its U.S. headquarters

In the U.S. subscriptions to Spotify and its music streaming rivals more than doubled last year. With such growth Spotify intends to pursue further expansion in the U.S.  As part of its expansion, Spotify, the world's largest music streaming service is set to move its U.S. headquarters to the World Trade Center complex.  In addition to the move, Spotify will also be adding 1,000 new jobs in New York by 2018.  The company will also be retaining 842 existing jobs. 

In its new offices, Spotify will be receiving a $11 million of World Trade Center Rent Reduction rent credits from Empire State Development.  The company's move makes 4 World Trade the first tower in the World Trade Center Complex to be fully leased. Speaking about the importance of the location, Spotify's general counsel, Horatio Gutierrez said,  "New York gives us access to the most diverse talent market in the world."

Read more here.
ON SAAB'S GROWTH IN THE US, OPPORTUNITIES, AND SWEDISH-AMERICAN SYNERGIES IN THE DEFENSE INDUSTRY
Recent Interview with Michael Andersson

eCurrents recently had the opportunity to speak with Michael Andersson, President and CEO of Saab North America Inc. 
 
According to Michael, Saab's increasing success in the U.S. can be traced back to the decision in 2008/2009 to develop a much more aggressive approach to the U.S. market as part of a new Saab-wide strategy of building a stronger local presence in their most important markets.  Following this decision, Saab North America, Inc. was  established in the U.S. to grow the business in a much more structured way. 

Saab's growth strategy consisted of two main avenues: first, to work on broad business development activities in order to  bring more of Saab's technologies to the U.S. market, and second, to build important partnerships with major U.S. based industry to add Saab technology into new and existing major programs for the U.S. customer. In addition, steps were taken to re-organize and consolidate the company's existing defense operations in the U.S. into a single entity, Saab Defense and Security USA, also positioned for future growth. Finally, a strategic Merger and Acquisition strategy is being implemented to provide additional market access and new niche technology or capability.
 
Saab's acquisition of Sensis Corporation in 2011 is a perfect example of both gaining market access as well as integrating new niche technology into the company. The acquisition set the stage both for Saab's global leadership position in the Air Traffic Management market as well as in Radars and Sensors in the U.S.

Consolidating its U.S. operations allowed Saab to take advantage of synergies between its various operations, improved communication with its customers, and achieved stronger branding in the U.S.  In order to bring more of its technologies to the U.S. market Saab pursues partnerships and joint ventures with U.S. companies.  Saab works with partners to develop new technologies and solutions and to compete for contracts.  An outstanding example of this is Saab's current partnership with Boeing to develop a new jet trainer to compete for the U.S. Air Force's Advanced Pilot Training contract (T-X).

Another important example of Saab's cooperation with U.S. companies is its joint venture, Vricon, established in partnership with DigitalGlobe.  Through this two-year old venture Saab has merged its 3-D rapid mapping technology with DigitalGlobe's satellite imagery data to provide unmatched capability and a totally new, disruptive, technology to the U.S. government. 

Today, two cornerstone product areas for Saab in the U.S. are its radar portfolio, with a strong position in the naval domain and its ground combat portfolio, including the AT-4 and Carl-Gustav recoilless rifle, which has a strong foothold with both the U.S. Army and Special Operations forces. 
 
Looking forward, Michael acknowledged that with the recent changes in the political arena there are many things that can be considered. However, he stated that in examining political developments and their effects on the business environment, Saab focuses primarily on one area: the U.S. Defense Budget. The Secretary of Defense has indicated that the new budget will prioritize readiness and represent a significant increase over last year.  Michael explained that Saab has several programs that the company believes could be positively impacted by the upcoming budget's focus on readiness.  These include Saab's signature management business, its Training and Simulation business, Shoulder-fired weapons, and even its radar business.  Saab believes that all of these programs have the potential to benefit from the new budget's initiatives, however, Michael noted that it is still early in the budgetary process and that nothing is certain until numbers are translated into funded programs.  

In the interview Michael also went into detail about the synergies between Saab and the American defense industries.  He explained that partnerships between Saab and American companies contain three mutually reinforcing components.  The first component is what Saab would like to do in the U.S.  In this regard, Saab's highest priority is making the U.S. defense industries more competitive with its solutions.  With its broad, high-tech, well-developed, and relatively mature product portfolio, Saab has what it refers to as off-the-shelf solutions that can often be integrated into U.S. partners' broader offerings.  The fact that Saab has technology that is ready to go, having often been tested and deployed in other programs around the world, makes Saab a strong and interesting partner.  In fact, in many cases, the company sees itself as a technology partner rather than a competitor to other U.S. industry. The second component in Saab's Swedish-American partnerships is the longstanding, broad technological cooperation between Sweden and the U.S. in the defense arena.  There are many programs that are highly important for Sweden in which Saab uses U.S. technologies. According to Michael, the Saab Gripen is the ultimate example of this.  Depending on the configuration of the aircraft as much as 40-50% of the plane's content can be of U.S. origin.  This is also important because it brings jobs and revenue to the U.S. economy as well as to Sweden. The third component of Saab's Swedish-American partnerships is one that Michael believes most people do not think about.  That is how the company's U.S. partners look at Saab with its international footprint as a strong partner to help U.S. industry capture more business abroad.  What makes Saab an especially attractive partner according to Michael, is that they can engage American companies with all three components.  

