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Swedish Press N Y A
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April 2015 Vol 86:03 $4.95
How Swedish ball bearings got the world rolling
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Travel and transportation RenĂŠe Lundholm interview Cross-country skiing
Gothenburg waterfront’s best kept secret ... Carnegie Pråm II
More than 300 m2 of meeting and event space with the best view in town. Reservations: www.carnegiepram2.com
Photo: Krister Engström
Nestled in the heart of Gothenburg’s historic Klippan neighborhood.
Swedish Press is the world’s leading magazine on all good things Swedish. An authority on design, business, culture and travel since 1929, Swedish Press delivers insightful news and commentary in a visually striking format. With a nod to the past, and a peek to the future, Swedish Press is your go-to source for updates and inspiration from Sweden. SWEDISH PRESS (ISSN 0839-2323) is published ten times per year (Feb, Mar, Apr, May, June, July/Aug, Sept, Oct, Nov, Dec/Jan) by Swedish Press Inc, 11616 Papagallo Court, San Diego, CA 92124 for $39 per year. Periodical postage paid at Blaine, WA 98230-9998 (No. USPS 005544). US POSTMASTER: Send address changes to Swedish Press, PO Box 420404, San Diego, CA 92142-0404 OFFICE: 9040 Shaughnessy Street, Vancouver, BC V6P 6E5 Canada US MAILING ADDRESS: PO Box 420404, San Diego, CA 92142-0404 WEBSITE www.swedishpress.com E-MAIL info@swedishpress.com TEL +1 360 450 5858 TOLL FREE +1 866 882 0088 PUBLISHER Claes Fredriksson Claes@swedishpress.com EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Tatty Maclay Tatty@swedishpress.com ART DIRECTOR Joan Law Fredriksson Joan@swedishpress.com REPRESENTATIVES Calgary: Carin Pihl +1 403 931 0370 Thunder Bay: Elinor Barr +1 807 344 8355 Toronto: Gunilla Sjölin +1 905 727 9837 Winnipeg: Ellen Boryen +1 204 897 1216 San Francisco: Victoria Peterson +1 415 730 6475 New York: Anton Fredriksson +1 347 278 3508
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4 Letters to the Editor 5 From the Editor’s Desk 6 7 8
Swedish Headlines Headline News: What does Sweden’s feminist foreign policy really mean? News at a Glance Swedes in the News
Lifestyle 18 Top Sju 19 Theatre: Hoffmans äventyr, Folk- operan Offenbachs fantasyopera
Feature 10 Swedish ideas keep moving
Miriam Treichl, Elisabeth Meyer and Jesper Taube in Hoffmanns äventyr. Photo: Mats Bäcker
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Global Swedes 16 Putting Sweden on the map – abroad: Renée Lundholm
Business 7 Business News 9 Company File: WirelessCar
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CONTENTS ( April 2015 )
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Swedish Press
Interview 12 Lena Månsson: Global readiness training Heritage 15 Nordic cross-country: Beyond skiing
Hemma hos 20 Design: Sweden tops in child car safety 21 Treats à la Helene 22 Lär Dig Svenska 23 Comic: The last folk dance in Mora In the Loop 24 Landskapsnyheterna 27 Canada, US & Beyond 28 Calendar and Events 29 Ads and Info 30 Sista Ordet Following the Viking trail
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621 young atheletes under the age of 16 participated in Vasaloppet 2015. Photo: Vasaloppet.
Cover infographic artwork by Pavlo Raievskyi and ball bearing photo by Iaroslav Neliubov.
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Swedes in the News
Grammy success and Michelin stars Martin wins Grammy
First female Michelin chef
to outstanding achievements in literature, peace, physics, chemistry and medicine. Up until now the will, a sheet of paper folded in half, has been preserved in a safe.
