Reaching out, looking in
The Turning Torso skyscraper, designed by Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, illuminates the Malmö skyline.
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Substance with style
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nnovative excellence and proud traditions. Bustling modern cities and picturesque villages. Diverse communities and an unspoilt environment. In Skåne there’s no need to choose: all this and more is right on your doorstep. As Sweden’s southernmost province, we stand at a confluence of cultures. Our fellow Swedes know us as open, laid-back people who combine the best of both worlds: leisure and learning; choice and opportunity; contemporary buzz and illustrious heritage. An international outlook is second nature to us. We cherish close links with our neighbours: Copenhagen is just 30 minutes from Malmö across the Öresund Bridge. A modern transit network – including four airports – puts continental Europe just a stone’s throw away.
Malmö, Sweden’s third largest city, is home to people of no less than 174 different nationalities. With the port city of Helsingborg and the historic university town of Lund it forms an expansive, dynamic conurbation teeming with possibilities. The opera singer Birgit Nilsson, football star Zlatan Ibrahimovic and fictional detective Kurt Wallander are some of our famous names. Bright Skåne minds have created innovations like the heart pacemaker, Bluetooth, ABSOLUT Vodka and the Tetrapak. From our 450 kilometres of coastline to our vibrant cityscapes, Skåne offers a rich tapestry of choice to suit every taste. Come and try us! 3
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Smorgasbord of choice
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n Skåne we understand the value of moving with the times. Once a nation of seafarers and farmers, we are just as known nowadays for our film industry, modern architecture and leadership in life sciences. But in embracing modernity we haven’t forgotten our traditions. We remain Sweden’s breadbasket, as we have for centuries. Yet we are also the nation’s culinary capital and an international leader in food technology. The rolling fields and apple orchards of Österlen in eastern Skåne are just as they are in Henning Mankell’s Kurt Wallander detective novels. Here we are developing new generations of nutritional and health products in an eco-friendly setting. Skåne is Sweden’s culinary capital (above). Kenneth Branagh as Ystad detective Kurt Wallander (left). The orchards of Österlen (right) are the core of Sweden’s apple industry. Skåne is a leader in organic dairy farming (far left).
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Rum aliaestiatem sunti dendand pliam liquia velicienda sandam
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The fast-growing port of Trelleborg is Scandinavia’s main sea gateway to continental Europe.
desed que volestissita experro vidusdam
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So near – and not so far
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uality of life and an active lifestyle are close to our heart. Modern infrastructure and transport networks help to make this possible – the lifeblood enabling our vibrant cosmopolitan cities to rub shoulders with thriving rural communities. You can leave work in Malmö, Helsingborg, Lund or Kristianstad and be at home in a country village or beachfront apartment in half an hour or less. Two worlds in one. Three regional airports and an advanced rail and bus network make it easy to get around. Four world-class ferry terminals provide a sea gateway for visitors from Europe and beyond. Scandinavia’s busiest airport, in Copenhagen, Denmark, is just a short hop across the Öresund Bridge by rail or car. So welcome do the Danes feel in Skåne that they made Malmö Arena their home ground for the World Handball Championships in 2011. And that’s our region in a nutshell – truly a home from home. Around 70,000 people cross the 16 km Öresund Bridge between Sweden and Denmark e very day (above). The p edestrian Bruksgatan is Helsingborg’s main shopping street(facing page). Some 80,000 scouts and visitors came to Kristianstad for the World Scout Jamboree in August 2011 (right). The 2011 men’s World Championship in Handball (second right) attracted 130,000 spectators to Skåne from round the globe. 8
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Surrounded on three sides by sea, Sk책ne has mile upon mile of pristine white sandy beaches.
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From toothpicks to Bluetooth
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Made in Skåne (clockwise from top): Bluetooth, ABSOLUT Vodka, Hövding and Bambuser.
Malmö company Apocalypse recycles old car tyres to make innovative multicoloured floors.