 
Michael also spoke about Saab's engagement with SACC. He explained how that for both him personally and the company it is important to be an integrated part of the Swedish business community so that Saab can relay its message about who it is and what it is trying to do in the U.S.  Michael believes that it is important to get other businesses' perspectives on operating in the U.S. and sees SACC as a forum for sharing ideas and experiences and discussing challenges and opportunities. Additionally, Michael views SACC as another medium through which to reach out to stake holders.  Saab works closely with the Embassy of Sweden and Michael believes that the SACC presence, whether through SACC-DC or SACC-USA is closely aligned with the embassy's activities.

 
SWEDEN - THE BEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD IN WHICH TO DO BUSINESS
Sweden takes the top spot for the first time 

According to the latest ranking by Forbes, Sweden is the best country in the world in which to do business.  Forbes has been ranking countries on business friendliness for the past 11 years.  Having moved up four spots from last year, Sweden currently occupies the top spot for the first time. Forbes' rankings are based upon 11 equally weighted categories: property rights, innovation, taxes, technology, corruption, freedom (personal, trade and monetary), red tape, investor protection, and stock market performance.  

While Sweden has been ranked among the top ten countries for seven of the past 11 years, it has seen consistent improvement in its ranking, climbing from 17th in 2006 to 1st today.  According to Forbes, Sweden's improvement has been driven by the combination of deregulation and budget self-restraint as well as strong performance in recent macroeconomic indicators. 

Read more here .
                                                                                            Image source                                                                                        
AMERICANS LOOKING FOR SWEDISH PRODUCTS?
New apps by Nordstjernan allow you to find Swedish-American businesses and events in the U.S. 

The Swedish American newspaper Nordstjernan has recently released two new mobile apps that allow users to find Swedish American businesses and events in the U.S.  Do you miss any favorite products from Sweden? Maybe you want to find Marabou chocolate, a cinnamon bun, or traditional meatballs. Sweden In America enables users to search for businesses, products, and services by name and location.  Do you want to attend or host a Swedish American cultural or professional event?  SwedenEvents helps users find a range of Swedish related events across the U.S.  

Both apps are free and Nordstjernan is currently seeking to expand the community of business and organizations.  If your business or event is not displayed, Nordstjernan's apps allow you to easily add the relevant information to the database.
 
Read more and download the apps  here.
SWEDISHNESS - EXPLAINING ALL THINGS SWEDISH
A new official podcast explaining Sweden 

The Swedish Institute has recently launched an English language podcast aimed at explaining Sweden to a global audience. The podcast is a seven episode series that seeks to explain Swedish phenomena and cultural traditions.  In each episode, the co-hosts Kattis Ahlström and Philip O'Connor, an Irish journalist who has lived in Sweden for 18 years interview both Swedish and non-Swedish experts.  Swedishness will cover a wide rang of topics including parental leave, Swedish happiness, and Sweden's startup scene.  The series is the country's first official podcast and the Swedish Institute is hoping to present a modern image of Sweden that goes beyond shallow preconceptions. 

You can find the podcast  here.

MEMBER SPOTLIGHT 
SACC-SAN DIEGO ­
Leader in green technology and Nordic cooperation

Hans Janzon took over as president of SACC-San Diego in February 2016 after 30 year of international business experience including 12 years as the CEO of Grolls.  Since joining SACC-San Diego Hans has promoted close cooperation with the Finnish American Chamber of Commerce and has continued to develop SACC-San Diego's long-standing focus on green technology. 
 
Recognizing that both Sweden and Southern California are on the forefront of clean technology innovation, SACC-San Diego has been working since 2012 to bring together American and Swedish cleantech companies in order to promote sustainable solutions for a better future.  Since 2016 SACC-San Diego has organized its yearly green technology indicative, Green Connections in association with the Finnish American Chamber of Commerce.  Like Sweden, Finland is also global leader in sustainability and innovation.  In addition to cohosting events such as Green Connections and business mixers, SACC-San Diego and the Finnish American Chamber of Commerce also cooperate in a joint membership offer through which companies have the opportunity to become members in both organizations. 

This year's edition of Green Connections in May will also serve as an important teaser for a larger conference on green technology that SACC-San Diego will host in November.  One of Hans' current projects has been to contact a large number of Swedish business organizations in order to organize a trade mission in conjunction with the green technology conference in November.  The team at SACC-San Diego is excited for the conference and believes that it will be an excellent opportunity to network with business leaders and build connections in the environmental technology sector.  

