KEEping up with the speed of change
Swedish Business INVESTING IN THE UK
WHAT is human centric lighting?
Nik Gowing and Hélène Barnekow on how 21st century leaders can keep up with the speed of change.
We continue examining the Swedish footprint in the UK by presenting examples of Swedish investments in the UK.
Henrik Clausen, Director of Fagerhult Lighting Academy, on how lighting impacts well-being and productivity.
LINK Dedicated to the Swedish-British business community since 1906
”Where it gets super exciting is when speaking about what 5G can do for enterprise.” Meet Katherine Ainley, CEO of Ericsson UK & Ireland
No.358
The LINK
ABOUT
The Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the United Kingdom is the ultimate business platform for Swedish and UK businesses. We help businesses establish, grow and develop, through our wide range of business services, matchmaking, events and programmes. We represent some 400 businesses, from start-ups, to SMEs, unicorns and large multinational corporations, from across all sectors and industries. Founded in 1906 – by business and for business – we have connected the Swedish-British business community for over a century. Join us today, if you haven’t already.
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THE LINK ISSUE 358
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Editors: Jonas Eklund, Mathilda Kennett, Saga Palmér Cover: Katherine Ainley, CEO UK & Ireland Ericsson Photo: Renz Andres
LinkedIn: /company/swedish-chamber-of-commercefor-the-uk Twitter: @SwedishChamber Instagram: @sccuk
NOT A MEMBER YET? Visit www.scc.org.uk or contact us on +44 (0)20 7224 8001 / info@scc.org.uk
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DEAR MEMBER
Cross-border cooperation crucial to battle climate change In many ways 2021 has been hard to define. Britain came out of an extended lockdown later this spring, celebrated a successful vaccination scheme, and then fully opened up in July. We became experts at virtual and digital meetings, turned our operations around, and became as agile as we had hoped. Well done. Then come the autumn, and we returned – to some extent – to pre-pandemic in-person engagement. Making the hybrid version successful, and I am not speaking of events necessarily, but work and engagement, will be the next challenge. Businesses sharing experiences and best practice could be very useful. World leaders have gathered in Glasgow for COP26 to discuss climate change and to discuss the greatest threat to our civilisation. When reading this, we will have a better understanding of their actions, promises and ambitions in tackling the challenge. Meanwhile, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce will be honing in on businesses’ responses, ambitions and solutions to the many fundamental changes ahead. In 2022, we will be diving into various aspects of the climate challenge, looking at different sectors, and engaging with both UK and Swedish stakeholders. This is certainly an area where cross-border cooperation is crucial, and one where Sweden and the UK have a lot to learn and gain from one another. We are proud to announce Skanska, the world leading Swedish construction and infrastructure company, as our Strategic Sustainability Partner for 2022.
These topics all feed into 21st century leadership, looking at our joint future and the challenges we all share together, whether it’s the new trading relationship, become sustainable and circular, leading the next generation or digitising and staying ahead of the tech curve. This is what the Swedish-British Summit, Outer Thinking, is all about. Join us on 2 December, as we bring the best and brightest, the business leaders and policy and opinion makers, together for an interactive forum. You don’t want to miss it. In this issue of The Link, we take a look at Swedish businesses investing into the UK, amidst a recent survey showing that 26% of Swedish businesses in the UK indicating they will significantly increase their investments in the UK (p.13-14). Positive news, amidst the many Brexit related challenges. Swedish businesses have a strong connection to the UK, something we need to, and want to foster further. We list some of the many Swedish investments taking place in the UK, from Spotify creating 300 new jobs in London, to Saab opening an innovation hub, or Oatly creating 200 new jobs in Peterborough. Just some of the good news. The SCC is also helping Swedish business enter the UK market, and launched a campaign aimed at Swedish start-ups and SMEs in Sweden together with the UK’s Department for International Trade. “From Sweden, to the United Kingdom, and then the World” (www.fromswedentouk. co.uk) meets with Swedish businesses, shedding light on their expansion journeys.
If you want to learn more about start-ups making it into the UK, see p.8 for the exciting four southern Swedish tech stars the SCC is supporting, through a partnership with Invest in Skåne. Also in this issue, we will be taking a look at the 5G roll-out, Swedish language training giant EF – Education First, and how lighting can impact the well-being of employees, and much more. In this issue, we would like to welcome SigmaRoc and SnusDirect to the patronship. Also we would like to welcome our newest members Akribian, AlphaSights, Alva Labs, Better Planet, Brunswick, Gender Rise, Kekst CNC, Ljuset, Memographics, Sandberg, Stevens & Bolton, British Newsletter, UNITY and Voyado. We represent a fantastic membership, and a strong trading partnership. If you haven’t joined us already, I hope you will do so in 2021. We have an exciting agenda ahead, and would love to have you part of the journey.
Peter Sandberg Chief Executive sandberg@scc.org.uk
SCC TEAM EVENTS AND PROGRAMMES
MEMBERSHIP AND COMMUNITY
Finance and Operations
Mathilda Börjesson, Manager Martina Falkenberg, Sparbanksstiftelsen Finn Scholar Linnea Engstrand Isabel Glover
Christoffer Waldemarsson, Manager Lovisa Engstrand Thomas Bressler
Peter McNamee, Financial Controller
Business services
Contact us
Anna Crona, Head of department Sara Rolén, Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK Scholar David Molin, Elof Hansson Foundation Scholar
Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK Sweden House, 5 Upper Montagu Street, London W1H 2AG +44 (0)20 7224 8001, info@scc.org.uk
MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS Jonas Eklund, Head of department Saga Palmér, Marketing Executive Mathilda Kennett, Fund for Swedish Youth Abroad Scholar
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We know the Nordics by heart. With more than 160 years of Nordic Private Banking experience, we understand the unique challenges you face as a Nordic national living abroad. That is why we offer financial services tailored to your international needs.
To find out more, please contact Helena Whitmore or Daniel Wikehult +44 (0) 20 7246 4225 privatebanking@seb.co.uk Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ) (SEB), London Branch sebgroup.com/privatebanking This communication is made by Skandinaviska Enskilda Banken AB (publ), London Branch for informational purposes only. Our London Branch is available to introduce you to the SEB Private Banking network outside the United Kingdom. SEB London Branch is authorised and regulated by the Swedish Financial Supervisory Authority. Deemed authorised by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Subject to regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority and limited regulation by the Prudential Regulation Authority. Details of the Temporary Permissions Regime, which allows EEA-based firms to operate in the UK for a limited period while seeking full authorisation, are available on the Financial Conduct Authority’s website.
CONTENTS THE LINK • ISSUE 358 • NOVEMBER 2021
EF and 25 years of online education Peter Burman, President of EF Digital Learning, on creating experimental learning online.
PageS 9-10
Building a brand universe
CHANGING SHOPPING BEHAVIOURS Malena Kirs, Marketing Manager at Voyado, shares insights on changing shopping behaviours in fresh report.
Eleonore Säll, Executive Vice President of Global Brand at GANT, on the importance of a strong brand identity.
Page 16 Pages 17-18
Necessary to take risks IN ORDER to Succeed
OVERCOMING SUPPLY CHAIN CHALLENGES
intellectual property 101
SCC Chair Jan Olsson, shares his best advice to young professionals in the beginning of their careers.
Blended networks and proper risk assessment are key to ensuring resilient and flexible supply chains.
What exactly is intellectual property and how do you protect it? Matthew Pryke at law firm Hamlins, shares his most important insights.
PAGEs 11-12
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IN THE LINK 10 YEARS AGO In the 2011 December issue of The Link, the future of the British pubs was in focus. In the feature “The British Pub – A Survivor”, The Link visited the old London pub The Wenlock Arms to speak to the thenowner John Williams about the strong relationship between the Brits and their pubs. The tradition and success of the local pubs was attributed to its historical purpose, serving as a place for people wanting to meet outside of their own homes. With accommodations getting bigger and more comfortable, this need decreased and the pubs seemed to struggle to find a new purpose to fulfil. It seems like the feature title, “The British Pub – A Survivor”, is just as true today as it was 10 years ago.
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OUTER THINKING
Keeping up with the speed of change - Hélène Barnekow and Nik Gowing on 21st century leadership In a time where the surrounding world is changing at an increasing speed, how can today’s leaders keep up with the growing disruption? Hélène Barnekow, CEO of Microsoft Sweden, and Nik Gowing, Director and Founder of Thinking the Unthinkable say humility, flexibility, and courage are key ingredients for success in overcoming the new uncertainties. The Link met up with them both for a conversation on how to excel as a leader in the 21st century. BY: MATHILDA KENNETT
Everything is changing Hélène: Absolutely everything is changing right now, and I would say the main driver for that is the technological advancements made in recent years. Since technology has moved into an exponential growth, it is important that we as humans use our intelligence, experience, and behaviour to figure out how to package that. We need to make sure these changes move in the right direction and become useful for us and for the challenges we are facing today. Nik: I don’t think we should be surprised that things are changing. But I do think people are shocked about the scale of the changes that has been forced upon us in recent years. COVID has further accentuated everything. We have had 18 years of change in 18 months. Now we have the pressing issue of climate change, which scientists say is an existential emergency. I don’t think most people have factored that into their lifestyle yet – the way they live, what their ambitions are, and how they’re going to cope with everything. We are going through a pinball machine Hélène: I think we are forced into changing along with the development of, for example, technology. We can’t ignore it and we need to embrace it. You could view the pandemic as a subset to that driver, because like Nik said, we have been forced to change our thinking and use of technology much faster than we otherwise would have – and this is adding new pressure on leaders to keep up with and adapt to in their leadership. Nik: I like to view what we are going through as a pinball machine, where one destabilisation leads to another, which leads to another, and so on. The pinball is going back and forth at an increasing speed in different directions until it reaches the tipping point. One reaction is leading to another counter-reaction. Some have done very well out of it. But others are struggling because they are stuck in a way of thinking that is really a legacy of times which are not passing easily, but very rapidly.
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Being maverick is actually being visionary Nik: I think people are struggling to understand how to adapt to these changes. The conformity we agreed to when taking a job because we met the criteria is now being tested. The qualifications which got you the job are often no longer appropriate. They can now often disqualify you, because today you need more flexibility. You need humility, agility, and the ability to adapt. It’s about understanding that we need to think in new ways. Normally we would class it as thinking in a maverick way. But being maverick is actually being visionary. The leaders who are smart will realise that this is not a threat to their existence, it’s a challenge. It’s not about being pessimistic or optimistic about how you adapt, it’s about being realistic.
“You need humility, agility, and the ability to adapt. It’s about understanding that we need to think in new ways.” Hélène: To build on that, I think it has never been more difficult to be a leader than it is today. It is not for the faint of heart to be a leader in today’s climate. There are many demands pressing from different directions, and every day you manage contractionary needs. You know, we have this model of delivering every quarter and everything is being evaluated according to that, but the challenges that we are facing today often has nothing to do with the present quarter. So, I think there is a big contradiction between what we do and measure in short term versus what you actually need to do for the long term. I think more companies need to realise this and integrate into their culture. We need to think about how we coach future leaders to fit these roles,
because it is no longer only about delivering on fixed KPI’s for the next quarters to come – it is about being extremely flexible and it takes a whole lot of humility. Nik: I think the key to achieve this is to make sure that you have a good board, with a really good chairperson. A good chair is someone who will be appointing those who are prepared to question and challenge. I would fully agree with Hélène on humility. It doesn’t come easy to a lot of leaders, to admit that they don’t know everything. It is all about mindset and behaviour, and it does require change and mentoring, even in the smartest, best qualified cabinet. No one is immune from this. And those who think they will somehow get away with it are in my view making a very big mistake. Political leadership is going to be tested by the climate issues Nik: A very interesting thing I heard a very senior public servant say in a discussion similar to this one is that political leadership is going to be tested to its limits and beyond by the climate issues. He said: what we need now is a breed of politicians who, in order to do what is necessary for the climate emergency, at the speed that is necessary, are prepared to commit political suicide in order to do it. Because the kind of things that are needed will not be publicly popular. Hélène: I think the same goes for company leaders. What we need to do in order to change and adapt to today’s challenges may not give you an extended term as CEO or Chairman or similar, but to actually make a difference, you will need to have the courage to do so.
“I think it has never been more difficult to be a leader than it is today.”
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Hélène Barnekow, CEO of Microsoft Sweden.
