Ebba Busch

Speech by Minister for Energy, Business and Industry and Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch at the technology fair CES, Consumer Electronics Show, in Las Vegas, 8 January 2025. Check against delivery.

Sweden aims to be one of the world’s leading countries in research and innovation. In the research and innovation bill, the Government is investing SEK 6.5 billion on research and innovation of the highest quality. Investments include funding for excellent research, increased and competitive funding for higher education institutions, enhanced research infrastructure and investments in groundbreaking technologies to position Sweden at the forefront.

The Government decided today to task Business Sweden with stepping up its efforts to promote investments in the Swedish battery value chain, i.e. in all parts of production. The aim is to enable capital and important expertise to be brought into and retained in the Swedish business sector. The assignment also includes helping relevant companies and national, regional and local actors with advice and contacts.

On 7 October 2023, Hamas committed the worst mass murder of Jews since the Holocaust. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson was joined by other ministers in a ceremony at Stockholm’s Great Synagogue on the evening of 7 October 2024 to honour the memory of the victims of the attack.

On 22 September, the Global Digital Compact (GDC), the first framework for global governance of digital technology, was adopted in connection with the UN Summit of the Future in New York. The Swedish Government was represented by Minister for Energy, Business and Industry and Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch. The GDC is one of the most concrete aspects of the multilateral Pact for the Future adopted by UN Member States ahead of the 2024 General Assembly. Other key discussions addressed the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for 2030, energy policy, development issues and how to achieve the global climate goals.

Yesterday, 23 September, Minister for Energy, Business and Industry and Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch took part in a meeting between ministers and other high representatives of countries that backed a COP28 declaration on the need to triple production of nuclear energy by 2050. In conjunction with the meeting, global banks and financial institutions backed the countries’ ambition to increase production of electricity from nuclear energy.

On 21–23 September, Minister for Energy, Business and Industry and Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch will take part in the opening of the UN Summit of the Future in New York. Ahead of the Summit, Sweden has played an important role leading negotiations on the new Global Digital Compact. In conjunction with the Summit, Ms Busch will attend a G7 ministerial meeting on continued energy support to Ukraine. She will also meet representatives of governments, banks and industry to discuss the role of nuclear energy in the green transition.

On 22–30 September, the 79th session of the UN General Assembly is being highlighted in New York. In conjunction with the session, a high-level debate and several high-level meetings will convene, including the Summit of the Future. Sweden will be represented by Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch, Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Benjamin Dousa and Minister for Health Care Acko Ankarberg Johansson.

The Government has approved an additional SEK 500 million in support for heating and electricity supply in Ukraine. According to World Bank calculations, the support could help generate electricity for 185 000 people, making this Sweden’s largest contribution yet to Ukrainian energy supply. 

Sweden and the United States have entered into a new agreement to further the development of new nuclear power. Minister for Energy, Business and Industry Ebba Busch has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on bilateral nuclear cooperation in Washington, D.C. with US Secretary of Energy Jennifer Granholm. This agreement aims to strengthen cooperation between Sweden and the United States to support the development of new nuclear power. 

The Government has decided that Svenska kraftnät, Sweden’s power grid authority, may provide backup power generators to Ukraine, to support the country’s energy supply.

Critical minerals are essential to meet our climate goals and transition to a prosperous net-zero economy. As countries around the world work to secure access to these critical mineral resources, it is equally important that the path to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to net zero is built with a human rights–based approach and a commitment to sustainability.

The EU has adopted its fourteenth sanctions package against Russia in response to Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine. The sanctions aim to further limit the Russian state’s revenues and Russia’s capacity to wage war, and they are an important part of the EU’s support for Ukraine. The new package includes stricter measures targeting the shadow fleet and imports of Russian liquefied natural gas (LNG).

Friday 31 May, Prime Minster Ulf Kristersson hosted a Nordic-Ukrainian Summit in Stockholm. Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, Finland’s President Alexander Stubb, Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen, Norway’s Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre and Iceland’s Prime Minister Bjarni Benediktsson took part.

Today, 29 May, the Government is presenting its 16th and largest military support package to Ukraine to date since Russia’s full-scale invasion began. Sweden will provide Ukraine with a completely new capability to strengthen its collective air defence. The package, which will be part of an upcoming additional amending budget, amounts to SEK 13.3 billion and will meet Ukraine’s prioritised needs.

The King and Queen of Denmark will pay a State Visit to Sweden on 6–7 May 2024 at the invitation of His Majesty The King.

On 9 April, Minister for Energy, Business and Industry and Deputy Prime Minister Ebba Busch and Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell gathered leading actors in Team Sweden for a high-level meeting. The aim was to jointly foster better conditions for improved global competitiveness and foreign trade, and bolster Sweden’s position internationally. The Government organised the meeting to discuss the work already in progress and the joint path forward.

To improve the conditions for cooperation between Swedish and American universities, research institutions and businesses on research, innovation and education, Vinnova and the Swedish Research Council have signed a five-year memorandum of understanding with the National Science Foundation (NSF) of the United States of America.

The Government will task the Swedish Institute with establishing and coordinating a Team Sweden group to create positive interest and confidence in Sweden abroad. This initiative is being presented today, 9 April, at a high-level meeting that includes discussions and a presentation of the work on Sweden’s strategy for foreign trade, investment and global competitiveness (the foreign trade strategy) with leading actors within Team Sweden. Minister for Business, Industry and Innovation Ebba Busch and Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell hosted the meeting.

On Monday 11 March, Sweden’s flag was raised at NATO headquarters in Brussels. Together with Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson, a number of Ministers of the Swedish Government also took part. HRH Crown Princess Victoria, Supreme Commander of the Armed Forces Micael Bydén and the leaders of the Social Democrats, Sweden Democrats and Centre Party were in attendance as well.