Smart City Sweden

Smart City Sweden is an initiative to promote and spread Swedish solutions for smart and sustainable cities internationally. The exhibition office is located in Hammarby Sjöstad, for the simple reason that it is the most famous point of reference and that the area is continuously upgraded in collaboration with its residents. The Swedish Government has tasked IVL Swedish Environmental Institute with the job of acting as the principal for the enterprise. 

In 2020, 126 visitor groups comprising more than 2,000 participants from 62 countries visited one of Smart City Sweden’s nodes or offices. A majority of these (23 groups) came from China, but overall Europe was well represented.

Around the visits themselves, a process has been created to involve relevant parties in enquiries, conduct tours and subsequently follow up and evaluate the business potential. Each visit/digital meeting is followed up with a business report. A business development group with representatives from the business community and consulting companies then offers suggestions on how the most interesting proposals can be developed. The studies constitute a first step in the process of creating a business agreement based on Swedish technology and with Swedish companies. They include Morocco, Somaliland, Bolivia, Nigeria, China, India, Colombia and Germany. Another principle for this effort is that the recipient country/city must also co-finance parts of the study. The most interesting pre-feasibility studies can then be geared up with funds from Swedefund, Svensk Exportkredit and the Swedish Export Credit Agency at a later stage.