The Swedish Business Club (SBC) was founded in March 2018 by nine Swedish companies, namely ABB, Astra Zeneca, Bisnode, Ericsson Nikola Tesla, IKEA, Oriflame, Saab, Securitas and Tele2, with the support of the Swedish Embassy. It was formed as a club of Swedish companies that are rooted in Croatia and are thus perfectly placed to act as catalysts for ideas and opportunities, which facilitate a closer collaboration and establish deeper ties between Sweden and Croatia.
The membership has since inception been extended to include the entire Swedish business community, which is close to 50 companies strong. The contingent of Swedish companies in Croatia is characterized by its diversity, as they cover a variety of industries; from ITC and healthcare, through furniture and wood processing, to security and transport, just to name a few.
The basis for the SBC is the Swedish government's initiative known as Team Sweden - a platform for synchronizing promotional and communication activities of various Swedish stakeholders to further strengthen Brand Sweden. Besides its basic framework in Sweden, Team Sweden has local iterations around the globe and the Swedish Business Club is one of them, adapted to the Croatian setting.
The goal of Team Sweden is to create a joint venture between compatible Swedish actors and bring about an increase in Swedish exports. However, Swedish companies, besides exporting goods and services, also export certain values that originate from within the Swedish culture and society, and which are thus a part of their corporate DNA. These values are the cornerstones of the Swedish socio-economic model that include, but are not limited to, the principles of gender equality, diversity, human rights, transparency, sustainability, corporate social responsibility, and no tolerance for corruption. The Swedish Business Club aims to implement and strengthen these principles thought its activities and collaborations with its Croatian partners, and with the support of the SBC members.
Read more: Swedish Business Club