Annual Report 2014 - Stockholm Business Region

Annual Report 2014
PHOTO: JENS ASSUR
Introduction
As one of the fastest growing cities in Europe, Stockholm continued
to attract new inhabitants, visitors and companies in 2014.
Stockholm has become a melting pot for creative minds and talents –
from Sweden and abroad.
Content
4
In this annual report, we account for how Stockholm Business Region
worked in 2014 to promote Stockholm – The Capital of Scandinavia.
Karin Wanngård, Mayor:
Stockholm is Sweden’s growth engine
Stockholm Business Region
6
Olof Zetterberg, CEO Stockholm Business Region:
8
Stockholm – The Capital of Scandinavia
breaking new ground
Sustainable growth in Stockholm
Some of Stockholm’s creative minds and talents
10
Ashkan Pouya and Saeid Esmaeilzadeh,
Founders and owners of Serendipity Innovations:
The best place in the world to realize dreams
12
Sara Riggare, PhD student, Karolinska,
Chief Patient Officer, Nerve:
Im-patient for more patient influence
14
Jessica Nilsson, Tech investor and entrepreneur Northzone:
16
Jens Assur, photographer and director:
Fresh take on Stockholm
Sustainable growth in Stockholm
Stockholm Business Region
18
Rankings and ratings
21
Stockholm Business Cycle
22
Year in Review
Stockholm Business Region Development
24
Anna Gissler, CEO Stockholm Business Region Development:
26
Promoting the Stockholm region as a business destination
28
Stockholm Business Alliance –
A collaboration for regional growth
Stockholm – even more globally attractive
Stockholm Visitors Board
2 30
Peter Lindqvist, CEO Stockholm Visitors Board:
32
Stockholm Visitor’s Board –
The city charms an increasing number of visitors
36
Executive Management
37
Stockholm Business Region, Organization
38
The Board
Fantastic growth in 2014
3 PHOTO: OLA ERICSSON
Stockholm is Sweden’s growth engine
Stockholm is one of the fastest growing big
cities in Europe. Every year, our region continues to attract new inhabitants, companies and
investments, proving its great attractiveness.
Our goal is that Stockholm should continue
to grow and develop – but in order to do so,
we must tackle a number of challenges.
The housing situation is perhaps the main
obstacle for continued economic growth. This
is also the reason why we are now making a
great effort to increase the pace in building
new homes. There should be housing for all
those in need. Not only is this important for
people who wish to live in our city, but it also
improves conditions for companies to recruit
new staff and create jobs.
But people don’t only come here to work. The
hospitality industry can look back at a very
good year with a record number of commercial bednights. Many big events were also
carried out, contributing to creating a positive
image of our city among an increasing number of people in the rest of Sweden, as well as
globally. Stockholm should be an open and
tolerant city for everyone – our popular Pride
festival is a good example of this.
4 Karin Wanngård, Mayor
At the moment, we’re cooperating with
52 other cities and municipalities in the
Stockholm region. This leads to increased
competitiveness and better conditions for
companies and investors alike.
Stockholm has a well-deserved reputation as
a startup scene for many new and exciting
companies in the tech industry. This, in turn,
creates opportunities for successful entrepreneurs to continue to invest in new, innovative
companies – which means that our business
eco system can gain even further momentum. There are, however, a number of challenges that we have to face in order to include
the many newcomers in Stockholm in this
development. One of the basic prerequisites
for us to grow in a sustainable way is also to
cooperate with trade and industry.
Looking back, we can sum up yet another
successful year with a further strengthening
of our brand, Stockholm – The Capital of
Scandinavia.
”Stockholm has a well-deserved reputation
as a startup scene for many new and
exciting companies in the tech industry.
This, in turn, creates opportunities for
successful entrepreneurs to continue to
invest in new, innovative companies –
which means that our business eco system
can gain even further momentum”.
Karin Wanngård
Mayor and from 2015, Chairwoman
of Stockholm Business Region
5 PHOTO LEFT: JENS ASSUR. RIGHT: JANN LIPKA.
”Stockholm offers a high quality of life
that is difficult to beat. Conditions for
especially women are better than
in most other places in the world from
an equality perspective.”