Nik: I agree. It requires a deep understanding for stakeholders and shareholders who expect return in the quarterly numbers. It requires a board that is prepared to say, “let’s change, and let’s wait for the numbers to change, but let us not be worried if the profit figures and the profit and loss statement isn’t as good for the next few months or next year or two.” The right mindset is crucial Hélène: The right mindset is crucial. I think curiosity is the most important thing – whatever you do, do not get stuck thinking you know everything. I think the wording “you don’t know what you don’t know” has never been more appropriate than now. There is currently an extreme need of having real diversity of thought in your manging room, and you should really be more afraid of the questions that are not being asked in there, than the one’s being asked. Many people try to limit the questions that can be asked in these meetings so that they can manage and tell the team that they did really well – which is the biggest mistake
OUTER THINKING
Nik Gowing, Director and Founder of Thinking the Unthinkable.
you can make. This new type of mindset is not what we were taught in the management and leadership courses, but it is the mindset I really think we need to capture.
“I want people to think in a wacky way.” Nik: I would pick up on that business school argument. Paul Polman [ex CEO of Unilever] is CEO of Imagine and Chairman of Saïd Business School which has been running a project around the future of corporation together with the British Academy. One of the things coming from their most recent report is that business schools are not the places to - in any way now - teach businesspeople how to run a business. Most lecturers and professors teaching these classes have made their
careers through an old way of thinking. I was talking with the chair of a very large company a couple of days ago, and he said, “I want people to think in a wacky way”. I would say that we don’t want them to be regarded as wacky, they need to be regarded as visionary. I think there is a danger in this new environment of being overwhelmed, of waking up, almost panicked by this. And therefore, you’ve got to have a great team around you, of people who are feeding stuff to you. You’ve got to have frankness. And you’ve got to have something which doesn’t come easily to a lot of leaders: a willingness to be told you’re wrong. As I said previously, the conformity which got you the job in the first place isn’t qualifying you for the way you need to run your job today. That conformity said, “I must lead”. But the new way of thinking can also be: “I am here to be a guide.”
Swedish-British Summit: Outer Thinking Hélène and Nik will be moderating the Swedish-British Summit: Outer Thinking on 2 December. With 20+ speakers from both business and the political sphere, we will be discussing the key trends facing any business today – from artificial intelligence to sustainability and continuous learning – and looking forward to the business of tomorrow. Learn more and sign up by scanning the QR-code with your smart device.
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Making a splash in London. Swedish engineering on the Thames.
As a pioneer of innovation, Saab is committed to developing leading-edge technologies and capabilities that drive interoperability and provide the UK with the the upper-hand upper-hand overover challenges challenges andand adversaries. adversaries. CB90 CB90 NextNext Generation Generation (CB90 (CB90 NG) is NG) one just is just example one example of this.of Designed this. Designed to swiftly to swiftly transport transport marines marines and other andforces, other forces,NG CB90 CB90 is renowned NG is renowned for the ease for the byease which bytroops which can troops rapidly can get rapidly on-shore get and on-shore depart again, and be depart it a beach again,or bean it a awkward, beach orelevated an awkward, rockyelevated shore. rocky shore.
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FEATURE
Meet the southern Sweden tech stars Skåne and Blekinge, the southernmost regions of Sweden, are rich in tech talent and home to advanced research and development. According to the Nordic Tech Report 2019, tech startups in the region received the 4th highest number of investments of all the startup communities in the Nordic region. In partnership with Invest in Skåne, the SCC will be helping four promising tech stars from southern Sweden over the course of six months, to develop the tools needed to establish and grow on the UK market.
Southern Sweden Tech Stars is an accelerator programme specially designed for Swedish tech scaleups based in southern Sweden, looking to build a presence and create connections in London and the UK. In a collaboration between Invest in Skåne and the SCC, the six-month programme offers workshops, individual coaching, and matchmaking to selected businesses that are ready to establish and grow on the UK market.
SiB Solutions Stefan Borg, CEO
Zelectify Daniel Johansson Hernius, CEO
SiB Solutions is a logtech company enabling flawless logistics. For companies transacting valuable goods, SiB Solutions’ intelligent video services with AI provide superior visibility and insights. The unique combination of native logistics know-how and advanced technology, bundled into straightforward subscription services, provides an immediate ROI. Customers cut costs, improve margins, and strengthen their brand. It is good for business and for the environment. To continuously innovate the services, the company collaborates with well-known technology partners and reputable logistics players: its customers.
Zelectify is a unique tool that simplifies the selection of apartments, residential buildings, and storage spaces for the end-customer. With innovative 3D technology, Zelectify helps you bring your projects to life in a simple 5-step process. Their tool makes it possible for anyone to build a digital overview that gives the end-customer the best possible decision basis. The product fundamentally changes the sales process for any rental apartments, newly produced residential buildings, or storage spaces, by making it intuitive and easy for the end-customer to make the right decision. If, at any point of the sales process, your customer has to choose between different physical spaces, Zelectify is the solution for you.
T-Meeting Veton Tairi, Business Developer
FIND OUT MORE Learn more about the programme and participating businesses by scanning the QR code.
Position Green Cian Ryan, Partner Manager UK and Netherlands, and Anders Frankel, Head of Partnerships With a background in the auditing industry, Position Green specialises in helping companies gather, analyse, and report their sustainability data in a reliable and traceable way. Its solutions are created to enable work with internal sustainability data, to evaluate sustainability of suppliers and for investors to evaluate sustainability for their holdings. Based on its network of users, their feedback and internal experts, Position Green has built products that not only enable efficient and reliable work with sustainability data, but also support the user with built-in best practices and standards. Position Green’s solutions are designed for users to work independently with access to their sustainability advisors if needed.
T-Meeting makes communication on equal terms possible – for everyone. T-Meeting is a company which listens to its users, and builds the products that they ask for. The team at T-Meeting are communications specialists with two decades of experience working towards supportive and assistive communication solutions, tailored for the deaf, deaf-blind, hearing- and speech impaired. The products are infinitely scalable, and the user software is created with flexibility in mind to ensure that all users can receive a product which suits their specific needs.
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PATRONS HIGHLIGHT
EF, THE WORLD AND THE WEB CELEBRATING 25 YEARS of ONLINE language education Few other businesses can claim they have been operating online for 25 years, but SCC patron EF was one of the early adopters. When launching its first online language learning platform in 1997, it was the first online English school in the world. The Link spoke to Peter Burman, President of EF Digital Learning, about the most important lessons learned during its long presence both on- and offline, and how one single trip to the UK resulted in the creation of the largest privately held education company in the world. “It’s been 25 years of learning and experimenting. Creating experiential learning online is more challenging compared to in a physical environment.” BY: SAGA PALMÉR
“In general, learning comprises of both cognitive abilities and individual, social and contextual forces, which means that learning a language takes more than just learning the words and rules, but these social affective forces naturally don’t exist online.” EF is known for its forward-thinking methods in language learning, which have placed EF among the most popular language schools in the world. But Peter admits that it has been a challenge to bring these methods from a physical classroom to an online platform. “We have had to work harder to make the online learning engaging, by not only focusing on top notch content, but by integrating social stimuli into the experiences, using things like group conversation classes and peer to peer activities. Let’s put it this way: to throw together an app with some exercises is not enough to guarantee that a student stays motivated and learns, there is quite a lot more that goes into it.”
From Sweden to the UK… Founded in 1965, EF’s experience in language learning dates back more than 50 years. The idea to combine language courses with trips was first born when founder Bertil Hult was travelling to London, and the UK soon became the very first language school location. Being dyslexic, Bertil had always struggled with school and, not least, with language learning. But when he arrived in the UK, he realised that he was learning English much quicker and easier than he ever had during his school years. “Traditional classroombased teaching at school had always been a challenge for Bertil Hult. However, when he travelled to London, he was surprised by how effortlessly he picked up English. This experience ultimately prompted his idea of learning a language where the language is spoken.” The first year, Bertil brought 406 Swedish high school students to study on the south coast of England, starting EF’s very first business: EF Language Travel.
… and the rest of the world (wide web) EF went on to expand throughout Scandinavia, and later launched in Germany and France. In the years that followed, EF continued to widen its range of services offered to learn and improve English. In the 1970s and 1980s, EF started giving classes in business English, created high school-exchange years abroad and collaborated with the BBC to enhance classroom instruction. The idea of an online platform for language learning was first born in the 1990s. By making the courses available online, Phillip Hult, son of Bertil Hult, saw an opportunity to reach a wide range of new people – people that for various reasons couldn’t access physical schools.
“To throw together an app with some exercises is not enough to guarantee that a student stays motivated and learns.” At the time, the surrounding technology was still at an early stage, and EF started exploring different ways of transforming its courses, initially offering courses via CD-rom, then quickly moving them online to create the world’s first online English school. “EF partnered with Apple to collaborate on computer-aided language learning initiatives, starting with CDroms. However, it soon became clear that the internet was the next big thing. It was already in our DNA to offer these transformative experiences in person, and we saw the internet as an opportunity to deliver such experiences to those who were unable to go overseas. So, in 1997 we started our online journey and launched Englishtown.com, the world’s first online English School.” As the prediction about the rise of the internet came true, the initiative turned out to be a success.
Peter Burman, President of EF Digital Learning. Photo: EF.
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PATRONS HIGHLIGHT
EF has its regional office in London. Photo: EF.
Finding its place in the new normal Today, EF is present in 114 countries with a total of 52,000 employees, and it is the world’s largest privately held education company. Only in the UK, EF runs a dozen English schools, the Hult International Business School London campuses for undergraduates and postgraduates, and a regional office in central London. Still, Peter says that EF continues to expand and develop both on- and offline. “We continue to embrace new initiatives and innovations to make sure we stay ahead, and use the available technology to make the learning process effective and enjoyable. Our research teams are focused on using AI and other emerging technologies, setting us up to be ready for what is to come. The end goal is the same – to make relevant and enjoyable learning experiences adapted to each individual learner, wherever they are and whatever their desired leaning outcome is.” While many educational companies were caught off guard and slow to adjust when COVID restrictions prevented traditional in-person learning, EF was well prepared. According to Peter, being able to offer courses online has created opportunities of great value. However, the purpose of the online platform is rather to complete than to replace the physical classrooms. “Taking education online has allowed us to scale our business and to deliver high quality learning in cross-cultural learning environments for our students anywhere, at any time. The human need for affective connections, however, remains a challenge when shifting to delivering education online. We strongly believe that the role of technology is not to replace human contact but rather
to enable better learning experiences through technology, and still with real-life teachers and classmates as a vital part of the programme.” Instead, Peter thinks that the two worlds – the digital and physical – will continue to coexist, to approach and complete each other. “With a new wave of technological advancements becoming more prevalent, such as AI and the metaverse – a synthesis of digital and physical worlds – we are at a point where online connectivity will transcend looking at a 2D screen. For online education, this means that we can get closer to a truly immersive experience by combining the digital and physical realms. As well as bringing you to New York, we can bring New York to you.“
“Taking education online has allowed us to scale our business and to deliver high quality learning in cross-cultural learning environments for our students. The human need for affective connections, however, remains a challenge when shifting to delivering education online.”
To the future, and beyond When looking ahead, Peter says that the goal is to continue to break new ground, both with new content and by exploring new markets. “We aim to continue to grow and develop our programmes, both in existing and new markets. Just this year we are launching new content and more languages, as well as a completely new virtual classroom and advanced speech scoring technology into our online programmes. We are also bringing our AI-driven, chat-bot based app EF Hello to more markets to give the more casual English learners a taste of the EF magic. For our corporate clients, we are widening our offer beyond language learning by integrating executive education content from Hult International Business school into our platform.” Peter shows no interest in slowing down. When asked how EF will celebrate the upcoming jubilee, the answer is clear. “By planning for the next 55 years of EF! 25 years of online education at EF has meant 25 years of passion, experimenting and learning. We believe in celebrating every day that helped us get to where we are today. This jubilee is just one of many more milestones to come on our ongoing journey of opening the world through education.” THE PATRONSHIP The SCC patronship consists of a core group of SCC member businesses committed to supporting the Swedish-British business community. The patronship comes with a range of benefits – if you would like to know more, please contact membership@scc.org.uk.