Learn more about SACC-San Diego's innovation Green Connections initiative  here

TRAINEE PROGRAM & SCHOLARSHIPS
TRAINEE SUCCESS STORY 
Caroline Reber, former SACC trainee, Google strategist, and author

Originally from southern Sweden, Caroline began a six-month internship in Atlanta in September 2013 after finishing her studies at Stockholm School of Economics. In a recent interview with eCurrents, she explained how important the experience was for her.  In Georgia, she interned for Global Atlanta, a small online newspaper with five employee.  She had heard about the SACC-USA Trainee Program and J-1 visa service from a friend who worked at SACC in Washington, DC and then found the opportunity in Atlanta through the SACC network. At Global Atlanta, Caroline was brought on to work with sales.  She assisted with mapping out new prospective customers, contacting them, and holding meetings with them.   While in Atlanta, she valued working for a small company.  The advantage, she explained, was that everyone got to do a little of everything and that she got to learn a lot by sitting in on projects outside of her area of core responsibility.  

Read the full article here.

You can buy her new book  here .

AVAILABLE POSITIONS
The application for summer and fall internships is now open
 
Apply now and join SACC's team in June 2017!  Below you find a link with a list of currently available internship and trainee positions available in the U.S. through the SACC-USA Trainee Program.
 
Read more about the available positions here.

 
If you have questions please feel free to contact
Pontus Bäfver at  sacctraineeprogram@sacc-usa.org

SWEDISH TALENT FOR U.S. COMPANIES

The SACC-USA Trainee Program offers American companies the opportunity to host interns and trainees from Sweden on a J-1 visa.  Interns offer support to your company in their area of study for up to 12 months, and Trainees provide support and expertise in their occupational field for up to 18 months. A highly motivated, bilingual, and well-educated Swedish exchange visitor will contribute enthusiasm, knowledge, and a European perspective to your company.

Apply now, we have your candidate! Read more  here .

Trainee Logo

CHARMERS ENGINEERING STUDENTS AVAILABLE FOR INTERNSHIPS 

Want a talented and motivated engineering intern? Chalmers University of Technology has 30 engineering students who are looking for internships lasting between 3 and 12 months to begin in June 2017. Chalmers University of Technology is one of Sweden's most prestigious schools, and has partnered with SACC-USA for years to provide access to highly competitive engineering students who are eager to come to the U.S. to gain practical and cultural experience. Participating students have completed at least three years of a five-year master's program.

For more information contact Pontus Bäfver at sacctraineeprogram@sacc-usa.org.
NEW MEMBERS
BIRDROADS AB

SACC-USA's is excited to welcome our  new corporate member, Birdroads  AB.  Birdroads is a consultancy advising on Owner, Board and Management issues.                                        

SPECIAL OFFERS
Offer to SACC Members from Volvo
Benefits with Volvo's A-Plan Plus membership  


Volvo's transformation is in full bloom with new models and new product investments such as Drive-E power trains and connectivity that links Volvo cars to the world. Refined Scandinavian design and safety strengthen Volvo's commitment to its "Designed Around You" philosophy.  Volvo would therefore like to invite SACC members to become A-Plan Plus members, which is a level of service developed exclusi vely for SACC members that is only available through Volvo's A-Plan Plus specialists at Volvo Cars of North America. The offer includes:

-Transparent A-Plan discounted pricing, being approximately 6% off MSRP on eligible models ( the same price Volvo Car USA employees pay).

-An additional $500 bonus on top of any local incentives and offers on eligible models.

Choose where to pick up your new Volvo in the U.S. or in Sweden through our Overseas Delivery Program.

SACC members:
to get your pin number.



Offer to SACC Members from Orrefors & Kosta Boda
50% discount on opening order for all products

F or almost 275 years, Orrefors and Kosta Boda have created crystal and glassware of the finest quality, influenced by the beauty of Sweden's nature. Orrefors has just released a number of fine Craft Beers and has also worked with Volvo to create a crystal gearshift for the new 2016 Volvo CX90. Kosta Boda is renowned for its ingenious and dynamic designs and is a leader in the glassware and art glass field.  Together these companies hold a strong role in the international market and are expected to continue to grow. 

SACC members can enjoy a 50% discount off of retail prices on your opening order for all Orrefors and Kosta Boda products.

SACC members: please contact Donna Nardella, Corporate Director, at dnardella@okbusa.com for the discount.

        
SACC REGIONAL CHAMBER EVENTS
What's Happening at Our Regional Chambers

March 6th

March 7th
SACC-CHICAGO: The founder of Women In Innovation - Kristiina Huikka

March 22nd
SACC-GEORGIA: Amerikadagen 2017

March 23th
SACC-GEORGIA: Member Appreciation Reception 2017

March 30th 
SACC-HOUSTON: Nordic Traditional Thursday