Ambassador Peter Ericson – Sweden's Case for Open Collaboration
Sweden and Finland share centuries of history. We are close geographically, culturally and socially, and our economies are very much intertwined:
· Sweden is Finland’s largest export market.
· Sweden is also by far the largest source of Foreign Direct Investment to Finland, as well as the largest destination for Finnish investments abroad, amounting to roughly one quarter of the total in each direction.
· Some 750 Swedish companies are present in Finland, employing more than 90.000 people, and over 700 Finnish companies are present in Sweden, employing some 60.000 people.
Our close relations are a source of strength for both countries, and particularly valuable in the current state of world affairs.
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Global trade is entering a more complex phase, one in which geopolitical tensions, supply chain fragility and the gradual return of protectionist measures are reshaping the conditions under which companies invest and plan for the long term. Strengthening competitiveness while keeping markets open is a challenge that no single country or region can address alone, and it calls for a more deliberate approach to international partnership.
Sweden’s answer has been to double down on openness. A consistent advocate for a deeper single market and stronger EU competitiveness, Sweden has also sought to broaden its engagement with partners across the world, based on the view that open, rules-based trade and international cooperation remain the most reliable foundations for long-term growth. Finland has the same approach.
In December 2025, the Swedish government launched the “Made with Sweden” initiative, bringing together public and private actors to increase exports, attract investment and strengthen international cooperation at a time when many countries are moving in the opposite direction. The initiative positions Sweden as a partner in joint development, production and innovation, reflecting the view that trade and investment are inherently reciprocal. The ambition is to build long-term relationships in which both sides develop and grow together, with partners who share that approach.
The practical framework supporting this work is Team Sweden, a collaboration platform established by the government that brings together government agencies, companies and industry partners to strengthen Swedish exports, attract investment and support international business opportunities. Working across domestic and international networks, it is designed to make Sweden’s trade and investment promotion more coherent and business-oriented, while giving Swedish companies support in international expansion and ensuring that international companies have a clear point of entry to find out what Sweden has to offer.
What makes Sweden an attractive place to build and invest is not the result of any single policy or advantage, but a combination of factors that have developed over a long period and reinforce one another in ways that are difficult to replicate in isolation. Government, business and academia have a long tradition of close cooperation, reflected in how research moves into commercial applications, how new companies develop and in the kind of environment that has consistently produced internationally successful entrepreneurs across a wide range of sectors. The level of research and development investments remains among the highest in the EU as a share of GDP, with enterprises accounting for most of it, while access to skilled expertise and a vibrant capital market further strengthen the foundation. Since the current trade and investment strategy was adopted, additional steps have followed to strengthen these conditions further: permitting processes have been shortened, bureaucracy reduced, taxes lowered, and initiatives introduced to attract international talent.
In energy systems, advanced manufacturing, life sciences, telecommunications and materials development, Sweden has built industrial capability over many decades, and international interest in partnership across these sectors remains considerable. An electricity grid that is almost entirely carbon-free adds another important dimension, particularly for companies operating in or transitioning toward green value chains, where the emissions profile of production is increasingly both a commercial and regulatory consideration.
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When it comes to partnership, the relationship between Sweden and Finland offers a perfect example of what deep integration can achieve over time. Built on shared value chains, close research cooperation and longstanding institutional ties, reinforced further in recent years by both countries’ membership in NATO, it reflects a model in which talent, knowledge and industry move naturally across borders. That degree of integration has helped create a broader Nordic environment characterised by advanced industries, strong innovation capacity and high levels of trust between public institutions, academia and businesses. Taken together, the Nordic region offers a scale and depth of cooperation that individual national markets would struggle to replicate alone.
The partnerships being formed now, across sectors, across borders and across the transitions reshaping the global economy, are likely to help define what comes next. Sweden is ready to be part of that work and is actively looking for partners who are as well.
Peter Ericson
Ambassador of Sweden to Finland
Image: Stina Stoor