Max Martin. Photo by Michael Tran/FilmMagic
Royal baby due in June
H.R.H. Princess Leonore at 1 year. Photo: Brigitte Grenfeldt, The Royal Court, Sweden
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Vilks talk cancelled
Titti Qvarnström. Photo © Bloom in the Park
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itti Qvarnström, head chef at Malmö’s Bloom in the Park restaurant, has become the first ever female chef in Sweden to be awarded a Michelin star. Across the Öresund bridge in Copenhagen, there are a dozen Michelin-starred restaurants but Malmö is gaining a growing reputation as a food destination. “I guess people won’t have to cross the bridge now,” said Qvarnström, who trained in Denmark. In Stockholm, Oaxen Krog joined Franzén and Mathias Dahlgren-Matbaren in being awarded two Michelin stars.
Princess Madeleine will give birth to her second baby in Sweden in June, according to her mother Queen Silvia. The Queen revealed the information during a recent state visit to Finland, adding that she hoped the birth would not clash with the wedding of her son Prince Carl Philip to Sofia Hellqvist on June 13th.
Nobel’s will on display The handwritten last will and testament of Alfred Nobel has recently gone on display at the Nobel Museum in Stockholm for the first time ever. The Swedish scholar and wealthy industrialist, who died in 1896, bequeathed the equivalent of 2 billion kronor in his will, specifying that most of it be distributed
A talk by controversial Swedish cartoonist Lars Vilks at Karlstad University has been cancelled amid security concerns in the wake of the recent shootings in Denmark and France. Vilks, who has faced death threats since his cartoon portraying the Prophet Mohammed as a dog was published in 2007, was a presumed target of the terror attack at a cultural event in Copenhagen in February. “It is a really bad sign when threats and violence set the stage for what can and can’t be done or said,” Vilks commented.
Photo: Krister Hansson
He may not be a household name like Robyn or Swedish House Mafia, but Max Martin is behind some of the biggest hits in pop music and the Stockholmbased producer was recently awarded the Grammy for best producer in a non-classical category. The producer, who has worked with Katy Perry and Taylor Swift, among others, was joined by fellow Swedish winners Ann Sofie von Otter and pianist Bengt Forsberg, who won a Grammy for best Classical Album for their album Douce France.
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Company File
WirelessCar – connected vehicles By Annika Fredrikson
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n the early 2000s technology growth took off. Today, technology has already pervaded nearly every aspect of life from personal computers and cellphones to healthcare to vehicles. The race now isn’t just to find new markets, but also to create smarter technology. That’s exactly what Swedish company WirelessCar is trying to do.
Owned by the Volvo Group, the world’s second largest heavy commercial vehicle manufacturer, WirelessCar provides connected services to vehicle manufacturers. Connected Vehicle services
includes tracking, diagnostic, and maintenance information. These messages are transmitted wirelessly from the car to the manufacturer. Currently, WirelessCar transmits more than 6 million messages a day, in +50 countries around the world. Additionally, WirelessCar has developed a white label app for iPhone that includes vehicle status information like fuel level and GPS position. The app also features door lock/unlock capability, and climate control interaction. If this wasn’t enough smart technology, WirelessCar also includes features for electric car users including charge status and estimated driving range. This app is sold to car manufacturers, rebranded and
installed into the cohesive, complete technology packages found in cars today. Martin Rosell, WirelessCar Managing Director, spoke with Swedish Press, “WirelessCar actually turns 15 years this year, making us the most experienced telematics services provider in the world.” WirelessCar has developed solutions for Volvo, Audi, Nissan and Qoros to mention a few and are rapidly expanding.
15 years of experience has given WirelessCar an edge on the competition. This year’s milestoneanniversary will bring new opportunities and new business for this Swedish company.
