Since 1989 SACC-DC has offered a platform for developing U.S. – Swedish lucrative commercial ventures and professional opportunities through our network and business and social events. The SACC-DC Newsletter will help you stay on top of what’s happening in the Swedish-American business community and find the perfect opportunity to create new business connections in the greater Washington D.C. area and Mid-Atlantic region. |
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From the Executive Director
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Dear Friends,
In Washington D.C. we are looking to the Biden administration’s next major initiative, a long-term economic program expected to be even bigger than the $1.9 trillion Covid-19 stimulus act. The proposal will reportedly include public investments in infrastructure, green energy, education, and efforts to strengthen the social safety net. The Biden administration is expected to seek to fund the initiative with increases in taxes rather than government debt, as foreshadowed in Biden’s election campaign which vowed to reform the tax system to address declining federal revenues and growing inequality. Watch the space as the fiscal stimulus pans out and lawmakers attempt to make the next major economic package a bipartisan project. The February jobs report showed an unemployment rate at 6.2% which was right on the money with what economists at Dow Jones and the Wall Street Journal had predicted. Meanwhile, the chief U.S. economist at Oxford Economic expects the economy to add seven million jobs and the unemployment rate to fall to below 5% by year-end with a 7% real GDP growth 2021.
This is also the year the once-every-17-year red-eyed cellophane-like winged cicadas are poised to emerge en masse in our region the third week of April with their characteristically raucous clicking and thrumming lasting into June.
The National Park Service anticipates peak cherry blossom bloom April 2-5 but discourages visits to the Tidal Basin as the Washington DC area is currently assessed to be at a high COVID-19 risk level albeit against the backdrop of expanding vaccine distribution and improving health conditions.
With that, I wish you health and a prosperous Spring season.
Karin
PS. Don’t miss our webinars offering the skinny on the Washington D.C. dynamics and how it impacts your business coupled with trade and investment insights at large; sign up for your membership here.
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Meet Co-founder & Chief Executive Officer of BAO Systems, Steffen Tengesdal
Could you tell me a little bit about yourself and your career path? I am originally from Norway, but I moved to the United States rather young to attend high school and later college. Professionally, I started off in the software development industry. At the time, the whole internet thing was in its infancy so I spent a lot of time with web development such as building websites and applications and eventually doing more custom applications. An example would be e-commerce driven sites, business-to-business driven sites, and so on. My career started with a company called computer science corporations and I was actually hired there while still in high school. From there, I started to go into more health-related work, so when I left there, I started working for an agency called the Agency for Healthcare and Research Quality which is under the national institute of health.
I later left that job to start my own company called Black Barn Media which was more of a web application firm. After a few years, my company was acquired by a company called Social & Scientific Systems and I started to work for them by building similar applications along with some work for the Obama administration around open data. With that, I started to focus more on the health side of things. I was then able to travel to several developing countries such as Zambia and Uganda which was great because I was able to see the direct impact that my technology had within these countries. From there I decided to start another company which was BAO.
BAO Systems is an industry leader in digital data solutions, for those who are not familiar with this industry, what do BAO systems do? A lot of what we do is about data collection, data analysis, and data use. It is also around a variety of topics within the healthcare industry, like the disease-related collection. We are also collecting data for family planning like pregnancy tracking or counseling planning. Our software is enabling data to go through this system where it finally can be used. It is not only about getting, but maybe more important, how can we use that data to make better decisions. BAO systems work in about 70 countries all over the globe, mostly in low and middle-income countries.
Is there a reason why BAO has focused more on Africa and Southeast Asia rather than Europe or South America? Yes, so both Europe and South America have slightly better built-out software in a place where they are able to do more patient-level tracking for example. There seem to be more systems deployed that do the same work as we do. And the software we are working with, called DHIS (District Health Information Systems) started as a project in Africa and has then grown and is used in nearly 100 countries today.
We are starting to see some more developed countries using our system though, for example, Norway started to use our system after COVID to collect data. It is not a system that has gained popularity in Europe (even though it can be used anywhere). We are always looking to expand elsewhere.
Another reason is that our software is currently working on android which is the dominant operating system in both Africa and southeast china and IOS (used for Apple products) are highly popular in North America and Europe. We have another software that is compatible with IOS which is gaining popularity both in Europe and here in the United States.