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FEATURE
HUMAN CENTRIC LIGHTING How lighting can impact THE WELL-BEING OF EMPLOYEES Most of us don’t reflect all that much on what kind of lighting we find ourselves in, but there are many reasons to why we should. Light has been proven to affect many aspects of our well-being, for example when it comes to mental health, motivation, and energy. The Link spoke to Henrik Clausen, Director of Fagerhult Lighting Academy, to learn more about the concept of human centric lighting. BY: MATHILDA KENNETT
“In 2002, we found out that we have a third receptor in our retina. This receptor is communicating directly with the part of our brain controlling the hormone levels of Cortisol and Melatonin, which affect our mood, motivation, stress levels, and sleep patterns. With 20 years of research, we have now concluded that lighting plays a significant role in our well-being,” Henrik says. What is human centric lighting? Human centric lighting can be summed up as artificial indoor lighting aimed at reproducing the daily indoor rhythm of natural sunlight. According to Henrik, nothing beats natural light, but more and more studies show that with Human Centric Lighting, we can come pretty close. “We humans are calibrated to daylight. Amongst many things, it gives us energy and tells us when to sleep. In Europe, only 4% of the population gets enough of it, which is a problem. Even though we can’t compete with natural lighting, we are working to find light solutions that can come close.” Henrik explains that there is a misconception that human centric lighting is something you can buy in a single product, when in fact it is something you achieve. “You can achieve human centric lighting with consultation from experts, where aspects such as colour, amount, timing, spectrum and space play their roles. The levels depend on what your goal is with the lighting.” Increasing concentration, motivation, and innovation According to Henrik, most offices today have only one light solution, which is originally made for reading. “That lighting is fine for the basic aspects of a workday, such as being able to see the keys on the keyboard, or the notes on a notepad. But when it comes to being creative, being able to interact with people on a high level of trust, and to use our full potential, not only individually but also as a team, that’s where the ‘one solution fits all’ lighting becomes inefficient.”
“Since lighting can set our mood by affecting our hormones, it can really improve the outcomes of meetings.” “We are in many discussions with innovative offices because we think that in the future, the soul purpose of going to the office will be to meet other people. The best ideas are born when interacting, sharing thoughts and experiences. But to fully understand each other we need to be able interpret the small details in for example body language, in which much is lost in the two-dimensional virtual meetings. There is a whole other dynamic when we interact in real life.” Henrik emphasises that in these creative meetings, the right lighting can really set the tone and create better mental conditions for everyone involved, paving the way for better ideas and cooperation. “Since lighting can set our mood by affecting our hormones, it can really improve the outcomes of meetings, whether it is for a creative meeting or one that requires difficult conversations.” Bringing the outdoor experience indoors Recently, Henrik took part of a research project together with Aalborg University in Copenhagen on Double Dynamic Lighting, aiming to bring the dynamic outdoor experience of daylight
indoors. “When studying daylight, we can see that we have the direction of flow, the movement of the sun, and the clouds coming over our heads – it is more dynamic than you think. Whereas indoors, the electric light is static. We thought, let’s create a system which monitor the movements of the clouds, the blue light, the number of white clouds, the direction of the sun, and then put it into a central system which replicates this indoors in real time. We are launching the first prototypes soon.” The future of lighting Henrik believes that in the upcoming years, the younger generations will become more aware of the effects lighting has and will therefore demand their workplaces to provide good lighting. “I think it will be as normalised as ergonomics. Everybody knows you need an adjustable table and a good chair, but I think future generations will recognise the impact lighting has on our hormone levels, which can allow them to do a better job, as well as better their mental health. It is a very exciting area with a lot more to discover.”
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Swedish footprint in the uk
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Swedish businesses investing in the UK Swedish businesses are making considerable investments in the UK. In fact, Sweden is the UK’s 9th largest investor, between Japan (8th) and China (10th). According to the recent Global Business Climate Survey, conducted in the UK by the SCC, the Embassy of Sweden and Business Sweden, Swedish business continues to see the UK market as one of opportunity – 26% of companies reported that they will significantly increase investments in the country. In this issue of the Link, we continue examining the Swedish footprint in the UK by presenting 9 examples of Swedish investments in the UK. BY: JONAS EKLUND
SWEDISH UK INVESTMENTS IN Numbers
9th
Sweden is the UK’s 9th largest investor, between Japan (8th) and China (10th).
26%
ERICSSON
Oatly
BUILDING A NEW OAT DRINK FACTORY IN PETERBOROUGH.
OPENS TRAINING FACILITY TO ACCELERATE TRANSFORMATION OF THE UK’S DIGITAL INFRASTRUCTURE.
CREATING 200 NEW JOBS.
CREATING 800 NEW JOBS THROUGH ITS 5G PROJECTS.
26% of Swedish companies say they will significantly increase investments in the UK.
ASTRAZENECA
CONSTRUCTING NEW HQ AND R&D CENTRE IN CAMBRIDGE. INVESTMENT ESTIMATED TO APPROXIMATELY £1BN.
Earlier in 2021, Swedish oat drink giant Oatly announced the construction of its first UK factory. Located in Peterborough and set to be completed in early 2023, the new facility will create more than 200 jobs. The facility will be able to produce 300 million litres of oat drink per year at launch, with the capacity to grow to 450 million litres. This will make it one of the largest plant-based dairy factories in the world. The Malmö based company said in a statement that the UK factory is part of its wider initiative to build factories fit for the future, with minimal negative impact on the planet.
SCC patron Ericsson’s planned rollout of its 5G network in the UK, will generate an estimated 800 direct and indirect job opportunities by 2022. 250 roles are expected to be hired directly by Ericsson, with the remaining jobs to be delivered through the company’s partners. Ericsson has also announced the opening of a new 5G Centre of Excellence at its offices in Coventry. The training facility will provide engineers and field service professionals with access to the latest 5G technology and build vital skills to accelerate the transformation of the UK’s digital infrastructure.
SCC patron AstraZeneca has invested approximately £1bn in its new flagship Cambridge headquarters and R&D centre. The new facility at the Cambridge Biomedical Campus will become the company’s largest R&D centre in the UK, with more than 2,000 people working across all of its therapy areas, drug discovery platforms, development, and commercialisation. AstraZeneca has already over 200 partnerships as part of the Cambridge ecosystem – hundreds more in the wider UK life sciences cluster. With the new facility, the company will strengthen this position even further.
Oatly chose Peterborough as home for its new oat drink factory.
Ericsson creates 800 direct and indirect new jobs through its 5G projects in the UK.
AstraZeneca’s new HQ and R&D centre will see more than 2,000 people working across areas of activities.
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SPOTIFY
OPENED ONE OF ITS LARGEST R&D HUBS IN LONDON.
CREATING 300 NEW JOBS.
In February 2020, SCC patron Spotify opened its London HQ in the Adelphi Building in Strand. The new office created nearly 300 new jobs devoted to R&D, making it one of Spotify’s largest R&D hubs globally. In the UK and Ireland, the company aims to be a catalyst for creativity and central to creating and shaping connections between creators and fans – with the London HQ at the centre of these ambitions.
Spotify opened a new R&D hub in London, creating 300 new jobs.
KLARNA
IKEA
Swedish footprint in the uk
OPENS NEW FLAGSHIP STORE ON OXFORD STREET, LONDON.
INVESTING IN NEW OFFICE SPACES IN LONDON AND IN MANCHESTER.
DEAL ESTIMATED TO BE WORTH £378M.
WILL DOUBLE HEADCOUNT TO 400.
In October 2021, SCC patron IKEA announced it was taking over Topshop’s former flagship store in London’s most famous shopping district on Oxford Street. The deal to buy the long leasehold on the building is estimated to be worth £378m. IKEA plans to open a store in the building in autumn 2023, focusing on home-furnishing accessories such as lamps and curtains. There will also be a cafe and a range of room sets on display, with items from the retailer’s full range of furniture available to buy for home delivery. “Even though online shopping continues to accelerate at a rapid pace, our physical stores, large and small, will always be an essential part of the IKEA experience – as places for inspiration and expertise, community and engagement. Bringing IKEA to the heart of Oxford Street – one of the most innovative, dynamic and exciting retail destinations in the world – is a direct response to these societal shifts,” said Peter Jelkeby, General Manager at IKEA UK and Ireland, in a statement.
SCC patron Klarna has opened a new HQ office in London and larger premises in Manchester as it prepares to double its UK headcount to 400 people over the next year. The company has taken an 11,000 sq. ft. space at Aviation House in Holborn, London, and in Manchester, Klarna has expanded its existing office space located at the Old Granada Studios. “These investments in new office spaces not only demonstrate our considerable growth, but also underline our ambitions to be an increasingly important part of the UK economy – shaping the future of how we shop, bank and pay,” Alex Marsh, Head of Klarna UK said in a statement earlier this year.
LKAB Minerals
INVESTING £1.4M IN ITS STOCKTON-ON-TEES PLANT.
Klarna has taken on a larger office space in London and expands its office space in Manchester.
SAVING 50,000 TRANSPORTATION MILES ANNUALLY.
ASSA ABLOY
In early 2021, SCC patron LKAB minerals announced a £1.4m investment in its Stocktonon-Tees plant to supply and manage limestone filler for the asphalt market in the Northeast of England and Scotland. The investment has seen the introduction of four silos giving 640 tonnes of material storage. The project reached completion in February 2021. “We expect to reduce transport miles to the Northeast and Scottish markets by at least 50,000 annually. Delivery times for customers will also be shorter, ensuring the best customer service possible,” said Mick Stovin, European Director of White Products at LKAB Minerals, in a statement. As part of Swedish state-owned company LKAB, LKAB Minerals is one of the world’s leading producers of highly upgraded industrial minerals. Outside of Sweden, the UK is the largest business and where the group minerals division is run from.
IKEA plans to open a store on Oxford Street in London in autumn 2023.
ACQUIRES LEADING UK BUSINESS.
WELCOMES 560 EMPLOYEES TO THE GROUP.
SAAB
OPENED A UK INNOVATION HUB AT IMPERIAL COLLEGE LONDON. INITIAL INVESTMENT OF £3.5M.
In 2019, SCC patron Saab opened a UK Innovation Hub at Imperial College London’s White City Campus in London. An initial seed investment of £3.5m into Saab’s UK-wide network of research and development projects is expected to grow over the coming years, demonstrating Saab’s continued commitment to the country and confidence in British innovation.
SCC member ASSA ABLOY has recently signed a definitive agreement to acquire Arran Isle, a leading designer, manufacturer and distributor of door and window hardware in the UK and Ireland. With the acquisition, ASSA ABLOY will be welcoming Arran Isle’s 560 employees across the UK and Ireland to the group.
ASSA ABLOY acquires a leading UK and Ireland business, welcoming 560 employees to the group.
LKAB minerals will invest £1.4m in its Stockton-on-Tees plant.
SAAB opened its UK Innovation Hub at Imperial College London.
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SWEDEN UNITED KINGDOM THE WORLD
The UK leading the shift to a clean energy economy The UK is leading the shift to a clean energy economy, creating significant investment opportunities. New opportunities for investment are emerging as UK energy becomes cleaner, flexible and more efficient, particularly in areas related to decarbonisation, distributed generation and smart energy. The Prime Minister’s Ten Point Plan, for a green industrial revolution, published on 18 November 2020, sets out the approach the government will take to build back better, support green jobs, and accelerate our path to net zero. The government’s plan for renewable energy forms part of wider efforts to ensure the UK meets its legally binding target to reach net zero emissions by 2050 and build back greener from coronavirus. QUICK UK CLEAN GROWTH FACTS
47%
Renewables’ share of electricity generation increased to a record 47.0% in 2020.
X4
By 2030, the UK plans to quadruple its offshore wind capacity.
12,000 In Northern Ireland alone, the low carbon sector employs 12,000 people.
BUSINESS CASE
Vattenfall paving the way for a more sustainable energy sector in the UK Since establishing in the UK in 2008, the Swedish state-owned energy company Vattenfall, has been paving the way for a more sustainable energy sector in the UK. Vattenfall is committed to continuing its growth journey in the UK, encouraging others to take the step into the UK market. “Do not be put off by the current disruption that you might be reading about. The UK is generally a very welcoming place and very open to have people investing and doing business here,” says Danielle Lane, UK Country Manager at Vattenfall.
“We work regularly with the Department for International Trade. It’s a very helpful department for us because they are able to provide introductions, not only to different companies, but also to different parts of the government.” Danielle Lane, UK Country Manager at Vattenfall
Find more insights, business cases, and opportunities for Swedish business within clean growth, fintech, life sciences and other UK key sectors.
www.fromswedentouk.co.uk The campaign “From Sweden to the UK, then the world” is a collaboration between the British Embassy Stockholm and the Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK.