Sustainable growth in Stockholm
Stockholm can look back at yet another extremely successful year. The development
of our economy showed continued momentum, while the number of people moving to
Stockholm makes it one of Europe’s fastest growing big cities.
Olof Zetterberg,
CEO Stockholm Business Region
Meanwhile, the continuous stream of temporary visitors means that the tourist industry
now needs even bigger investments in new
establishments.
Stockholm has also become a place where fast
growing companies can become billion dollar
enterprises in a decade. Stockholm houses
the highest number of such corporates in
Europe, and is number three globally, only
surpassed by Silicon Valley and Beijing. Our
innovative companies are attracting more and
more venture capital. The cooperation with
52 other cities and municipalities in the region
enhances the fact that this is a place with a
competitive offering.
Last year, we started structuring our work
to attract talented people to Stockholm, to
study, start businesses, work, etc. The fact is
that the city, despite its remote geographical
position, offers a high quality of life that is
difficult to beat. Conditions for especially
women are better than in most other places in
the world from an equality perspective, even
if a lot remains to be done in this area. The
life style of Stockholmers and our combination of vibrant city life and clean environment
makes this a very dynamic tourist destination.
In the future, competition among places will
be sharper around talented people rather than
capital. In this report we have chosen to highlight some talented people who contribute in
making Stockholm a successful city.
Despite these positive developments, we are
facing many challenges – housing shortage,
infrastructure investments lagging behind,
as well as a labor market with problems to
hand­le the great number of new Stockholmers.
Olof Zetterberg
CEO, Stockholm Business Region
Our continent is struggling with many
problems and growth is not what it should
be. In this context, it is satisfactory that
Stockholm – The Capital of Scandinavia, can
deliver sustainable growth.
6 7 Stockholm – The Capital of Scandinavia
breaking new ground
Long-term strategic communication is crucial for the consolidation of Stockholm’s position as
the Capital of Scandinavia. In 2014, our efforts were rewarded by an increasing number of references made
to Stockholm in international media, adding both weight and strength to the process of communicating what
the Stockholm region has to offer.
Stockholm – it’s not a coincidence
A new promotional film was produced 2014
in order to show interesting everyday benefits
of living in Stockholm, which people might
not know about. The content was built from
lot of different facts and the purpose was to
make Stockholm’s soul shine through and
make believe that it’s not a coincidence that
people choose to work and live in Stockholm.
The aim was to enhance Stockholm’s position
as The Capital of Scandinavia.
The video went viral and has more than
600 000 thousand views on Youtube and has
had countless reposts. Among the video’s
supporters was British comedian and writer
Stephen Fry who expressed his feelings after
watching the act: “Goodness!”. In December the film was awarded a first prize in the
European Excellence Award in the category
Best international communication.
MIPIM 2014
Europe’s leading investment event, MIPIM,
was arranged in Cannes on March 11 – 14.
The event attracted 21,000 participants from
93 countries. Within the framework of Stockholm Business Alliance (SBA), 19 municipalities and 27 of Stockholm’s leading companies
in the real estate industry participated with the
aim to demonstrate the attractiveness of the
region for international investors and advisors.
The comprehensive communication concept,
Plug´n Play, conveys the message that it is easy
to invest in the region and that the property
market is transparent and liquid.
8 This year’s theme was a description of a
collected investment potential of 90 billion
euro to the year 2020 in the Stockholm region.
Attraction of talents
A survey was made to identify the greatest
opportunities and challenges international
talents face when it comes to living and
working in Stockholm. The report was
finalized in May and presented together
with the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce.
Meanwhile, an event for international talents
in Stockholm was arranged.
The purpose was to create good relations with
this group in Stockholm and to carry out interviews as a basis for a new digital platform. The
report together with the interviews resulted in
a new website called Moving to Stockholm,
as part of the site Visitstockholm.com. The
website answers the most frequently asked
questions and has been launched in a basic
version that will be continuously developed.
Digital news
A full version of visitstockholm.com as a
so-called responsive website was launched
in June. This means that it is adjusted for
all digital platforms, including web, smartphones and tablets.