How has the pandemic affected BAO systems? It might surprise people, but we have seen some opportunities and we have been working with data collecting regarding and vaccine distribution because of the space we work in, but other programs have suffered because COVID has slowed down necessary business traveling. There are also certain programs, like our PEPFAR program which is the United States President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, where data is coming in much slower than we normally see because of COVID and the countries we operate in. We can see an increase in certain other diseases because of the lack of data collection or that people are afraid to go in and get their medication, tests, or vaccination.
It is also important to understand that even though things are slowly getting back to normal here in the West, I do not see an improvement for at least another 12 months in many low-income countries depending on how the vaccination is rolling out.
BAO has been a long-time member of SACC-DC, what value do you see in SACC in times of a pandemic? We have taken advantage of your webinars and gained lots of insights. Similarly, being a member of SACC-DC means that we learn from fellow members; their missions, strategies and goals. I would like to explore more of that in the future; we value the member-to-member engagement which of course has been challenging since the pandemic hit, but I see that you have some in-person programming coming up as of September!
Interviewed and written by Rasmus Jonsson, Business Associate.
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Ljusgårda: one of the biggest indoor cultivators in Europe
Growing great tasting greens you can eat with a good conscience, locally, year-round.
In 2017 three entrepreneurs from Tibro, Sweden, got the idea to cultivate salad indoors and created the company Ljusgårda AB. The company started its journey in a garage and has expanded rapidly since. Soon the company will open their newly built 7000 m2 indoor facility which will enable them to produce 30 times the current capacity by growing the salad vertically.
Ljusgårda and Tibro are situated in Skaraborg, a region in Sweden with a long history of various industries. The company’s CEO, Andreas Wilhelmsson, says “Skaraborg has a lot of experience in building effective factories which we have incorporated and utilized when we built our factory”. Ljusgårda’s new factory has a higher degree of automatization and is built at a lower cost. The new factory will enable Ljusgårda to meet a bigger demand for salad. The company will be able to produce up to 60 tons however this is not enough. “There is a huge demand for local salad in Sweden and we are planning to build more factories in the future”, says Andreas. Currently Ljusgårda is delivering local salad to the region and to bigger cities such as Örebro, Jönköping, and Gothenburg but with the new factory, they will broaden their market to also reach the Stockholm region.
The company has a strong focus on sustainability. By moving the production of salad to Sweden the company decrease the emissions from transportation and do not need to use pesticides to grow the salad. By the very core, the business idea is sustainable. But besides that, the company always tries to find more sustainable ways to operate the business. They are taking advantage of residues and ensure that the inputs are the very best. Andreas says, “It is so natural to us and we incorporate it in every decision we make”. For example, Ljusgårda knows that the consumers demand salad in a package but instead of using a package entirely made of plastic they use a more sustainable option.
Ljusgårda wants to make Sweden more self-sufficient in vegetables and fruits. Andreas sees no obstacles in making this happen but there is a long way to go. Step by step the company contributes to this by increasing their volumes and in the near future they will start growing other vegetables and fruits to expand their product assortment. The goal of Ljusgårda is to become the world leader in indoor cultivation and being in the top 120 food-tech companies in the world, they are already on a good path.
Researched and written by David Grönqvist - Business Associate
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INTERNATIONAL WOMEN'S DAY
To celebrate International Women's Day, March 8th, SACC-DC together with SACC-Georgia and SACC-Carolinas created a lunch-webinar highlighting highly successful women in various industries talking about their relation to sustainability.
The featured speakers included Caroline Decker, VP of the Northeast Corridor Service Line at Amtrak; Petra Wadström, the founder and CEO of Solvatten; Katarina Thorstensson, Smart Tourism & Sustainability Strategist at Göteborg & CO; Anna Lindberg, CEO, and founder of Anima; Katarina Fjording, Head of Volvo Car University & Sustainability of Americas.
As a part of SACC-DC's sustainability series, the webinar included the impact of female leadership, sustainable innovations, and much more.
The webinar was a huge success with nearly 80 attendees.
SACC-DC would like to thank tall the panelists, Ida Pond and Elin Ringqvist at SACC-Georgia as well as Riber Gustafson at SACC-Carolinas for making this event happen.