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FEATURE
changing shopping behaviours During 2021, the retail industry experienced a surge in sales by 46% online and 20% in store. New findings show that younger people are spending more money on less products, and that the age-group 65+ is increasing their online-shopping remarkably. How are retail companies adjusting to this new reality and what can they expect for the future? The Link spoke to Malena Kirs, Marketing Manager at SCC member Voyado, discussing the retail trends from 2021 and giving her best advice going into 2022. BY: MATHILDA KENNETT
Voyado is a leading customer experience platform for e-commerce players and retail, providing actionable customer insights and tools for building precise, personalised customer communication. Every year, Voyado releases a report to provide the industry with data and hard facts about the shopping behaviours of end-consumers. “The 2021 report is based on aggregated and anonymous data from 16 million purchase occasions. There is a lot of depth in these reports and lots of knowledge to collect,” says Malena. Online purchasing power Looking at purchasing power online, we find the middle-aged people the strongest. “Many of the consumers included in these groups are individuals who have worked their way up in their careers, and have a stable, as well as higher income than younger people. Many also have children which they still provide for, resulting in them spending more money since they aren’t only shopping for themselves,” Malena says. 65+ moving onto the digital stage The report shows that the age-group 65+ are substantially increasing their online shopping, up by 24% in 2021. According to Malena, we need to realise that 65+ aren’t the same type of consumers today as they were a couple of
years ago. “This should not be considered an old age-group anymore. The 65+ of 2021, and even more so the future vintages, are digitalised people. We need to switch focus from the perception of this age-group being less able to navigate online, to recognising them as a new, and powerful target group for online retail.”
Spotify, where the content is tailored to your preferences. The retail industry, however, has been behind in this area, but is now starting to catch up – and when it does, it is going to make a huge impact on future shopping experiences,” says Malena.
Young people are spending more on less A brand new trend showing in the report, is that the younger age group, aged between 18-25, are now spending more money on fewer products. “It is a shift that we are seeing, which I believe has to do with younger people caring more about sustainability. It is something that they talk about a lot, and it’s important for them to feel that brands they are shopping from feel the same. Therefore, they buy more expensive products that last longer, resulting in them avoiding shopping as frequently.” Personalisation is everywhere – retail industry falls behind Personalised emails go a long way the report states, with an increase in both open- and click rates for all age- and gender groups during 2021. Companies also increased their sending of personalised emails by 76% in the past year. “Personalisation is everywhere, and it is super popular. You can, for example, see advanced personalisation on services such as Netflix or
Malena Kirs, Marketing Manager (UK, SE, FI) at Voyado. Photo: Voyado.
KEY TRENDS IN 2022
1.
First-party data becomes more and more important as authorities and browsers regulate the market for data collection and consents – and we see the death of third-party cookies. You will now need to collect first party data to create personal customer experiences. Start thinking about how you will handle this data, as well as what your value proposition will be for customers to want to give it to you.
2. After the Covid-19 restrictions ease, omnichannel will get its big boost. Even though onlineshopping has increased tremendously during the pandemic, the stores still serve a purpose. Think about the different functions your e-commerce and store will serve, why should a customer move between them and how do you make sure that they do? For example, through a unique assortment, a Click & Collect solution, or special experiences in store.
3.
Loyalty programmes will make a strong comeback in 2022. It’s essentially a must now since it’s so difficult to differentiate yourself when e-commerce is growing rapidly. The possibilities are endless, find out what is important to customers and reward them when they shop with you – loyalty is a twoway street.
5. 4.
Embrace personalisation. Customers expect personalised experiences, both in communication, on website and in store.
Ransomware and other intrusions into company data are becoming more and more common. If you have not invested in an information security system yet, now is the time.
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FEATURE
Building a brand universe – and the importance of identity
While brands used to be synonymous with their products, the definition is constantly expanding and breaking borders. Today, brands can be their own communities – followed by millions on social media and recognised more by their trademarks than their products. The Link spoke to Eleonore Säll, Executive Vice President of Global Brand at GANT, about the secrets behind a good brand story. “Brands will just continue to grow. They are becoming communities, movements and role models that people look up to”. BY: SAGA PALMÉR
“The brand identity is so important. First of all, there are numerous studies showing a clear correlation between a strong brand and consumer willingness to pay more for the product. Second of all, it leads to a more stable and loyal customer base. You are kind of building a brand universe that customers want to be a part of.” Eleonore explains that the story and feeling around a brand is just as important as the products themselves – if not even more so. “When you buy something from a brand with a strong identity, you do not only buy the product, but you buy into the complete atmosphere of the brand; you become part of something. If you have worked a lot on building a strong or wellperceived platform, it will lead to consumers wanting to be part of it. This means that your
attraction is broader than the products you sell, you are all of the sudden a community that people want to be a part of.” In other words, brands build trust and trust drives sales. A survey by Edelmann shows that 81% of consumers say they must be able to trust the brand they are buying from. But it is not only the customers being influenced by the power of branding. Research shows that 82% of investors want the companies they invest in to have a strong brand. Building the brand According to Eleonore, the identity of a brand is much wider than its product lines – it is a set of different parts, all together constituting the whole image. “It is like the brands personality. For us, it is a mix of many things including
Eleonore Säll, Executive Vice President of Global Brand at GANT. Photo: GANT.
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“It is like the brands personality. It is a mix of many things including our legacy, our heritage, the craftmanship, our timeless style and our values. All these parts of GANT are just as important as our products.”
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our legacy, our heritage, the craftmanship, our timeless style and our values. For example, our strong connection to the Ivy League Universities is part of our identity, just like the fact that we are premium brand. All these parts of GANT are just as important as our products.” This “brand personality” can include everything from its visual identity and logo, to its history, values and collaborations. Just like a person being the sum of everything from clothing, perfume and physical traits to its values, characteristics, and background – a brand today is the result of various things combined. The story of the story It all started in 1907, when GANT founder Bernard Gantmacher arrived in New York City as a Jewish immigrant from Ukraine. While studying to become a pharmacist, Gantmacher was working tirelessly in a clothing factory at night, producing shirt collars. Fast-forward some 100 years and we all know that Gantmacher never became a pharmacist but came to found a massive clothing brand. In reality, this story might have little to do with the products you see on display in the web shop or your local GANT store. But by nurturing this story, it has become an important part of GANT as a concept. Eleonore says that it all comes down to the storytelling you choose to use in the communication. “We definitely use this in our storytelling, both to show our history but also to highlight the values that we have brought along ever since the founding of the brand. We try to look for ways to show the link between us today and our heritage in everything we do, by using stories and visual cues.“ She thinks that this mentality is as important as ever when planning communication and campaigns. “This is not least true for our marketing campaigns, where we always try to channel our identity. In our current brand campaign ‘The future of American Sportswear’ for example, our style, personality and values are very evident. It doesn’t have to be evident every time, but we always use ‘markers’ – things that consumers associate with GANT – as components in our marketing. For example, the backdrop of a shoot might look like an Ivy League dorm room, playing on the strong link we have to Ivy League Universities. Then the next dimension is to play with the decorations seen on walls in that room, to make sure they strongly communicate our heritage and our values – for example, that they are challenging conformity and not the traditional white men winning a rowing race picture in a frame.“ Old but not outdated While looking back and highlighting the brand history can be an efficient tool within storytelling, it is just as important to find a balance between keeping the old and making room for the new. “There is a fine line between keeping a quite classic profile year after year and failing to feel up-to-date. We don’t want to be too nostalgic, but we try to find a balance between our history and identity and to add a modern feel to it. Or when things that are
FEATURE
Branding stats
73% of people prefer brands that personalise the shopping experience.
89% of shoppers stay loyal to brands that share their values.
64% of women and 68% of men have felt an emotional connection with a brand.
Presenting a brand consistently across all platforms can increase revenue by up to 23%.
Consistently presented brands are 3.5 times more likely to enjoy excellent brand visibility.
61% of people are more likely to buy from companies that deliver unique content.
It takes 5 to 7 impressions for people to remember a brand.
77% of people refer to certain items by brand names.
Source: 50+ Eye-Opening Branding Statistics - 2021 Edition, smallbizgenius, 4 October 2021
already a key part of our identity becomes a trend, such as the current preppy trend, we make sure to ride that wave by bringing that trait forward in our marketing.“
is hard to measure. But it adds an emotional value to the customer’s perception of the brand and builds a very important value in the long run.”
“There is a fine line between keeping a quite classic profile year after year and failing to feel up-todate.”
No matter the effort, Eleonore thinks that a brand’s identity will become more and more important with time. We have already seen global giants such as Google, Apple, Nike and Coca-Cola growing from simple brands to multisectoral brand empires. As the competition increases, the brand identity will continue to grow in importance when it comes to standing out from the crowd. “Brands are becoming way larger than the products they provide or sell, and they will just continue to expand. Brands are becoming communities, movements and role models that people look up to and imitate. Their messages can travel across borders as people are following them on social media, or as they have collaborations with influencers reaching millions of people. In other words, brands are becoming their own universes.”
The task might be tricky, and Eleonore admits that it takes a lot of work to build and retain an image. However, she thinks the value it brings to the brand and the positive effect it has on the business makes it worthwhile. “It is more important than many might be aware of since the results are not visible or measurable from one day to another. The brand identity takes time to create, build and cultivate and the effect it has on the sales or success of a brand
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FEATURE
Overcoming supply chain challenges through blended networks After the pandemic swept over the world causing a number of supply chain related challenges, the UK is currently experiencing disruption and delays in deliveries of petrol and other essential goods, due to the effects of Brexit. The Link met with Niklas Hedin, CEO of SCC member firm Centiro, to discuss the learnings businesses can take with them from these events, to ensure more resilient and flexible supply chains. BY: JONAS EKLUND
Founded in 1998, Centiro is a Swedish software company and provider of supply chain services, based in Borås and with offices in India, USA and in the UK. With its supply chain network cloud, Centiro connects stores, warehouses and shipping locations with carriers, delivery networks and service providers. “Imagine an e-commerce setup where you sell something to multiple countries. You will need to work with one or several transportation providers. You will want to know if goods arrive on time, as well as stay on top of costs. All of these questions are embodied in our platform, which is there to connect the parties that conduct this trade,” Niklas Hedin, CEO of Centiro explains.
“Precision is more important than speed. If you shoot for precision, you can choose more sustainable alternatives.”
up this transformation. “This development started almost 20 years ago, but the speed at which it has ramped up is increasing. With current conditions, including disruptions of various kinds, you can no longer build your operations on a static design. You need to be dynamic and agile.” Digital development – a major driver Niklas says that the digital development is one of the major underlying factors that is underpinning the consumer drive. “An increasing number of things are going digital and are being connected, which increases transparency and drives choice. We have also learned to rely on the just-in-time principle, which means that we don’t care until we care.” This means that brands, retailers, and industrial companies need to review their supply chains and rebuild warehouse designs to be more responsive.
Choosing sustainable alternatives Niklas points to a number of macro-level factors, such as climate change, that also act as drivers for this development. “When it comes to deliveries, precision is more important than Speed and precision speed. If you shoot for precision, you can The move from a retail-wholesale model to a choose more sustainable alternatives. We are more individualised model, which is driving the heavily invested and use new technologies, need for precision and speed in terms of deliv- like machine learning and AI, and apply these ery, started a long time ago, but the pandemic in real-time optimisation scenarios. And I’m as well as other macro-trends have speeded very optimistic, because there is a huge drive
from the brands and customers to do something better.” Running out of capacity During the autumn, the UK experienced major disruptions in the supply of petrol and other essential goods. Although all possible scenarios cannot be foreseen, Niklas says that disruption and delays can be avoided through blended networks. “Last year, Christmas trade in the US was similar and capacity was running out. As a supply chain construct, you need to think about how you cater for differences and build resilience in terms of dynamic capability. Through our platform, you can connect to multiple parties fluently and blend networks in order to get deliveries done.” Absorbing deviations Understanding what is critical for business as well as having a proper risk analysis in place to understand how things can break down, are key to managing disruption and uncertainty. “I think a proper risk management with the right architecture and implementation can absorb deviations.” Macro trends affecting supply chains Looking into the future, Niklas believes that there are a number of trends that will affect supply chains globally. “We are moving from an almost completely globalised to a more regionalised world, with geopolitical questions and trade barriers being raised. Also, sustainability has been on the radar for years, but it has moved into a different intensity and level of awareness. In a couple of years’ time, the consumer is going to say that ‘if it’s not sustainable, I’m not going to buy it’. What is ‘nice to have’ right now or even politically correct, is going to be an absolute requirement in two to three years’ time.” New initiatives in the pipeline Centiro is now working together with its customers on several initiatives to improve its services and to make them more sustainable. Niklas can’t share all the details just yet but says they will “continue to connect the world more fluidly and faster, definitely with climate change as part of the job.”
