NORDIC CHAMBER eNEWSLETTER

NORDIC CHAMBER eNEWSLETTER
15 CANDIDATES FOR 11 BOARD SEATS
FEBRUARY 2016
O
n 1 February the Nordic Chamber
launched its one month-long online
election of new board members. This year
15 candidates – four of them women – are
running for the 11 available seats; all members of the sitting board are running for reelection. “I am very pleased that so many
qualified persons wish to take an active part
in leading the Nordic Chamber. The growing share of women is especially encouraging, because our members clearly want a
more gender balanced board,” Executive
Director Lea Turcarová says.
(DOU)
M
ore than 100 guests turned up at the
Nordic Chamber’s latest business
mixer in Aromi Ristorante & Bistró. The
event was co-arranged with the Italian and
Indian Chambers of Commerce in the Czech
Republic, and offered a very pleasant mix of
a cultivated atmosphere and delicious food.
This Nordic-Italian-Indian mixer was one in a
number of similar events where the Chamber
helps its members in enlarging their network
of contacts in Prague’s international business
community. Here you can see photos and
(TUR)
video from the event.
ject. In order to qualify, projects must be
worth at least EUR 10 million; expected
to start within three years of their submission to the EIPP; promoted by a public or
private legal entity established in an EU
Member State; compatible with all applicable EU and national laws. More info at
http://ec.europa.eu/eipp
(DOU)
C
zech state-owned brewery Budějovický supplied almost 750MW of installed power
Budvar, which has been fighting a long capacity in turbines designated for Danish
(Doosan)
legal battle with U.S. beer giant Anheuser- CHP power plants.
Busch over the use of the “Budweiser” brand,
says its output and exports reached a record MEET OUR MEMBER
A
lthough Ericsson’s performance improved in the last quarter of 2015, there
is still a need for further improvements. Our
focus in 2016 will be first of all on our core
in 2015. The brewery’s exports rose by 10.5
percent to 898,000 hectolitres of beer, the
best result in the company’s 120-year history.
Budvar had very good results in its two most
important markets – Germany and Slovakia
– but the growth was even larger in Scandinavia. “In Sweden we reached a double-digit
growth,” sales manager Robert Chrt commented. Totally, Budvar exports to 73 countries worldwide.
(E15)
P
lzeň-based Škoda Power has signed a
contract to supply a turbine, along with
accessories to the Lisbjerg Plant, a biomasshe EU will in February launch the fired combined heat and power plant currentEuropean Investment Project Portal ly under construction near the city of Aarhus
(EIPP), which is a web portal that gives in Denmark. The Lisbjerg plant will provide
EU-based project promoters an oppor- heat and almost 40MW of electric power to
tunity to find investors from all over the meet the demands of 65,000 households in
world looking for investment opportuni- the region. In doing so, it will also contribties. As the central portal for investment ute to the city of Aarhus’ efforts to reduce its
projects across Europe, registration on the carbon footprint through the extensive use
EIPP will boost the visibility of your pro- of bio-fuels. Since 1969, Škoda Power has
T
CZECH REPUBLIC IMPROVES IN ANTI-CORRUPTION…
PRAGUE (PP) – The Czech Republic rose to 37th place from 53rd in
Transparency International’s annual Corruption Perceptions Index, published last week. The country this year was tied with South Korea and
Malta, and one spot behind Spain. In terms of Europe alone, the Czech
Republic has jumped to 22nd place from 25th. “The uncompromising fight
against all forms of corruption and serious economic crime is one of the
focal points of the government’s policy statement. I am very pleased that
the intensive work of the government in this area has brought two years
of positive results,” Premier Bohuslav Sobotka said.
…BUT IT CAN STILL DO BETTER
1. Denmark
2. Finland
3. Sweden
5. Norway
10. Germany
13. Iceland
16. Austria
23. Estonia
30. Poland
Source: TI
32. Lithuania
35. Slovenia
37. Czech Rep.
40. Latvia
50. Hungary
50. Slovakia
58. Romania
119. Russia
130. Ukraine
business; we will continue our work to capture business opportunities as more markets
shift to 4G. At the same time we will work to
extend Ericsson’s technology leadership also
in the emerging 5G market. After a period of
investing, in order to create growth, we also
need to improve earnings. This will involve
stronger focus on software sales and recurring business as a complement to the already
strong Professional Services business. Last
but not least, we are closely monitoring market and business development and will take
all necessary actions to remain competitive
across the entire business.