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Swedish “M ideas keep moving by Tom Freeman
ighty oaks from little acorns grow” is a medieval proverb from England, but it could easily be applied to Swedish innovation. Many small ideas which emerged from Swedish minds have gone on to change the world. Although not as explosive as Alfred Nobel’s dynamite in 1866, the self-aligning ball bearing was an incredibly influential discovery. As a young production engineer in the old factories of Gothenburg in the early years of the twentieth century, Sven Gustaf Winqvist found himself with a problem. The large machines his company used to repair steam engines kept grinding to a halt. Winqvist began experimenting with the humble ball bearing, and his managers allowed him space to set up an experimental workshop from where he changed the world. By 1907 he had established Swedish Kullagerfabriken AB (SKF), which remains an industry leader to this day, keeping machine shafts rotating and equipment moving in 130 countries around the world.
Sven Winquist. Photo: SKF
How has this success been maintained? According to Bernd Stephan, Senior Vice President, SKF Group Technology Development, it has been the company’s commitment to innovation. “This is especially true in the engineering sector,” he said, “where one groundbreaking idea can change the face of a whole product market. Recognising and keeping ahead of industry trends is as much a part of successful development as anything else.” SKF released a report in February called ‘Power the Future’, in which several leading academics from
First research laboratory, SKF Göteborg. Photo: SKF
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across the world joined specialists in the company to look at what emerging trends in technology could mean for the future. “Through continuing to nurture industrial activity and development, we in SKF believe we can power the future and unlock the next industrial revolution,” said Stephan. Ball bearing technology is still being led by SKF. Magnus Kellström’s toroidal roller bearing was introduced in 1995. SKF are not alone though. Next time it rains, be thankful for the zipper on your overcoat, which was developed by Gideon Sundbäck in 1913 from a more primitive hook-and-eye version.
And as you reach your car, don’t forget to strap yourself in using the legally required three-point seatbelt, invented by Volvo engineer Nils Bohlin in 1959. This seatbelt design saves a life every six minutes – not bad for a 39-year old from Härnösand. Like the ball bearing and the zipper, the seatbelt had already existed, but it took a Swedish engineer to turn it into a worldchanging innovation. Bohlin recognised two belts were safer than one, but that people are essentially too lazy to take too long making themselves safe. He later said: “It was a matter of finding a solution that was simple, effective and could be put on conveniently with one hand.” This meant simply moving the fastener to the side.
The First Implantable Cardiac Pacemaker was developed by Rune Elmqvist
Also moving to one side thanks to a Swedish invention was the glass milk bottle. While the fact the milk or juice in your fridge is encased in plastic-coated paper may not seem important, in fact Erik Wallenberg’s invention in 1944, now called Tetrapak, changed the way food was distributed by ensuring temperature could be maintained in transit, otherwise known as cold chain supply, while at the same time cutting costs. Wallenberg was apparently ill with the fever when the idea came to him to use a single sheet of paper folded into a mathematical tetrahedron. The solution was a cheaper
and safer, using a minimum of material and little waste. Chicago’s Institute of Food Technologists called this fevered notion “the most important food packaging innovation of the 20th Century”. Medicine has also benefited from Swedish minds, with the first battery-run implanted pacemaker tested by Rune Elmqvist and implanted by surgeon Åke Senning at Karolinska University Hospital in Stockholm in 1958. The first device, which is designed to regulate the heart, failed after three hours, and the second after two days, but the patient Arne Larsson went on to receive 26 different pacemakers during his lifetime. He died in 2001, at the age of 86, outliving both Dr. Enquist, who died in 1996, and Dr. Senning, who died in 2000. “He knew that without the pacemaker, he would have died when he was 43 years old,” his wife Else-Marie Larsson said after his death. Now inventors don’t need the backing of industry or medicine to innovate. This year 22 yearold engineer Filip Sjöö used his Christmas present – a 3D printer – to create a fully functional water-powered dishwasher. The device attaches itself to the tap and uses the running water to rotate the brush, and all components were designed and printed by Sjöö. It may not change theworld like the self-aligning ball bearing, but it shows Swedish inventors are still hard at work.