Niklas Hedin, CEO of Centiro. Photo: Centiro.
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“How can we make the delivery networks more friendly to the climate? This is one of the questions we are currently working on. We have things in the garage, which haven’t rolled out yet, and that’s going to be future news.”
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FEATURE
NAVIGATING THE BEGINNING OF A CAREER:
”You have to take risks to succeed” The professional world can be hard to navigate for a young person in the beginning of their career. The Link met with Jan Olsson, CEO of Deutsche Bank Nordics and Chairman of the SCC, to get his best advice on how to lay the foundation for a successful career. “It is easy to live with success, but it is very difficult to live with failure. The best advice I have ever gotten was to learn how to deal with difficult situations.” BY: MATHILDA KENNETT
To leave university and entering the professional world can be an overwhelming experience for many. Looking back at his own experience, Jan wishes he had been advised to be better prepared. “The transition from university to the professional world didn’t come easy for me at first. At university, you have the benefit of selection; you can choose what classes you would like to take according to subject and professor, and you are your own boss. In the professional world, you can’t always choose, there are hierarchies, and you have someone else deciding for you. There is a whole other social infrastructure, but eventually you learn, and you adapt.” 3 initial steps Jan explains that it is important to identify your own strengths and weaknesses to really find your position in the professional landscape. “The first thing I would do is to make an analysis of myself to make sure what abilities I have, and don’t have, and to be honest with myself about that. Although it is hard to accept for some, you cannot be good at everything. So, identify what set of skills you have, and then position yourself.”
“It is easy to live with success, but it is very difficult to live with failure.” The next step is to act on those new insights. “After doing the analysis, take it into execution phase by selecting a profession that fits those abilities. The third and final step is to go wide, use multiple architectures by applying for many jobs at once. I would say, the harder you try, the luckier you will get,” says Jan. Risk taking and dealing with failure Jan emphasises that in order to manage a long and successful career, it is crucial to learn how to deal with failure. “It is easy to live with success, but it is very difficult to live with failure. The best advice I ever got was to learn how to deal with difficult situations, solve them, and move on.” He continues: “You have to take risks to succeed, otherwise you just end up as an average person. And with taking risks, some failure is inevitable.” One way of dealing with professional hardships can be by seeking support in your network. Jan points out the many benefits
See photos from the Evening Talk with Jan Olsson on page 28.
Jan Olsson, CEO Nordics at Deutsche Bank. Photo: Deutsche Bank.
of building a network early on in your career, for example by joining a community that can act as a steppingstone into the professional world. “It’s not only an excellent environment for young professionals to meet among themselves, but it is also an opportunity to meet with more established senior people within the Chamber. Those relationships can provide you with many opportunities enhancing your career.” The benefits of a young professional’s network On 30 September, Jan held an evening talk for the Young Professionals community of the SCC. During the evening, Jan spoke about differences between the job markets in Sweden and the UK, how to build a network as a young professional and the importance of taking risks. “These kinds of events are also great opportunities for more senior professionals to meet the young crowd and get a feel of what the interests of the next generation are. Even though the sole purpose of my evening talk was to give advice to the participants, I too learned a lot from the discussions we had. Many came up to me afterwards wanting to discuss some topics further, and I also connected with several of the participants on social media. I would highly
recommend member companies of the SCC to engage in Young Professional activities.” Jan finishes off with a message to the Young Professionals of the SCC; “I would really like to encourage you to attend both the SCC events directed to the YP community, but also the general SCC events. There are huge opportunities to pick up on within the UK and the Chamber.”
About the Young Professionals The young professional’s network of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1994. Over the years, the Chamber has offered unique inspirational business and educational events, social networking opportunities and personal development through its mentorship programmes for young professionals. Today, it forms a dynamic community representing young professionals across all industries, and welcomes both Swedes, Brits and others interested in building a stronger network. All employees up to 35 at member companies are automatically members of the Young Professionals community, and welcome to attend all events with member benefits.
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Next Generation Leaders Mentorship Programme 2022 Now open for applications We are proud to be launching the next cohort of the SCC’s successful Next Generation Leaders Mentorship Programme 2022, which is now open for applications. The programme offers a great opportunity for young professionals to be mentored, inspired and supported by senior and established professionals from the Swedish-British business community.
Connecting young talents with experienced business professionals
The programme will provide you with tools to:
The twelve-month programme connects young and ambitious talents with experienced international business professionals from across all fields and sectors. The mentors are all experts in their fields and have international business experience, and typically from a Swedish-British setting. The programme includes a series of joint group workshops and seminars, facilitated by Course Director Dr. Aarti Anhal, and involving both mentors and mentees. In addition, mentors and mentees meet for one-to-one mentoring sessions over the course of the year.
9 Accelerate your personal and professional development 9 Gain unique insight into the London business community and business culture 9 Advance towards your existing career goals and aspirations 9 Identify new areas of professional interest and/or career paths 9 Develop new business skills, knowledge and tools 9 Develop your personal brand and grow your professional network
Mentors in the 2021 programme included
Mark Prisk Former Business and Housing Minister & MP
Lotta Malm-Hallqvist Chief Executive Officer, LLAB
Ciaran O’Malley Head of Commercial Strategy, Trustly
Helena Whitmore Head of Private Banking UK, SEB
“
Elisabet Vinberg Hearn CEO, Katapult Partners
Linda Griffin Global Public Policy, Kry/Livi and co-founder, European Tech Alliance
As a qualified executive coach, I have been really impressed by the way the programme balances oneto-one mentoring with broader networking. For the mentee it means they get the chance of in-depth mentoring, whilst also being able to network with their fellow mentees and other mentors. For the mentors, it’s a great chance to help the next generation flourish – which can be hugely rewarding.” Mark Prisk, Former Business and Housing Minister & MP and mentor in the 2021 programme.
Apply by 30 November 2021 Learn more at scc.org.uk
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scholarships
Five London-based scholarships available for talented Swedish youth The SCC is proud to announce a record five scholarships available for a new cohort of young talents to join the SCC Scholarship Programme in 2022/23. The programme lasts for 12 months and has served as a platform to launch many successful alumni careers over the years. The five scholarships have been made possible through generous donations from the Elof Hansson Foundation, Gull & Stellan Ljungberg Foundation, Scholarship Fund for Swedish Youth Abroad, Sparbankstiftelsen Finn and The Sten A. Olsson Foundation for Research and Culture. Applications opened 1 November 2021. “We are very proud to continue this almost half a century long tradition of welcoming ambitious scholars to the Chamber in London. Together with these foundations and donors, we offer young and internationally aspiring students a platform to develop, take responsibility and to grow a unique international network. Our alumni of scholars have gone far and wide and are always close to us. Today, with Brexit in mind, it has become an even more unique opportunity, which we are proud to provide,” says Peter Sandberg, Chief Executive at the SCC.
scholarships
Elof Hansson Foundation The Elof Hansson Foundation was created in 1985 through a donation by Bo-Elof Hansson. The Elof Hansson company is a global business facilitator for buyers and sellers of pulp, paper, and timber. The foundation supports academic education, research, and training in the commercial sector. The main focus is on trade and business activities such as marketing, international trade, accounting, commercial law and business language, and it has long standing partnership with Chalmers University of Technology and the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg.
Gull & Stellan Ljungberg Foundation In memory of Gull and Stellan Ljungberg, a majority of the foundation’s return is each year distributed to young students from the municipalities of Uddevalla and Trollhättan. The foundation prioritises applicants who study, participate in exchange semesters, or do fieldwork abroad.
Scholarship Fund for Swedish Youth Abroad The Scholarship Fund for Swedish Youth Abroad was founded in 1937 as part of the 50-year anniversary of ‘Sveriges Allmänna Utrikeshandelsförening’ (Swedish Association of Foreign Trade). The foundation grants scholarships for studies in Sweden or at Swedish schools abroad, for Swedish language summer courses, for TISUS tests, as well as for internships at several Swedish chambers abroad and Swedish school associations.
The Sten A. Olsson Foundation for Research and Culture The Sten A. Olsson Foundation for Research and Culture was founded in 1996 in honour of shipowner Sten A. Olsson on his 80th birthday. At the time, Mr. Olsson had been active for more than half a century in the Gothenburg and Western Sweden area, laying the foundation to what today is the Stena Sphere, one of Sweden’s largest family-owned businesses, including businesses such as Stena Line.
Sparbankstiftelsen Finn Sparbanksstiftelsen Finn is one of the owners of Sparbanken Skåne. Dividend from its ownership and the return on various other investments give the opportunity to contribute to various projects within education, culture, sports, children and youth, research, and entrepreneurship. The foundation wants to invest in a future that is good for the region and for future generations.
ABOUT THE SCHOLARSHIPS The first formal scholarship programme was launched back in the early 1980s, through the Wall Foundation setup by Dr. Anders Wall. Today, the SCC is offering a range of different scholarships, each with individual requirements and qualifications. To find out which scholarship you may qualify for and details for how to apply, please see the scholarships section on scc.org.uk.
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2 December | 10:00am - 5:30pm Nobu Hotel, 22 Portman Square, London
Speed of change and 21st century leadership The world is facing some fundamental challenges and is changing at a rapid pace. From disruptions lead by the technological revolution, to climate change and a workforce with new conditions to relate to - the speed and acceleration of change sets new requirements for 21st century leaders to be successful. At the Swedish-British Summit 2021 we look at our joint future ahead, the challenges, and how we can learn from each other. “Outer Thinking” is about 21st century leadership, bringing together business leaders, entrepreneurs, politicians and academics from both Sweden and the United Kingdom, to address the greater trends facing us, from tech to climate change, the future workforce or global trade.
Discussing the speed of...
Global change Change within the UK Climate change Innovation Digitalisation Workforce change
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hours of networking Hélène Barnekow CEO, Microsoft Sweden
Leif Johansson Non-Executive Chairman of the Board, AstraZeneca
Jan-Olof Jacke Director General, Swedish Enterprise
Polly Toynbee Columnist, The Guardian
Simon Nixon Chief Lead Writer, The Times
Darja Isaksson Director General, Vinnova
Micael Johansson President & CEO, Saab
Jens Henriksson President and CEO, Swedbank
Lisa Lindström CEO, Doberman
Nik Gowing Director and Founder, Thinking the Unthinkable
Lord Ed Vaizey of Didcot Chair, Digital Futures and former Culture and Digital Minister
Andrew Bowie MP and Vice Chairman of the Conservative Party
Åsa Tamsons Senior Vice President and Head of Business Area Technologies & New Businesses, Ericsson
Jason “Timbuktu” Diakité Artist and musician
Anna König Jerlmyr Mayor of Stockholm
Sean McGuire Director for Brussels, CBI
Gerard Grech Chief Executive, Tech Nation
Cecilia Malmström Visiting Professor, University of Gothenburg and former EU Trade Commissioner
Oscar Berglund CEO, Trustly
Ambassador João Vale de Almeida Head of Delegation of the European Union to the United Kingdom
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speakers
Sponsored by
In partnership with For more details and bookings, visit scc.org.uk/events
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Feature
Making sense of scents
– the power of scent marketing Ever since the beginning of time, people have used scents to stimulate emotions and reactions. Queen Cleopatra used to perfume her sails to declare her arrival, and ancient merchants used incense to create feelings of relaxation or alertness. What can today’s businesses and leaders learn from the past? The latest research in the field of fragrance suggests ground-breaking ways to use scents to affect both customers and employees. The Link spoke to Christina Johannesson, founder of SCC member and candle producer Ljuset, about this rising trend. BY: SAGA PALMÉR
We all experience them, emotions and memories that are triggered when we encounter a specific scent. They can be personal, such as smelling a perfume that reminds you of your grandmother, or shared with others, such as feeling hungry when walking past a bakery in the morning. These reactions are both universal and, most of the time, unconscious. Christina Johannesson has long been interested in the power of fragrances and decided to use it on herself when being prevented from travelling back to Sweden for Christmas in 2020. “During last year’s lockdown, I was not able to travel back to Sweden from Scotland to celebrate Christmas with my family – which I normally do every year. This led me to the idea of creating fragrance candles which reminded me of a Nordic Christmas – like gingerbread and mulled wine.” This idea gave birth to Ljuset – a business providing scented candles. “I know how powerful scents can be as a tool. No matter if you want to bring back a memory or provoke a certain emotion, scents can help you achieve that.” Christina is not the only one being seduced by the effects of scents. The UK market value of fragrances has gone from £1.1bn in 2009,
to £1.8bn in 2019. In Sweden, the import of fragrances has nearly double in the last 10 years – from SEK 4.5bn in 2010 to SEK 8.5bn in 2020. Simultaneously, the interest in “scent marketing” has skyrocketed. “As usual, when something is increasing in both value and popularity, the research in this field has exploded. With new discoveries come new ideas of how to use scents in marketing and communication, and they are playing a bigger role in brand identity than ever before.” According to Christina, understanding scents and the reactions they provoke can create countless commercial opportunities. The close links between scent and memory can be used in branding strategies. Smell can drive customer behaviour and pleasant smells will keep them around. By using scent you can form a stronger emotional connection with customers which will result in brand loyalty and encourage them to spend more. Both time and money. Not only can it be used as a discreet tool to spark the desire to purchase something, but also to create comfort or cover up unwanted smells. “Imagine a store selling shoes. If they create a scent of leather throughout the shop, it would both signal authenticity and good quality shoes, but also cover up the smell of feet coming from people trying on shoes.” Scents can also be used to provoke even more subtle reactions. Christina highlights a few ways hotels experiment with scents depending on desired results. “Scents can make rooms feel larger or smaller. A hotel that wants its guests to stay for as long as possible might use a scent that is relaxing, comforting or ‘smells a bit like home’. Another hotel might want to channel a feeling of luxury and exclusivity, hence use a completely different set of scents.” Though awareness of cultural differences when it comes to using scent as a marketing tool is very important. What is considered a pleasant smell in one part of the world might be associated with something unpleasant in another.”