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nnovation and ideas inspire us. From the toothpick to Bluetooth, we have a knack for ingenious inventions. We brought the world the heart pacemaker and conceived Nicorette chewing gum for cigarette smokers who want to quit. We use wheat grown in Skåne’s fertile soil to make ABSOLUT, the world’s favourite vodka. Sometimes the best inventions have unlikely beginnings. Bambuser, now the leading mobile video streaming service, was developed in a Malmö internet entrepreneur’s bedroom. The award-winning Hövding cycle helmet – actually an airbag worn like a scarf – started out as a challenge to two Lund University students to design headgear that wouldn’t ruin your hair. Our flair for invention convinced our European partners to choose the university city of Lund for the pioneering new European Spallation Source. The ESS will be the world’s premier neutron source, leading the globe in materials research – a mega-microscope unlocking the mysteries of tomorrow. The ESS will stand alongside the revolu tionary MAX IV synchrotron radiation facility, currently under construction, within touching distance of Ideon, one of the world’s largest science parks, and Ideon Medicon Village, set to become a global leader in cancer and life science research.
Lund University is one of northern Europe’s most prestigious academic institutions.
The futuristic MAX IV 足complex in Lund will be a world-leading centre for 足materials research.
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Stapelbäddsparken skateboard park in Malmö’s Western Harbour. 16
Global village in 3D
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Ingmar Bergman filmed his classic 1957 movie The Seventh Seal at Hovs Hallar in northwest Skåne.
ynamic, diverse, different. Three dimensions at the heart of a region with its finger firmly on the pulse. We’re dynamic in our commitment to building for the future – an expansive region embracing growth and opportunity. High standards of education and innovation attract talented people from worldwide. We’re diverse in people and in culture. Skåne is home to almost 200 nationalities – a global village of 1.2 million people that welcomes all-comers, whatever their background. Actress Anita Ekberg, immortalised in Fellini’s La Dolce Vita, was born here. Football star Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Håkan Hardenberger, one of the world’s greatest trumpeters, grew up in Malmö. We’re different for our contrasts and breadth of taste. From Tambourine Studios in Malmö, which propelled The Cardigans to international fame, to summertime opera in the park. And from Sofiero Palace in Helsingborg, one of Europe’s finest Baroque gardens, to Stapelbäddsparken in Malmö, Europe’s largest skateboard park and a magnet for urban youth. Discover Skåne – and see us in full 3D! Famous Skåne faces: trumpet virtuoso Håkan Hardenberger (top right) and football star Zlatan Ibrahimovic (bottom). 17
Sculpture in the great outdoors: Wan책s Castle in Knislinge is a Mecca for art lovers.
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GIV AKT
Population..........................................1.2 million Main cities and population Malmö......................................................300,000 Helsingborg.............................................140,000 Lund..........................................................110,000 Kristianstad................................................ 80,000
Sea ports and destinations Helsingborg (Helsingør and Rønne, Denmark) Trelleborg (Sassnitz, Rostock and Travemünde, Germany) Ystad (Swinoujscie, Poland) Malmö (Travemünde, Germany)
Area....................................................11,027 km² (Roughly the same size as Cyprus)
Average temperature April 5°C (42°F) June 14°C (58°F) Aug 16°C (61°F) Dec 1°C (34°F)
Airports Copenhagen International (Denmark) Malmö Ängelholm Kristianstad
Languages Swedish, most people speak English Basic prices 2011 Cup of coffee............................... SEK 25 (€2.70) Big Mac......................................... SEK 40 (€4.40) Standard lunch dish................... SEK 70 (€7.70) 5 km taxi ride..........................SEK 130 (€14.20)
Highest point Söderåsen 212 metres above sea level
Business Region Skåne is owned by the regional council Region Skåne and Scania’s Association Business RegionTogether Skane with our four subsidiaries Event in Skåne, Film in Skåne, of Local Authorities. Invest in Skåne Dockplatsen 26and Tourism in Skåne, we develop, coordinate and market the Skåne brand. info@skane.com skane.com 205 01 Malmö www@skane.com
Photos: Cover: Erik Schuss, p. 2–3: Martin Pålsson. p4: Erik Schuss. p. 5: Erik Schuss, BBC, Precious People. p. 6–7: Erik Schuss. p. 8: Martin Pålsson, Adam Ihse/Scanpix, The World Scout Jamboree. p. 9: Erik Schuss. p. 10–11: Erik Schuss. p. 12: Hövding, Apocalypse, Absolut. p. 13: Erik Schuss. p. 14–15: Snøhetta. p. 16: Sven Persson. p. 17: Louis Huch, Det sjunde inseglet (c) 1957 AB Svensk Filmindustri, Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Scanpix, Marco Borggreve. p. 18–19: Wanås Konst.
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Skåne in 1 minute