Hans Vestberg
President and CEO
Ericsson
NORDIC TRIUMPH IN JIZERSKÁ 50
PRAGUE (CRO) – Nordic skier won all medals for both men and women
in the 2016 edition of the traditional Jizerská padesátka cross country skiing event in North Bohemia. The famous race consists of 15 circuits of a 3.5-kilometre track. In men’s class Norway’s Petter Eliassen
won gold medal, followed by compatriots Johan Kjølstad and Anders
Aukland. In women’s class, Britta Johansson Nordgren finished first,
closely trailed by Lina Korsgren and Sara Lindborg, all three from Sweden. Totally, 6,400 skiers from 30 nations started in this year’s Jizerská
padesátka, which became even tougher than in previous years due to
warm and misty weather.
NORDIC CHAMBER eNEWSLETTER
DANISH WORLD RECORD IN WIND POWER
FEBRUARY 2016
D
enmark produced 42 percent of its
electricity from wind turbines last
year according to official data, the highest figure yet recorded worldwide. The
new year-end figures showed a 3 percent
rise on 2014, which was itself a record
year for Danish wind energy generation.
The country’s minister for energy, utilities and climate, Lars Christian Lilleholt,
called the record significant and said:
“Hopefully, Denmark can serve as an example to other countries that it is possible to have both ambitious green policies
with a high proportion of wind energy
and other renewables in the energy supply, and still have a high security of supply and competitive prices on electricity.”
(Guardian)
fraud and the keeping of false records. “The
investigation will also address the conditions
for the imposition of a corporate fine,” it said
in a press release.
(Reuters)
T
he owners of Icelandic Crowbar Protein, producers of the insect infused
protein bars Jungle Bar, have signed a
contract with a distributor in the USA.
Jungle Bar will be distributed in Oregon,
Washington and Illinois by a distributer ern county of Harju in Estonia, the expenses
who specializes in health food and health could be covered if the project were to secure
food stores, a perfect fit to the Icelandic at least 40 percent of its funding from the EU.
company‘s agenda and image. The crick(YLE)
ets used in the bars are reared by a farmer
orway’s lawmakers are expected to
grant the country’s USD 800 billion
Government Pension Fund a broader
investment brief to better spread risk, the
weden’s National Unit against Corleader of the parliamentary finance comruption has opened a preliminary fraud
mittee said last week. The central bank,
investigation into Volkswagen over the
which manages the fund, last month recGerman carmaker’s emissions test cheating
ommended it should be allowed to invest
scandal which has affected up to 11 million
in unlisted infrastructure projects and
vehicles worldwide. Volkswagen, having adput a higher share of its assets into real
mitted to using software to conceal the level in Canada, licensed for insect farming estate, changes representing the biggest
of toxic emissions from some of its diesel for human consumption. Crowbar Pro- shift in strategy since it was permitted to
vehicles in the United States, faces billions tein believes that consumption of insects buy property in 2010. The fund currently
of dollars in claims from owners of vehicles will increase in the near future. The Ice- invests about 60 percent of its value in
with similar software installed around the landic company was founded following stocks, 35 percent in bonds and up to five
world. The anticorruption unit said the pre- crowd funding in Reykjavik in late 2014. percent in real estate, all outside Norway.
liminary investigation was regarding serious
(Icenews)
(Reuters)
N
S
F
innish and Estonian city planners have
for years dreamt about an undersea tunnel between Helsinki and Tallinn, which is
estimated to transport upwards of 11 million
people a year. Now, a preliminary feasibility study has established that the construction
of an 80 km-tunnel is an option that should
be explored thoroughly. The estimated cost,
along with all of its train and traffic equipment, would be between EUR 9 and 13 billion
in all. According to the feasibility study commissioned by Helsinki, Tallinn and the north-
General Partner of the Nordic Chamber of Commerce
THE KORUNA-CROWN-EURO INDEX
Euro
Danish kroner
Icelandic krónur
Norwegian kroner
Swedish kronor
CZECH EXPORT GROWTH TO NORDICS IN 2015
End I/16
End XII/15
27,025 CZK
3,621 "
0,191 "
2,851 "
2,891 "
27,025 CZK
3,621 "
0,191 "
2,813 "
2,940 "
Source: ČNB
1. Denmark
2. Finland
3. Iceland
6. Norway
8. Sweden
2014
2015
38 650
17 598
711
14 870
49 424
34 321
18 350
1 167
15 779
52 925
y/y%
88.7
104.2
164.1
106.1
107.0
Jan.-Nov. in CZK bill. Source: ČSÚ
UPCOMING CHAMBER EVENTS
Date
18 Feb
Event
Meet Our Member: Comfortcare
Venue
Kloknerova 1, 148 00 Praha 11
16 Mar
Annual General Meeting
Art Nouveau Palace Hotel, Panská 897/12
17 Mar
Speed Business Meeting,
Boutique Hotel Jalta, Václavské náměstí 45
31 Mar
Meet Our Member: Erste Optik,
Štefánikova 52, 150 00 Praha 5
For more details please see www.nordicchamber.cz/events. If you want more information about the Chamber’s activities please don’t hesitate to contact us at
[email protected] or telephone +420 774 123 370.