Sweden mobilising efforts to boost global competitiveness and foreign trade

The Government has presented its publication ‘A concerted approach to intellectual property’. This is part of the Government’s effort to strengthen Sweden’s innovative capacity and competitiveness and to promote and secure a rich cultural offering, both nationally and globally.

The Government’s overarching objective for intellectual property (IP) is to strengthen Sweden’s innovative capacity and competitiveness and to promote and secure a rich cultural offering, both nationally and globally. Strategic management and protection of IP assets using IP law is particularly important at a time when the global race for strategic technology gains is playing out against a backdrop of geopolitical turbulence.

At COP30, Ministers Bhupender Yadav of India and Romina Pourmokhtari of Sweden announced that Indian and Swedish companies have partnered and been shortlisted to develop pre-pilot steel and cement projects in India under the India–Sweden Industry Transition Partnership. This marks a significant step forward in bilateral cooperation on accelerating the shift towards low-carbon industrial solutions, which are essential to reach global climate goals.

Stratégie industrielle de défense pour une Suède plus forte − innovation, production et coopération.

Defence Industry Strategy for a stronger Sweden − innovation, production and cooperation. A strategy for Sweden’s defence industry with the aim of creating an innovative and competitive defence sector with a high production capacity.

Opinion piece by Minister for Migration Johan Forssell in Dagens Industri, 26 June 2025.

Today, 1 July 2025, marks the 25th anniversary of the Öresund Bridge. Sweden and Denmark are close to each other in terms of culture, values and common objectives – and their cooperation has never been closer than it is now. To mark the anniversary, Sweden’s Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson and Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen adopted a declaration with the objective of making the Öresund region safer and more competitive and simplifying living and working across the border.

2025 constitutes a critical year for climate action. All parties to the Paris Agreement will present new national climate plans, so called Nationally Determined Contributions, NDC:s, ahead of the UN Climate Change Conference in November. It is urgent to act to keep the 1.5ºC limit within reach. At the same time, the green transition offers opportunities for growth, jobs and prosperity. Swedish businesses are in the forefront of innovative green solutions and stand ready to engage with partners.

On 13 March, the UAE’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Foreign Affairs H.H. Sheikh Abdullah bin Zayed Al Nahyan visited Stockholm. The aim was to deepen cooperation in trade, investment and regional and global issues. Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard hosted the visit, which was a significant step in strengthening ties between the two countries.

More than 600 leading Swedish and international companies, investors and decision-makers gathered in Stockholm on 19 February for the Join Sweden Summit, the Government’s international investment conference that set a new attendance record this year. Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson hosted the conference.

On Wednesday 19 February, Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson is hosting the Join Sweden Summit 2025, bringing together more than 600 international and Swedish companies, investors and decision makers. HRH Prince Daniel will open the conference and a number of Government ministers are also participating.

Sweden’s national life sciences strategy serves as a long-range framework, and the strategy’s eight priority areas remain the starting point for this update of the previous strategy from 2019.

Yesterday, Minister for Migration Johan Forssell was presented with a memorandum entitled Bättre migrationsrättsliga regler för forskare och studenter (‘Better migration regulations for researchers and students’). It contains proposals with a view to improving the migration regulations for foreign researchers and doctoral and other serious students, and to counteract abuse of residence permits for studies.

On 19–21 November, HM The King paid a State Visit to Singapore at the invitation of President Tharman Shanmugaratnam. Sweden’s Government was represented by Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard, Minister for Infrastructure and Housing Andreas Carlson, State Secretary Håkan Jevrell from the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and State Secretary Miriam Söderström from the Ministry of Health and Social Affairs. Around 50 Swedish companies, government agencies and higher education institutions took part in the business delegation arranged by Business Sweden.

Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard spoke at the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS) in Singapore on 20th November 2024. During this IISS Raffles Lecture Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard talked about strengthening Cross-Regional Security: Sweden and the Indo-Pacific. Check against delivery.

On 17–18 October, Nigerian Vice President Kashim Shettima visited Sweden to enhance cooperation in trade and investment, regional security and global issues. Minister for Foreign Affairs Maria Malmer Stenergard hosted the visit, which is an important step in strengthening the ties between the countries – not least by exploring new opportunities for cooperation in business and innovation.

On 16 September, the Swedish Government received the Government of Finland for a joint government meeting. The aim was to further strengthen the deep cooperation between the two countries. It also provided an opportunity for the Ministry for Foreign Affairs’ two new ministers to welcome their Finnish counterparts for the first time. Support to Ukraine and support to innovative scale-ups were the focus.

On 10–11 June, Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell will travel to Berlin to take part in the annual Ukraine Recovery Conference together with Business Sweden’s CEO Jan Larsson and Director-General of the Swedish International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida) Jakob Granit. This year’s conference will focus in particular on the important role of the private sector in reconstruction, the importance of international cooperation and the human dimension. During his visit to Berlin, Mr Forssell will also meet with the German Minister for Economic Cooperation and Development Svenja Schulze. He will also visit the German Vattenfall office.

Speech by Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade Johan Forssell on the occasion of Africa Day. Egyptian Embassy, Stockholm, 28 May. Check against delivery.

Today, Nordic heads of government signed a joint declaration on the future of Nordic competitiveness, growth and security. The declaration was signed in connection with the Nordic summit hosted by Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson on 13 May in Stockholm.