Nordic Tech Week - for a stronger digital Europe

Digital services Digitization THE EU Innovation Competition

Compared to other European companies, Swedish companies are more digitalized, more innovative, but at the same time highly dependent on exports. They are therefore dependent on access to larger markets than the domestic one. In times of Brexit, new strong partners are needed for the Swedish market. That is why IT&Telecom companies are now helping to initiate Nordic Tech Week in Berlin.

- A new potential partner is Germany. The German business community is strong and together with the Nordic countries, we could take the digital yellow jersey and work for a forward-looking digital Europe that can compete with American and Chinese dragons," says David Mothander, Director of IT&Telecom.

Previous calculations point to an expected Swedish growth of 2.8% annually. With a fully digitized Europe, it could instead be 3.9 percent annually, corresponding to SEK 35.5 billion in higher GDP, according to a report by the Boston Consulting Group in 2016. This could correspond to a net growth of 210 000 - 300 000 new jobs in Sweden.

- This is particularly true for the member companies of IT&Telecom. Like Sweden as a whole, they are highly digitized, innovative and export-dependent and depend on access to larger markets. With a digital European single market that functions as a natural home market, there are great development opportunities," says Carl-Johan Hamilton, founder of Ants and board member of IT&Telekomföretagen.

IT&Telekomföretagen's task is to work for its member companies and a favorable business climate. In the larger perspective, it is about strengthening Sweden's growth.

- The involvement in Nordic Tech Week in Berlin is an expression of this. The members of IT&Telecom companies should be given exposure to the German market and be able to get the best return for their innovations. The outcome of the talks may also be important for a common platform of ideas for the upcoming Finnish EU Presidency," says David Mothander.

Facts Nordic Tech Week:

On October 29-30, IT&Telecomföretagen, ICT Norway and Danish IT-Branchen are organizing Nordic Tech Week at the Nordic embassies in Berlin. The aim is to make Nordic tech companies visible to German business interests and to initiate a dialog on German-Nordic collaboration on digital policy issues in the EU.
The deadline for registration to cover the event is Friday, October 26. Registration and interview requests should be addressed to Press Officer Johan Forsberg, johan.forsberg@techsverige.se
Facts about Nordic Tech Week will be answered by project manager Pär Nygårds, par.nygards@techsverige.se