Christina Johannesson, Founder of Ljuset, makes all the candles herself. Photo: Ljuset.
When looking ahead, Christina believes that both usage and knowledge of scents will continue to grow. As we discover more ways to take advantage of it, she thinks that fragrances will play an even a bigger functional role in
society, for example in offices to enhance both productivity and wellbeing of the employees. “New discoveries are being made all the time on the topic of workplace scenting. You could, for example, integrate scenting with the ventilation and use a subtle scent of lemon to energise, peppermint to increase alertness and efficiency or of rosemary to reduce stress.” Christina’s own favourite scent is a classic, but one that might become more and more rare in the digital age – the scent of old books. But just as technology might be the reason that this scent disappears, she hopes that it will also create new opportunities to save it. “In the growing field of smell research, scientists, historians and cultural heritage specialists are working together on trying to conserve the smells of our times - past and present.” Until then, we can count on items such as scented candles, incense sticks and perfumes when we want to travel through space, time and emotions. SCENT SCIENCE LEMON Energise CINNAMON Increased attention LAVENDER Relaxation VANILLA Stress relief PEPPERMINT Alertness
ABOUT LJUSET Ljuset is the Swedish word for candle and it also means light. It is pronounced “use-it”. Ljuset founder and chandler, Christina, was born and grew up in Sweden were candles are an everyday and occasion item. They not only bring light and warmth but also comfort and tranquility. Lighting a candles is also an opportunity for reflection on the past, present and the future. Ljuset produces concept candles and the launch collection is inspired by the smells of a Nordic Christmas. Currently two further collections are in development, inspired by Swedish fika and celebration. These will be launched in the New Year.
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LINK
previous events
impact 2021 23 september On 23 September, the SCC brought together stakeholders from across industries and some of the greatest thinkers from both Sweden and the UK to discuss one of the most important issues of our time – the way to a green recovery. The full-day event at Kimpton Fitzroy London included panel discussions, keynotes and networking, all with the purpose to move forward on the road towards a more sustainable future. A special thanks to our sponsors SEB, Skanska, SSAB, Vattenfall, Wastefront and White & Case LLP, as well as our partners at the Department for International Trade (DIT) for making this important event possible.
Peter Sandberg (SCC) and Charles Joly (London School of Economics and Political Science).
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Alex Haddon (IC Design).
Anders Engstrand (SEB).
The panel discussion “The Rise of Green Consumerism.
Guests networking in the palm court area.
Josh Woodend and Luciane Toldo (H&M).
Veronica Råberg-Schrello (Kekst CNC) and Simon Hicks (Foster + Partners).
Peter Jelkeby (IKEA UK and Ireland).
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previous EVENTS
Ulrika Wising (Shell) networking in the palm court area.
Hanna Grahn (Spotify).
Michael Bark-Jones (White & Case), Renato Beltran (SEB) and Jonathan Ward (ClimateView).
Christian Hvamstad, Vegard Bringsjord, Maria Moræus Hanssen and Vianney Vales (Wastefront).
Darren Wilson (LKAB Minerals), Tamsin Sewell and David Williams (SSAB).
Karima Haji, Paul Z Smith and Tanya Neech (Scania).
Victoria Hills (Royal Town Planning Institute).
Björn Savén (IK Investment Partners).
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PREVIOUS EVENTS
link up drinks AT CARPE DIEM BEDS 7 september On 7 September, SCC member Carpe Diem Beds hosted the first Link Up Drinks of the autumn at its store in Marylebone, London. The event brought together SCC members for an evening with drinks, canapes, networking, and a few surprises. Also, the newest members of the Chamber had the opportunity to introduce themselves to the community.
Liam Sturges (Inex One) was the lucky winner of the raffle of the evening.
New members Andrew Bullion (Hausfeld), Olga Beck-Friis (PocketLaw) and Charlotte Stirling (Carnegie Investment Bank) were presenting their companies to the SCC community.
The evening included presentations, drinks, networking and a raffle.
link up drinks AT HIRSH LONDON 14 OCTOBER On 14 October, SCC member Hirsh London welcomed the Swedish-British community to their Conduit Street townhouse for an evening of networking, cocktails and canapes. New members of the Chamber had an opportunity to present themselves and to meet other businesses and professionals in the community.
Hirsh London offered canapes and a cocktail menu created especially for the event.
Svetlana Wolff (SAS), Fons Vermorken and Florian Werner (SigmaRoc PLC).
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Sophia Hirsh (Hirsh London) and Barbro McAusland (Barbro McAusland Associates).
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previous EVENTS
Young Professionals evening talk with jan olsson 30 september On 30 September, the SCC Young Professionals hosted an evening talk with Jan Olsson, CEO Nordics Deutsche Bank and Chairman of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce for the UK. The evening of consisted of interesting discussions, networking and a complimentary drink.
Dorin Lenta (DFIN), Oskar Högberg (Dabbs Fitness), Susanna Sandell (DFIN) and Cornelia Persson (Dabbs Fitness).
Matthew Blakemore (British Board of Film Classification) in discussions with young professionals.
Jan Olsson (Deutsche Bank) and Susanna Sandell (DFIN) who moderated the discussions.
Young Professionals business insights at ef london 21 OCTOBER On 21 October, the young professionals of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce were invited to a Business Insights event at EF Education First’s offices in Chelsea, London. The evening began with networking over some drinks and nibbles, and continued with a quiz and presentation by EF. Linnea Engstrand (SCC), Martina Falkenberg (SCC), Lotte Westfal-Larsen (NBCC) and Camillla Holsve Johansen (NBCC).
Participants learned about EF Education First’s operations and got to ask questions to Maria Norrman and Peter Burman (EF).
The evening also included networking, drinks and canapes.
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UPCOMING EVENTS
Upcoming events
We will also be joined by Mikael Milhøj, Chief Analyst at Danske Bank, who will be sharing insights from his perspective. Sponsored by Danske Bank.
The SCC is offering a mix of virtual and inperson roundtables, forums and summits. For our live events, the SCC is continually monitoring government and health guidelines to protect our team and our guests. Along with the venue provider, we want to provide a safe environment. Learn more at scc.org.uk/events
Annual Christmas Luncheon
Executive Forum with H.E. Mikaela Kumlin Granit, Swedish Ambassador to the United Kingdom
Nordic Private Equity Forum
18 November | White & Case, 5 Old Broad Street, London Despite a turbulent last 18 months, the Nordic Private Equity market continues optimistically and remains one of the most active ones in Europe. At the Nordic Private Equity Forum you will hear from private equity firms on the state of the Nordic markets, and dive into the drive for a fossil free future, ESG innovation and Net-Zero in light of Britain hosting COP26. Speakers include Adam Black, Partner and Head of ESG & Sustainability, Coller Capital, Alireza Etemad, Partner Sweden/Finland, IK Investment Partners, Gabriel Mellqvist, Reporter, Dagens industri, Joe Schorge, Managing Partner, Isomer Capital, and many more. Kindly sponsored by DealCloud, DFIN, Globalization Partners, Lincoln International and White & Case.
New Relationship Roundtable with Chris Barton, Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner, Europe
23 November | Danske Bank , 75 King William St , London Welcome to this New Relationship Roundtable with Chris Barton, Her Majesty’s Trade Commissioner, Europe, as guest speaker, on the status-quo of Brexit, the implementation of the new trade agreement, and the way forward.
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30 November | The Swedish Ambassador’s Residence, 27 Portland Place, London The Executive Forum (formerly known as the Industrial Forum) is one of the Chamber’s most exclusive events series, dating back to the 1990s. The purpose of the Forum is to gather senior business leaders from within the network to create new bonds and synergies. Over the last few years, it has attracted some of the most prestigious speakers in the SwedishBritish community. This year we are proud to welcome H.E. Mikaela Kumlin Granit, Swedish Ambassador to the United Kingdom. Please note that this event is by invitation only.
3 December | The Landmark, London The Swedish Chamber’s Christmas Luncheon has a long history dating back over a century. Today, it is the pinnacle of the business calendar, bringing together business people from across the Swedish-British community and is the largest luncheon of its kind outside of Sweden. The Luncheon will feature a traditional Lucia procession, a grand charity raffle, first-class entertainment, great company, and unique networking opportunities. To make it even better, the Luncheon is followed by an after-party, where Timbuktu and MASAKA TRIO will be entertaining to keep the festivities going. Sponsored by Handelsbanken Wealth Management.
Young Professionals: Annual Christmas Dinner 2021
Swedish-British Summit 2021: Outer Thinking
2 December | Nobu Hotel, London The world is facing some fundamental challenges, from disruptions led by the technological revolution, to climate change and a workforce with new conditions to relate to. Together with 20+ speakers including Hélène Barnekow, CEO at Microsoft Sweden, Jan-Olof Jacke, Director General at Swedish Enterprise, Anna König Jerlemyr, Mayor of Stockholm, Leif Johansson, Non-Executive Chairman of the Board at AstraZeneca, Rajesh Agrawal, Deputy Mayor of London for Business, Micael Johansson, President & CEO at Saab, Åsa Tamsons, Senior Vice President and Head of Business Area Technologies & New Businesses at Ericsson - and many more - we will be looking at our joint future ahead, the challenges, and how we can learn from each other. Sponsored by Astra Zeneca, IKEA, Kindred, Saab, Trustly and ZYN.
10 December | SKÅL Nordic Dining, 149a Upper Street, London Join us and celebrate this festive holiday in true Swedish fashion, at the Young Professionals Annual Christmas Dinner 2021. Upon arrival you will be greeted with mulled wine and gingerbread, and the three-course dinner will be accompanied by homemade Aquavit, high-quality wines, beer, and as always, unique networking opportunities. Venue host: SKÅL Nordic Dining.
Lucia in Hull Minister
12 December | Hull Minster, 10a-11 King Street, Kingston upon Hull In cooperation with Hull Minster, the Danish Church, Nordic Chambers, and organisations in and around the Humber, are pleased to invite you to celebrate Saint Lucia featuring a traditional Lucia procession, Christmas Carols and a reception serving Nordic Christmas treats.
