Sweden-Southeast Asia Business Summit 2018 announced

Team Sweden in Malaysia has announced the second Sweden-Southeast Asia Business Summit to take place in Kuala Lumpur on 6-7 February 2018. The inaugural, successful summit was held in Singapore in September 2016.

The second Sweden-SEA Business Summit aims to attract business leaders and decision makers from Sweden and the ASEAN-region by providing a platform for sharing information on business opportunities in this dynamic part of the world and to network with Swedish, Malaysian and other Asean-based companies.

More than 600 Swedish companies across business sectors ranging from service to manufacturing and retail are present in Southeast Asia, including the full range of Swedish companies from the large multinational companies to small and medium sized enterprises.

As the growth in the Chinese economy evens out, the Southeast Asian region is estimated to grow at an average of 5-6 percent annually in the coming decade, making it a potential global growth engine. As the Asean Economic Community matures, and regional trade initiatives such as the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) and Trans-Pacific Partnership minus USA (TPP 11) take more concrete shape, the architecture of global trade and commerce is being remade with Asia as the dominant region, and possibly Southeast Asia as its most dynamic centre of growth. This implies opportunities, but also challenges in understanding the new realities of East Asian economic growth.

To be competitive in this evolving global market, it is crucial for Swedish companies to have a clear understanding of the developments in the region. This next Summit provides an excellent opportunity to get insights from industry peers and policy experts and to meet with potential partners. It also provides an excellent opportunity for Malaysian and Southeast Asian business people to get better acquainted with what Sweden has to offer.

The Summit will feature key political and business representatives from Sweden, Malaysia and Southeast Asia. On the Swedish side, Mr Mikael Damberg, Minister for Enterprise and Innovation, and Mr Marcus Wallenberg, Chairman of the Board, SEB, SAAB Group & Foundation Asset Management will honour the event as senior representatives. On the Malaysian side Y.B. Dato’ Sri Mustapa Mohamed, Minister of International Trade and Industry, Tan Sri Dato’ Azman Mokhtar, Managing Director Khazanah Nasional, and Tan Sri Dr Munir Majid, Co-Chairman ASEAN Business Advisory Council and Chairman Bank Muamalat will attend as highly esteemed interlocutors.

During the Summit in Kuala Lumpur 6-7 February 2018, Ambassadors and Trade Commissioners from the Swedish Missions to Cambodia, Indonesia, Myanmar, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam and Malaysia will be at the disposal of participants for special briefings or, in case of interest, seminars on their respective countries of service.

Announced summit programme as follows:
– Session One: Opportunities and challenges in a changing world from European and Southeast Asian perspectives
– Session Two: Southeast Asia – Sustainable Growth Strategies in a Changing International Economic Environment
– Session Three: Create a Sustainability Mindset

The summit will also showcase how Swedish companies have adopted a sustainable mind-set and how this has enabled them to innovate and develop new business models and solutions for future growth. The specific thematic sessions aim at highlighting key initiatives and discussing business opportunities deriving from these:
Sustainable city development – future city solutions
Digital manufacturing – Industry 4.0
Smart technologies in transport development
Connectivity & mobility

The Second Sweden-Southeast Asia Business Summit will be held in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and hosted by Team Sweden in Malaysia, i.e. the Embassy of Sweden Kuala Lumpur, Business Sweden and the Malaysian Swedish Business Association (MASBA). Core members of Team Sweden in this context are the 21 companies sponsoring the Business Summit, out of which six are Main Sponsors, namely ABB, Atlas Copco, Ericsson, SAAB, SCANIA and Volvo Cars, while the following companies are Sponsors, i.e. Anticimex, Arla Food, Bromma, Beckers, Billerud Korsnäs, Handelsbanken, Husqvarna, Höganäs Bjuf, Ikea, Monitor ERP Systems, Quant, Sandvik, SKF, Tetra Pak, AB Volvo.

About Joakim Persson

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