The entire webinar was also recorded and can be found on our website.
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Volvo Cars to be fully electric by 2030
Volvo Cars is committed to becoming a leader in the fast-growing premium electric car market and plan to become a fully electric car company by 2030.
By then, the company intends to only sell fully electric cars and phase out any car in its global portfolio with an internal combustion engine, including hybrids.
The company’s transition towards becoming a fully electric car maker is part of its ambitious climate plan, which seeks to consistently reduce the life cycle carbon footprint per car through concrete action.
Its decision also builds on the expectation that legislation, as well as a rapid expansion of accessible high-quality charging infrastructure, will accelerate consumer acceptance of fully electric cars.
Volvo Cars’ move towards full electrification comes together with an increased focus on online sales and a more complete, attractive, and transparent consumer offer under the name Care by Volvo. All fully electric models will be available online only.
The 2030 ambition represents an acceleration of Volvo Cars’ electrification strategy, driven by strong demand for its electrified cars in recent years and a firm conviction that the market for combustion engine cars is a shrinking one.
“To remain successful, we need profitable growth. So instead of investing in a shrinking business, we choose to invest in the future – electric and online,” said Håkan Samuelsson, chief executive. “We are fully focused on becoming a leader in the fast-growing premium electric segment.”
Volvo Cars launched its first fully electric car, the XC40 Recharge, in markets around the globe last year. Later today the company will reveal its second fully electric car, a new model in the 40 Series.
In coming years Volvo Cars will roll out several additional electric models, with more to follow. Already by 2025, it aims for 50 percent of its global sales to consist of fully electric cars, with the rest hybrids. By 2030, every car it sells should be fully electric.
“There is no long-term future for cars with an internal combustion engine,” said Henrik Green, chief technology officer. “We are firmly committed to becoming an electric-only car maker and the transition should happen by 2030. It will allow us to meet the expectations of our customers and be a part of the solution when it comes to fighting climate change.”
Courtesy of Volvo Cars
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PAC's, Public Affairs, and the value of Personal Relationships - A Conversation with Bob Thomas
An interview from SACC-USA
Could you tell me a little bit about yourself and your career path?
Professionally, I started out in technology sales with an IBM affiliate. I quickly moved to medical device sales, and then moved up the ranks into leadership in the medical device sales community. From there, I transitioned to government affairs. Half of my career has been medical device sales, the other half in government affairs and advocacy, about 15 years in each bucket. Here in the U.S., we have a fast-food chain called Denny’s. I always say my career in public affairs is like a meal at Denny’s: nobody plans to go to Denny’s, but we all end up there at some point. I didn’t plan to be a government affairs professional, I just ended up here.
Many view public affairs as an abstract concept. How would you define public affairs? What are the difference between public affairs, public relations, and lobbying?
Anytime you advocate for something, you’re lobbying. No matter what side of an issue you’re on, you believe you’re doing the right thing for the country by advocating and lobbying for your point of view on the issue. In terms of public affairs vs public relations, public relations is a more media-centered field, whereas public affairs deal more with elected officials and policy influencers – not necessarily people who work in a legislative capacity, which is lobbying, but instead a wider body of influential people at agencies or policymaking shops that you work to get support from to try and change an issue holistically.
What impact can you see the new government having on business and trade? What changes do you expect to see? Are there any new opportunities?
Here in the U.S., with every new Administration, there are new opportunities and new challenges. I think that the Biden Administration will be receptive and appreciative of collaboration on trade issues. I think there are going to be some opportunities in the trade arena, as well as on climate issues. This Administration will re-invest in the climate-based business, which is always of interest to SACC members.
But just like with any Administration, there were opportunities and then there were challenges. The Trump Administration took a firm “America first” type of approach, which created some wins for rural communities but caused collateral damage to our international trading partners. But when it came to the regulatory and tax issue areas, for the most part, the Trump Administration’s actions were appreciated by companies. Under President, Biden companies are bracing for higher fees and regulatory environments, as well as higher costs of doing business, while continuing to fight our way through the unbelievable challenges of the global pandemic. History will be the judge of what was effective and what wasn’t, and it could be different depending on the issue.
Read the full interview with Bob here.