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feature
Intellectual Property 101: the do’s, dont’s and important updates Disputes over intellectual rights often get in the spotlight, but the topic can be tricky both to research and to regulate. You might have heard of songwriters arguing over the similarity between records, or inventors over who was the first to come up with an idea – but what exactly is intellectual property and how do you protect it? What rights do you have, what are the most common mistakes and how can you avoid them? Matthew Pryke, Managing Partner and expert in intellectual property law at law firm and SCC member Hamlins LLP, gives us his most important insights. What is “intellectual property rights”? Intellectual property rights are important businesses assets, often misunderstood. They are relevant to any business or individual who has a brand or confidential information to protect. For example, copyright is protection for authors and musicians for their work, trademarks protect brands and logos, and design rights protect the work of designers. Why is it important to understand intellectual property rights? Intellectual property rights can appear complex but it is not necessary to understand everything about them (that is what lawyers are for). What is important to understand is that intellectual property rights are a crucial asset and will both protect and add value to your business. Effectively managed intellectual property rights can increase the value of your business when seeking investment or when the time comes to sell. What are the most common misconceptions when it comes to intellectual property rights? One common misconception is that you would have to spend lots of money to protect your rights and that all rights must be registered to be protected. Many rights have automatic protection, for example, copyright protection automatically applies to all authors’ works provided they fall within a protected category and the author is a qualifying person. Another common misconception is that intellectual property rights are only relevant to certain businesses. Actually, intellectual property rights are relevant to all types of business because, if nothing else, almost every business has a brand which identifies the business and adds value if sensibly protected. What are the most common mistakes regarding intellectual property rights? The biggest mistake people make is they do not take the steps early enough to identify their key intellectual property assets. The second biggest mistake is people do not ensure intellectual property protection is secured soon enough. This means they can lose
out on long term value and spend more in the medium term to protect these assets against predatory third parties. How should one go about protecting intellectual property? There are certain things you can do yourself, such as making use of copyright and confidentiality notices and using appropriate non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to keep confidential information secure. But as a lawyer, I would inevitably suggest contacting an IP specialist who can undertake a sensible audit of your business and identify the appropriate and focused measures to take to reflect your business and any budgetary constraints. What effects can we expect from Brexit regarding intellectual property rights? The most important consideration is that the transition period has ended. The ‘transition period’ refers to the year after the UK left the EU, which ended on 31 December 2020. This means newly registered EU intellectual property rights do not provide protection within UK. From the 1 January 2021, previously registered EU intellectual property rights were issued a comparable UK version. Therefore, if you had, for example, a registered EU trademark prior to Brexit, you will now have a comparable mark which is valid within the UK and a valid EUTM for the remaining 27 EU states and there is no need to take any action. If, however, you have not yet secured all of your intellectual property protection in the EU then you will now need to separately apply for UK protection and EU protection. Are there any other upcoming changes in the policy? The UK government is currently considering a change to the UK’s intellectual property exhaustion regime. The ‘exhaustion’ of IP rights refers to when a business sells a good, for example a car, to a third party. In this instance, the business no longer has continuing IP rights to the car, they are “exhausted”.This means the third party can undertake a number of steps in connection with the car, including altering and selling it for profit. The results of the governmental consultation will have an impact on both the UK
Matthew Pryke, Managing Partner, Hamlins LLP.
and countries in the European Economic Area (EEA) with regards to parallel trade. Since this is very much a changing landscape at the moment, it is important to keep an eye out for any changes. You can do this easily and at no cost by registering with an IP Law firm to receive appropriate updates. Do you have any example showing the importance of intellectual property protection? A good example of this is when Innocent Smoothies was very publicly selling to Coca-Cola. Innocent almost lost a once in a lifetime deal because there was a dispute over whether they owned their iconic logo. It turned out the paperwork to transfer copyright to Innocent had never been signed, despite the logo design being paid for many years previously. This is a great lesson for all businesses which contract work out to third parties to ensure they have signed agreements to secure the intellectual property rights in any designs or works undertaken by third parties. This also serves as a reminder to all businesses to check whether they own the rights to their logos, websites, domain names, and so on. For those who are just starting out, make sure you protect your rights from the beginning as it can prove more expensive and difficult to address these issues later on.
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IN OTHER NEWS
Sweden ranks no. 2 in UN Global Innovation Index In the UN’s World Intellectual Property Organization’s yearly Global Innovation Index, Sweden takes the number 2 position, after Switzerland. The index examines the innovation opportunities of 132 countries looking at 80 different indicators. In addition to criteria such as patent and trademark applications, there are also indicators for the creation of apps for mobile phones, exports of advanced technology and political climate. This year’s report is focused on innovation in the wake of Covid-19. “Our innovative capabilities give us opportunities to meet the green and digital transition, to create new products and services with both local and global impact, and to create more jobs in Sweden,” says Swedish Minister for Business, Industry and Innovation Ibrahim Baylan.
SAS opens additional routes to several destinations SCC patron SAS continues to open up new destinations and adding more frequent flights. The airline now flies more than 150 routes to 90 destinations, including connections between London and the Scandinavian capitals, as well as the recently announced route between London Heathrow and Scandinavian Mountains Airport.
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Stockholm among the fastest growing European cities
SCC members attended the UK Global Investment Summit
A new report from the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce places Stockholm among the fastest growing cities in Europe. The report is based on research by Oxford Economics and looks into the growth rates of different cities and regions in Europe. It places Dublin at the very top of the list, with an expected 20% growth until 2022. Sweden’s GDP is expected to grow by 4.2% in 2021, while Stockholm is expected to reach a 4.6% growth. The 30 cities included in the forecast had an expected average growth of 5.2%. Of the cities included in the report, Stockholm was one of the top ten performers. All included cities, apart from Barcelona, had returned to the financial levels prior to the pandemic.
More than 200 investors were invited to the UK Global Investment Summit on 18 October, to discuss how the UK can shape the future of green investments, ahead of the COP26 climate summit in November. Hosted by Prime Minister Boris Johnson, the event was attended by several SCC member firms, such as SCC patron SAAB and SCC member Wastefront. Speaking at the event was Sebastian Siemiatkowski, CEO and Co-founder of SCC patron Klarna. The aim of the summit is to demonstrate Britain’s commitment to green industrial revolution in the UK and abroad ahead of COP26, and promote the UK as a top destination for foreign investment.
Spotify launches video podcast service SCC patron Spotify is broadening its platform with the launch of a new video option for its podcasts. The Swedish streaming service began the rollout of the updates in late October, meaning Spotify could be able to challenge giants such as Youtube in the future. The video feature has already been available for a few podcasters for a while, but the new launch is opening the option for smaller podcasters, and includes the addition of a large number of new, high-profile video podcasts. Spotify has 365 million users in 178 markets, meaning that these new video podcasts have a potential for a large, even global, reach.
Magdalena Andersson new leader for the Social Democratic Party Sweden’s Finance Minister Magdalena Andersson has been elected new leader of the Social Democratic Party. At the Social Democratic Party conference in the beginning of November, Prime Minister Löfven stepped down and the party members voted to elect Magdalena Andersson to new party leader. If she wins acceptance in the parliamentary vote, she will become the first-ever female head of government in Sweden.
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IKEA retail store will be focusing on home furnishing accessories, offering 2.200 product lines and 5.000 articles, as well as a full range of services, such as kitchen, bedroom and living room design planning. The city-centre space will also include a new food offer and an area providing circular services and sales of second-hand items.
Klarna introduces new payment options in the UK In October, SCC patron Klarna introduced a range of changes to its UK platform, including a launch of a “Pay now”-option. Klarna said that in addition to the previous option to buy-now pay-later, the new option means that users will be able to pay immediately when making a purchase. The pay-now option is already available for Klarna users in the 20 other markets where it operates. Additionally, Klarna introduced credit checks and an option to securely share income and spending data, as well as announcing the removal of late fees from its long-term plans. Klarna’s chief executive Sebastian Siemiatkowski said that thanks to these recent changes, consumers would gain full control of their payments whether they pay now or pay later.
of 7 episodes, the subject of how different sectors are affected by the COP negotiations will be discussed. In the most recent episode called “COP for Dummies”, explains the concepts around COP26 and what to look out for during the meeting. In the upcoming episodes the speakers will cover how the COP negotiations will affect cities and regions, the financial market, and textiles – finishing off with a summary episode called “After COP – everything you need to know & how to move from here.”
NIBE warming up for the green switch Heat pump provider and SCC member NIBE made national news in October, speaking to the BBC about the key role of heat pumps in the transition to a more sustainable future. “One of the great things about heat pumps is that they are suitable for the vast majority of properties. As the market grows, cost will continue to fall,” said Managing Director Phil Hurley to BBC Radio 4. While the world is warming up for COP26, it is getting more and more clear that low carbon heating will be crucial to the net zero transition, meaning that companies such as NIBE will play an important role to in the green switch. Apart from Phil Hurley, both NIBE’s Head of Technical Services Neil Hope and Head of Marketing Olivia Powell-Maycock were featured when the company spoke in both BBC Radio 4 and BBC News Breakfast.
IKEA moves into the heart of Oxford Street SCC patron IKEA has announced the leasing of a 3 floor à 7,700 sqm space located on Oxford Street in Central London, following the purchase of the property made by Ingka Investments. The space will house a smallerscale IKEA city store, the second one of its kind following the upcoming opening of IKEA Hammersmith. The new store is part of the concept of bringing IKEA closer to its customers, by opening stores in cities centres in response to an increasing urbanisation. The
IN OTHER NEWS
Swedish parliament to vote for Budget Bill for 2022 In late November and December, the Swedish parliament will vote to settle the Budget Bill for 2022 and decide on the government’s planned spending for the upcoming year. The autumn budget proposition was presented in late September, with a strong focus on rebuilding the country after the pandemic, making it greener and more sustainable. The budget contains propositions to a value of SEK74bn, and aims to help Swedish business and industries prepare for the green transition, lower the national unemployment rate and strengthen the welfare state. The Swedish economy is expected a strong recovery after the pandemic, allowing the government to include tax cuts to a value of SEK10bn in the proposition, while continuing to support national healthcare to combat Covid-19.
New series to look out for: The Bridge Talks to COP26 This autumn The Bridge by Altitude is conducting a series called “The Bridge Talks to COP26” together with climate expert and author Mattias Goldmann, previously Chief Sustainability Officer at Sweco. In a number
Got news for us? Email jonas.eklund@scc.org.uk.
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Det är advent www.rivalcolour.com KEEping up with the speed of change
Swedish Business INVESTING IN THE UK
WHAT is human centric lighting?
Nik Gowing and Hélène Barnekow on how 21st century leaders can keep up with the speed of change.
We continue examining the Swedish footprint in the UK by presenting examples of Swedish investments in the UK.
Henrik Clausen, Director of Fagerhult Lighting Academy, on how lighting impacts well-being and productivity.
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Print in Good company!
Dedicated to the Swedish-British business community since 1906
» The SCC use Rival
for printing services – in fact you’re looking at our printing NOW!
”Where it gets super exciting is when speaking about what 5G can do for enterprise.” Meet Katherine Ainley, CEO of Ericsson UK & Ireland
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Debatable Issue 14 – November 2013 | Souvenir Edition
A summary of the debates held in the House of Commons by the UK Youth Parliament, 15th November 2013
“Democracy is such a beautiful thing – I want a piece of that” (Georgina Hands, MYP for Lincolnshire Central)
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IN OTHER NEWS
forces, along with SCC member ClimateView, in Business Sweden’s Swedish and Nordic Pavillons. The pavillons hosted high-level meetings and a space for stakeholders to meet, network and collaborate in order to find solutions to combat the climate crisis. The various businesses covered a wide range of topics, including finance, energy, nature and youth and public empowerment.
Rishi Sunak optimistic when presenting UK budget 2022 On October 27, Finance Minister Rishi Sunak presented the UK budget for the upcoming year, referring to it as “a stronger economy for the British people”. Sunak said to have faith in the country’s financial future, calling the British economy an “economy fit for a new age of optimism”. According to the Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), the UK economy is expected to recover from the dip brought on by the pandemic by the end of this year. In the upcoming year, the curve will continue upwards, with a growth rate of 6.5%, enabling several new investments. As part of the Governments “Plan for Jobs”, the national living wage is raised to £9.5 by April 2022, which is a 6.6% increase. Additionally, the budget includes investments in transportation projects aimed to decrease regional differences, as well as research initiatives through the new investment fund “Global Britain”.