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LENA MÅNSSON has seen a lot in
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31 years at Sigtunaskolan Humanistiska Läroverket, Sweden’s top national boarding school. Starting as a physical education director, biology and chemistry teacher, she continued as a program coordinator, advanced to School Principal and, after retiring a year ago, Lena is now the Marketing Director for the Sigtuna School. Lena’s love and passion for this school, its student body and longtime employees is obvious. There are only three national boarding schools in Sweden. Sigtuna started as two schools; the Sigtuna School and the Sigtuna Stiftelsens Humanistiska Läroverk in the 1920s, which joined together in 1980. With between 500600 students annually, about 180 are boarding students. 70% are expat Swedish students, 30% Swedish students with a small percentage of international students mainly from Russia and China. The rest are regular day students from the area.
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Global readiness training By Birgitta Lauren
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igtuna School offers programs in English as well as Swedish from grade 7 -12, and the famous IB Diploma program since 1982, to increasingly ready students for global international studies and work.
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But why would a student chose Sigtuna in little Sweden? Lena is emphatic: “It’s the location. The city of Sigtuna, the oldest city in Sweden, the convenience to Stockholm, Arlanda Airport, and the spectacular beauty of the hilltop location overlooking Lake Mälaren, as well as the Swedish culture, traditions, the Swedish language, and the ability to participate in so many activities offered at the school.” “Our students have enormous personal and individual support from very engaged teachers, tutors, and mentors to develop to their full potential. This support is unique; our staff is so content they never leave, and that motivates and inspires our students in such a positive manner. Our aim is to train and get students ready for life and global careers by training them not just in the curriculum, but in public speaking, presentations, drama, travel excursions, teaching them how to both listen, debate, discuss and dare to have an opinion and stand up for it fluently in both Swedish and English.” “To entice students we have trial days. 50-60 potential students come annually and try out living and going to the school for a few days to see if this is a good fit for them. They also
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let us know what needs improving, so it’s a very useful tool for us both in drawing new students and improving the school.” “As students they have so many opportunities in learning and engaging with a very international student body, other cultures, languages, and we use ATL (Approaches to learning), to find out how each student best learns, best analyses texts, best takes notes etc… to enhance their best potential and boost their readiness training.”
Students from Sigtuna often go on to big things. Famous students include Sweden’s present King Carl Gustav XVI, the late Prime Minister Olof Palme, film director Daniel Espinosa, Povel Ramel, Cecilia Hagen, Annika Falkengren to name a few. Currently Dolph Lundgren’s daughter Ida is enrolled and thriving, after Dolph was worried about her schooling and
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Lena Månsson and Birgitta Lauren at an event with The Sigtuna School organized by SACC-LA.
placed her in Sigtuna. At a recent presentation for SACC Los Angeles, Ida commented on how the mentor support has helped her turn her grades around. Another former student, Anton Brisinger from Malibu, sent there by his Swedish mom worried about his “Hollywood friends,” said his time at Sigtuna was the best time of his life, as the camaraderie with his fellow boarding students formed such close knit friendships that could only be had in a boarding school, and the international student body has given him friends all over the world. The school’s board is run by the Knut & Alice Wallenberg Foundation and the Sigtuna Foundation. The board hires the principal, has influence on
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marketing strategies and economic issues, but does not get involved in dayto-day activities. Lena’s favorite time at the school is Studenten – the Graduation Day. Sigtuna has a different tradition to most Swedish Schools. The graduating students get “abiturient hats” in different colours 50 days before graduation instead of “Student caps,” five days before they have “gubb-skiva” when many old mentors, and teachers speak. On the day of Graduation, the students have two classes, then take farewell of their teachers, and become members of the “Ex-Foundation,” get their real graduation cap, have lunch, and the high point, the evening ball. The Sigtuna School is best known in addition to their top level international education, for the close friendships that students make for life, the global network of friends and the fact that they really learn how to take responsibility.
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