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The COVID-19 pandemic has been a crisis of global dimensions, which has magnified the differences in how countries engage in disaster management, resilience, and recovery. In order to surface valuable lessons learned, the Institute for Sustainable Development and the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce have teamed up to shine a spotlight on the similarities and differences between the Swedish and American responses to the novel coronavirus. There will be particular emphasis on how culture and the public health response affected social and economic conditions. This discussion is particularly helpful for local, state, and national public and private policy makers, philanthropists, and corporate citizens as the COVID response moves into a new phase of recovery, and planning begins to reduce the risks of future pandemics.
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In honor of March's International Women's Day, join Pillsbury and the SACC organization for their inaugural Flywheel, a 30-minute conversation with women in finance.
Link to registration, here!
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Delegation program incl. High-Level Forum |
Digital MedTech & Pharma Trade Delegation in collaboration with Swecare. The dates of the actual delegation program are still preliminary but planned for the end of March. Apart from webinars of regulatory and reimbursement issues, the program will consist of a high-level forum to discuss common challenges in healthcare, with a focus on showcasing Swedish solutions. If possible, there will also be digital "study visits" to healthcare providers.
Date: March 24
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SAVE THE DATE
The Swedish-American Chambers of Commerce of the United States of America (SACC-USA) cordially invites you to our flagship event, the Executive Forum on June 17, 2021, in Washington D.C. The event is held in collaboration with the Embassy of Sweden in House of Sweden. This year’s theme – Business and Trade Opportunities under the Biden Administration – will give the latest insights in business and politics.
The Executive Forum will include keynote speakers, panels, fireside chats and round table discussions. We anticipate high-level representation from both the U.S. Administration and the Swedish Government. Take this opportunity to gain exclusive insights and expand your network among Swedish and American top executives, experts and politicians.
To conclude the day, a cocktail and dinner reception will be hosted by H.E. Karin Olofsdotter, Ambassador of Sweden to the United States. Attendees are also invited to enjoy a dinner cruise along the Potomac River, the evening before the event, June 16. We have also reserved a second date, September 30 as back-up, should it not be possible to host an in-person event on June 17.
The Executive Forum is a premier networking event and an outstanding platform to meet the broader Swedish-American business and diplomat community as well as key policymakers.
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Other Previous Events/Webinars |
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How Does Bill Gates Plan to Solve the Climate Crisis? |
On February 25, Microsoft founder and philanthropist Bill Gates spoke about climate change at a virtual event to an audience of students from American University and other D.C. universities. SACC-DC's trainee, Rasmus, is in his last semester at American University and was able to attend the webinar. Gates remains optimistic about our future, especially given that President Joe Biden’s administration has prioritized addressing climate change. Taking a positive approach is more effective than using scare tactics, Gates said.
Moreover, many audience members were curious about how to approach a net-zero carbon future. Gates said that the answer is rooted in innovation and a “Green Premium,” the difference between the cost of “clean” technology and technology that would contribute to carbon emissions.
Finally, Gates urged the audience to care more about the climate and become educated on these issues.
“For the rest of your life, people are going to be talking about climate,” Gates said. “You’ll be a far more sophisticated reader and understand … ‘How big a deal is it?’”
Written by Rasmus Jonsson
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Webinar Opportunities: Sustainability Series 2021
Renewable energy, green financing, bio-based materials, circular economy, sustainable logistics, etc. - sustainability is a highly popular topic!
We are currently looking for sponsors and hosts for our Sustainability Webinar Series. There is a great interest in sustainability in our Swedish-American network. Are you and/or your organization a sustainability-enthusiast and wants to update us about the latest innovations within this field? Do not hesitate to host, sponsor and/or participate in a webinar, discussing your topics with other experts and business leaders!
Please contact Business Associate Thea Nguyen at Thea.nguyen@sacc-dc.org for further information!
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Renew your membership today!
SACC DC organizes many events throughout the year to give our members access to professional networking. Our annual flagship business events include SACC Summit, the Young Professionals program and other corporate events, seminars and workshops. We also tailor trade missions for Swedish companies interested in the Greater Washington, D.C. area.
Whether an individual with a keen interest in or connection with Sweden living in D.C. or a company looking to establish new relationships, we can help you reach your next goal.
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