SCC members joined forces at COP26 In November, key players gathered in Glasgow to discuss the direction and future work against climate change. Several businesses from the SCC community joined world leaders and organisations to do what they can to reduce their climate footprint. SCC patrons Alfa Laval, Ericsson, Nordea, Scania, Skanska, SSAB, Stora Enso and Volvo joined
UK leading by green example, new report shows
André Löfgren new CFO of BoKlok Group Residential housing concept BoKlok Group has appointed André Löfgren as new CFO. In his most recent role, André was working as Senior Vice President at Skanska. Prior to this, he was CFO of Skanska Residential Development Nordic where he gained experience in residential development. André will officially start his new role on 4 February 2022 and says he is excited for the new chapter. “I am really looking forward to joining BoKlok and being able to help realise the long-term strategic ambitions that will lead to more sustainable homes for people with average incomes,” André says in a press realease. BoKlok is a joint venture between SCC patrons IKEA and Skanska, operating in the Nordics and the UK.
The UK was among the top countries when looking at green investments in 2020, attracting one-in-six of all Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) backed ‘cleantech’ projects in Europe. According to a report by SCC patron EY, this means that the UK was ranking second in Europe when looking at investments in cleantech, with projects in energy transition, biodiversity, sustainability and other net zero areas. London was the number one city in Europe, but the performance was not limited to the capital as the report said that the projects were spread much more evenly across the country than other forms of FDI. The UK attracted 59 cleantech projects in 2020, with 17% of them being European projects, and only with Germany attracting more projects. During the same period, cleantech accounted for 6.1% of all UK FDIsupported projects.
Volvo Cars made its stock market debut On 29 October, SCC patron Volvo Cars made its stock market debut on the Nasdaq Stockholm stoch exchange. The stock was trading at SEK59.99 on the morning of the listing, pushing past the listing price of SEK53 a share in the wake of the initial public offering. The IPO is one of Europe’s largest this year and Sweden’s biggest since the telecom operator and SCC member Telia listed in 2000. “Volvo Cars has an ambitious strategy to become fully electric by 2030 and is also undergoing a transition towards a more direct to customer sales model. Today’s listing will help us get there and I would like to extend a warm welcome to all our new shareholders,” said Håkan Samuelsson, CEO of Volvo Cars, in a statement.
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NEW PATRONS
SigmaRoc PLC SigmaRoc PLC is an AIM-listed buy-and-build group targeting construction materials assets in the UK and Northern Europe. It seeks to create value by purchasing assets in fragmented construction materials markets and extracting efficiencies through active management and by forming the assets into larger groups. It seeks to derisk its investments via strong asset backing at its projects.
SnusDirect SnusDirect is an online shop dedicated to nicotine pouches and other tobacco-free snus alternatives. All of the products are available for purchase within the European Union and a selected number of other countries, including the UK. SnusDirect is run by ECODI AB with many years’ experience in e-commerce and above all, great expertise when it comes to smokeless alternatives.
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Akribian Founded in 2017, Akribian has since been working to prove that everybody was born a maths person. Using Game-Embedded Teaching, it combines science with game design to create accessible, adaptive, and anxiety-free digital ways of learning. Its first product, Count on me, is a story-driven maths adventure game for children aged 6–9 years.
AlphaSights AlphaSights is the global leader in knowledge on-demand. We connect investment and business leaders with a dynamic network of industry professionals whose informed perspectives help our clients make superior investment and business decisions. With 1200+ employees and nine offices across the globe, AlphaSights regularly ranks as one of the fastest-growing companies in the world.
Alva LABS With Alva, you can select which candidates to interview in a faster, more accurate and more fair way. By assessing the candidates personality and experience, recruiters can more accurately predict job success and save valuable time in the process. Our tests are based on leading science & research, combined with a digital and easy-to-use platform.
BETTER PLANET Better Planet helps its clients to find renewable alternatives for heating and electricity. The company leads the transition from boilers to more environmentally friendly options by offering a full-scale service for design and installation of heat pump systems as well as integration with other technologies such a solar panels, battery storage, underfloor heating, ventilation and cooling.
Brunswick Brunswick is a strategic advisory firm focused on critical issues and critical stakeholders. Our purpose is to help our clients play their role in the world successfully. We advise on critical issues and critical stakeholders at the center of business, politics and society, and help our clients – the leaders of large, complex organisations – understand and navigate these interconnected worlds
Gender Rise Gender Rise is a consultancy helping dynamic companies, startups and VC firms achieve sustainable gender equality and diversity through award-winning, action-oriented strategy and training, generating cultural and policy shifts that allow all genders to thrive through fast and long-lasting results.
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Kekst CNC Kekst CNC is a global strategic communications firm that specialises in protecting and enhancing reputations. From 15 locations around the globe, our team of 250 professionals provides expert communications counsel, informed by judgment, insights and data-led analysis. We apply our communications expertise across high-stakes corporate, financial, and political matters, helping businesses communicate effectively through periods of disruption, transformation and growth.
Ljuset Ljuset is the Swedish word for candle and it also means light. Christina Johannesson is the Ljuset founder and chandler, making concept candles that tell a story through fragrances. All candles are handmade from her own recipes, using only high quality ingredients, with bespoke and branded options available. Her launch collection is inspired by the smells of Nordic Christmas.
Memographics Memographics gives you all the tools you need to create a beautiful and personal printed matter for the funeral. Since the Memographics print portal was launched ten years ago, it has simplified the daily work for funeral homes in both Sweden and Norway. Using Memographics they can easily create professional service sheets, memorial books and other things that give the funeral a personal and dignified setting.
Sandberg Sandberg is a full-service language services company that helps Nordic companies reach major European markets – and vice versa. Passionate about good communication; it wants businesses to speak with messages that are clear, compelling and confidence-inspiring. To achieve this, it offers professional translation, software localisation and multilingual content creation.
Stevens & Bolton Stevens & Bolton is a UK law firm with around 150 lawyers, approximately a third of them partners, many of whom chose to join us from City law firms. They are people who listen. People who develop a real understanding of your needs, concerns and priorities. People who care deeply about the outcome.
British Newsletter British Newsletter was first founded as Svenska eBrev, in 2015. Our vision is to help other companies establish, mobilise and individualise their communication with their customers through newsletters. We offer a service that will help our customers to produce newsletters that communicate a special and unique layout, design and content – all to help them reach their wanted target audience.
UNITY UNITY is a new living concept in the Nordics, opening 7 locations across Sweden, Finland and Denmark within the next two years. UNITY Hammarby Sjöstad opened on 3 November offering 140 Tom Dixon designed studio apartments, coworking, meeting rooms, offices, gym and bar. Stay for a night or a few months.
Voyado Voyado is a Customer Experience Platform (CXP) with a sole focus on e-commerce and retail. It holds six major features under the same hood that allows retailers internationally to work with personalised life cycle communication. You can, for example, create hyper-segmented lists based on all customer data, work with churn scoring, marketing automation, and omnichannel communication.
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Meet
Katherine Ainley, CEO of Ericsson UK & Ireland. Photo: Renz Andres.
katherine Ainley CEO of Ericsson UK & Ireland In February this year, Katherine Ainley was appointed new CEO of Ericsson UK & Ireland. With a long background in telecoms, a strong interest in technology, and a passion for changing people’s lives, she is buzzing for what the upcoming years have to offer. “I am clearly a bit biased, but I think that 5G is the most exciting thing going on in the world at the moment. The things that you can do with it, both as a business as well as a consumer, are just revolutionary.” BY: MATHILDA KENNETT
While growing up in the northwest of England, Katherine always had a vision to make a difference. She moved to London to study Government at the London School of Economics and considers the city her home ever since. Working for the operator BT for 13 years, she got a great insight into how critical the telecoms infrastructure is for people. Now, with two daughters of her own, Katherine feels very passionate about what tech can enable for a better future.
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Making the unimaginable possible There is no question where Katherine’s interest in technology originates from. “I think there are two types of people you meet in technology and engineering. There are those who love the technical parts of engineering, and then there’s the people who are interested in technology because of what it can enable. I am the latter; I love the bit at the very end where you can see how it can change people’s lives and, although it may sound a bit
cheesy, how it can make the world better by creating connections that make the unimaginable possible.” Ericsson – a key player in the roll out of 5G Ericsson has been present for over 120 years in the UK and 60 years in Ireland and has made many “firsts” during the years. In 1985, it put out the first mobile network in the UK, followed by the first SMS message in 1992 and the first 3G call in 2001. Now Ericsson is
LINK at the forefront again, being the only vendor to support all four of the country’s major mobile network operators in their 5G roll out as well as working with leading UK companies to create the ‘factories of the future’ and develop enterprise solutions and 5G use cases that can boost British businesses and transform society. “The delivery of 5G is without doubt our biggest focus right now. It is the number one priority for the industry at the moment, making sure we work together to put the best infrastructure that we can in place, and deliver it as fast as possible. We are also working with operators to help enterprise partners to make the most of 5G, helping them to realise the benefits, how it can change their companies and the way they work, as well as the environmental improvements it can bring.”
term. Then, as they go down the road looking at the pavement and road layout, they can see exactly where the pipes are through augmented reality. Rather than having to carry around a big blueprint, they can actually see where they need to dig up the road and where there is an electricity cable and such. They can also work with someone in another location, a remote expert back in the office for example, who can then join and work on it as if they were there and help fix the problem.”
“Another great example is our partnership with Hyperbat. They make electric car batteries and work on many different sites with their suppliers and partners. Previously, when they would work together on an electric car battery, they would exchange loads of emails and files, asking for remeasurements and design amends, or they would have to travel to work on it together. Now, with the 5G network we have The importance of connectivity implemented together BT, Hyperbat have conKatherine believes the pandemic has made nected the computer aided design software in people recognise the importance of connecvirtual reality, so they can basically ‘be there’ tivity, and that many people have gone from thinking about telecoms as a luxury, to realising without actually being there, using virtual reality glasses, working on the same battery it is essential in everything we do. “We have from two different sites. This saves them an become used to reaching each other all the enormous amount of time.” time, everywhere, and we want it to work quick and easy – 5G will help to create the connections that will enable that.” “Unmatched speed is obviously one of the big talking points about 5G for consumers – it can be up to 100 times faster than 4G – and this together with the low latency is what really sets 5G apart from previous mobile generations.” The low latency of 5G creates endless opportunities for both immersive consumer applications and services but also opens a huge array of opportunities for critical businesses sectors like manufacturing, logistics and ports. “For consumers it enables working on the move, streaming videos when you are out and about, better quality and precision in gaming and similar, these are just a few of many examples. It’s also a big opportunity to improve the connectivity in rural communities without having to have the streets dug up.”
“Imagine a world where you could have people all over the globe working together as if they were in the same room, without having to travel.”
Reducing energy consumption Ericsson is working with all four main operators to make sure that the 5G infrastructure is
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as sustainable as possible. Recently, as part of a collaboration to improve network energy performance, Ericsson and Vodafone completed the trial of new radio in London which helped to reduced Vodafone’s energy consumption by a daily average of 43%, and as much as 55% at off-peak times. “As we are using the network more, it is important that we talk about breaking the energy curve and come up with sustainable solutions to handle the increasing use of networks.”
“The technology sector can have a disproportionately positive impact on the environment.” “Making the network more efficient is one part but studies also show that the innovation we can enable through 5G connectivity solutions in the ICT sector can drive a 15% reduction in direct global greenhouse emissions. The technology sector can have a disproportionately positive impact on the environment.” The future of 5G Ericsson projects that 5G global mobile subscriptions will exceed 580 million by the end of 2021, with an estimate of one million new 5G subscriptions every day. The network is expected to be the fastest adopted mobile generation – an advancement Katherine is excited to be part of. “I really enjoy things that are tangible, where you can make things happen, actually see it taking shape and make a real difference. Once again, I am very much looking forward to what we will experience in the upcoming years, I am beyond excited for what is to come.”
“Where it gets super exciting is when speaking about what 5G can do for enterprise. With the connectivity being extremely close to instant, people in different locations can collaborate on the same projects in real time. We are talking about doctors doing operations and specialists working on building projects, to mention but a few. It also enables driverless cars, as well as wireless machinery in factories.” “Imagine a world where you could have people all over the globe working together on the same thing as if they were in the same room, without actually having to travel, all in real time Imagine how that use of technology and knowledge could create innovation, and boost the UK’s productivity and efficiency that also brings big gains in sustainability.” High accuracy and low latency The examples Katherine gives on already developed 5G solutions sound a lot like something from a futuristic film, all possible thanks to the accuracy and ultra-reliable 5G connection. “I love the example of Northumbrian Water. Engineers can put on some funky glasses, or augmented reality glasses to use the technical
Photo: Renz Andres.
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