Sweden’s new Trade Commissioner to Thailand

The Government of Sweden has appointed Carl Lindwall as Sweden’s Trade Commissioner to Thailand, including the neighbouring countries of Myanmar, Cambodia, and Laos. The Trade Commissioner is responsible for the promotion of Swedish exports and internationalization of Swedish firms, as well as attracting foreign direct investments to Sweden. The Trade Commissioner also leads the operations of the Swedish Trade and Invest Council (Business Sweden) in Thailand.

Tell us about yourself!

I was born and raised in the small, picturesque fishing village of Lysekil on the Swedish west coast. With a population of only 7000 inhabitants and surrounded by sea in the inlet to the fjord Gullmarn, it is in my mind one of the most beautiful places on earth. I have a MSc degree in Industrial Engineering & Management from Linköping University, and my career has taken me for work and studies to Spain, China, Japan, and Thailand. Prior to joining Business Sweden, I have managerial experience from academia & scientific research, telecommunications R&D, financial technology, and management consulting. I have had the pleasure of living in Bangkok for the last 6 years – a city that I will forever love with its vibrant artistic, commercial, and culinary culture and history. I find a masochistic pleasure in the consumption of overly spicy Thai food.

What does Business Sweden do in the region?

Business Sweden is jointly owned by the Swedish government and the Swedish business sector with a mandate and a mission to support Swedish companies in their global expansion, while also supporting international (e.g. Thai) companies gain access to the Swedish market. We are present in more than 40 global locations, from Helsinki to Hong Kong and from Moscow to Mexico City. We promote Sweden as a global leader in innovation – a hotspot for generating and commercializing new and bold ideas. At Business Sweden, we draw on this when pursuing our mission to generate growth for Sweden and help strengthening our country’s position in the global economy. We provide strategic advice, sales execution and operational support to help Swedish companies to grow their international revenues. They can trust us to shorten time to market, find new revenue streams, and minimise risks. We work closely together within the Team Sweden umbrella (i.e. Embassy of Sweden & Swedish Chamber of Commerce) to ensure that Swedish companies have the support they need in order to secure a healthy long-term presence in Thailand. Meanwhile, Thai companies can rely on our knowledge, experience and extensive network to identify new business opportunities in Sweden and achieve an accelerated return on investment. Once they are settled in Sweden, we make sure they are equipped for a successful long-term presence.

Which opportunities do you see for Swedish companies in Thailand?

Thailand and Sweden enjoys over 150 years of diplomatic relations, and the first Swedish business was established in Thailand 115 years ago. Currently, there are over 80 Swedish firms with subsidiaries in the kingdom and many more working via partners and distributors. Thailand enjoys a strategic location in the middle of Asia and functions as an important commercial and industrial base for the entire region. The technology-driven manufacturing sector contributes significantly to Thailand’s GDP. Moreover, continuous infrastructure investments, a growing middle-class consumer market, and a rather favourable business climate create plenty of opportunities for foreign firms. In particular, we see vast untapped commercial possibilities for Swedish companies within transportation, healthcare, manufacturing, retail, as well as digital solutions & services.

How can you support Swedish businesses with an interest in Thailand?

Our type of support ranges from the strategic to the operational, and we are working with all types of companies – from large Swedish MNCs to small, innovative start-ups on a variety of assignments. We categorize our support into four main areas, namely;

(1) Market expansion – where we support with advice related to global expansion strategy, market entry, operations footprint, as well as M&A support.

(2) Sales acceleration – working with companies to acquire new customers, identifying new partners and distributors, as well as deal & tender support.

(3) Business to government – we often support Swedish companies in their dealings toward governments in large public tenders, e.g. via stakeholder analysis & engagement, B2G strategy, business delegations, as well as strategic messaging.

(4) Business incubation & operations – we provide hands-on support to Swedish companies in company registration, incorporation as well as employment and recruitment.

To contact Carl, please follow the below link.

https://www.business-sweden.com/markets/asia-pacific/thailand/https://www.business-sweden.com/markets/asia-pacific/thailand/

About Gregers Møller

Editor-in-Chief • ScandAsia Publishing Co., Ltd. • Bangkok, Thailand

View all posts by Gregers Møller

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