In June, a website was also launched that
displays Stockholm’s archipelago for international and Swedish visitors, Stockholm­
archipelago.se. The new website is part of a
regional investment in developing destinations, based on the Stockholm Archipelago
Strategy.
9 PHOTO: JANN LIPKA
The best place in the world to realize dreams
“The American Dream should be renamed the Swedish Dream. Stockholm is one of the the best places
in the world for an entrepreneur to realize dreams”, says Ashkan Pouya and Saeid Esmaeilzadeh.
Together they’ve started Serendipity Innovations, a successful technology house that has founded and
managed more than 10 companies since they began in 2004.
The recent decision to launch Serendipity
Innovations on the Nasdaq First North list is
perhaps significant of the ambition and drive
that has the taken the two Stock­holmers who
were born in Iran and grew up in suburbs
of Stockholm and Gävle to a smart office,
located in the city center.
At least part of their hunger comes from their
background, they say.
– It’s definitely based on a wish for something
better. We have a background that makes
us appreciate the opportunities that Sweden
offers, says Ashkan Pouya.
– I think we’re good at discovering opportunities. Like the French chemist and
bio­logist Louis Pasteur puts it “fortune favors
the prepared mind”, adds Saied Esmailzadeh.
The definition of the word serendipity is “the
faculty of making fortunate discoveries by
accident” – though the name of the company
is hardly a coincidence.
– The philosophy behind the name is that it’s
difficult to predict the future, but what you
can do is to create a structure that will allow
you to take advantages of opportunities as
they present themselves, says Ashkan Pouya.
Born through an experiment
that went wrong
It all started in 2002 when Saeid Esmaeil­
zadeh, a professor of materials chemistry at
Stockholm University, was working on an
experiment that went wrong. Examining the
results, he realized that the material produced
had become extremely hard, durable and with
a diamond’s angle of refraction. He turned
to his childhood friend Ashkan Pouya, with
a background in business economics, and
together they founded Diamorph, producing
advanced materials for demanding industrial applications. Diamorph was eventually
in­­corporated in Serendipity Innovations,
founded two years later.
Today, Serendipity Innovations is a “house of
technologies and home of entrepreneurs”, with
innovation processes and corporate development as core competences. Since its inception,
Serendipity has founded and managed more
than 10 companies. The company has been
profitable from day one and the turnover has
grown continuously.
A hotbed for international talents
– One thing we’ve learnt is that you don’t have
to best at everything yourself. An important
success factor is to be able to attract good
people – and to make them happy and work
towards the same goals, says Saeid Esmaeilzadeh.
”Stockholm is a perfect place both
to start and run a business, with good
infrastructure, a great amount of
competence, transparency, a good
legal system and an optimal location
right between New York and Tokyo.”
Ashkan Pouya and Saeid Esmaeilzadeh
Founders and owners of Serendipity Innovations
Serendipidity’s office bears witness to this
attitude, housing more than 30 talented people
from 15 different countries, including South
Africa, Germany, Russia and Iran.
– Stockholm is a perfect place both to start
and run a business, with good infrastructure,
a great amount of competence, transparency,
a good legal system and an optimal location
right between New York and Tokyo, says
Ashkan Pouya.
– It’s also uniquely beautiful, with water and
nature right next to the city center, says Saeid
Esmaeilzadeh.
The two childhood friends are now planning
to take their company one step further.
– Our aim is to strengthen our position as
an innovative technology house and a natural home for entrepreneurs, by doing so we
aim to create a well-managed company fit
for a future listing on the large-cap list of
the Stockholm stock exchange, says Saeid
Esmaeilzadeh.
Ashkan’s and Saeid’s favorite
Stockholm spots:
Vanak – Persian restaurant in the
suburb of Akalla for its excellent food
Stureplan – vibrant market place
downtown Stockholm, perfect for
watching people
Konstnärsbaren – legendary artist
restaurant, located near Serendipity’s
office
10 Coffee place in the suburb of Husby
for their Persian baklavas
11 PHOTO: JANN LIPKA
Sara Riggare’s favorite
Stockholm spots:
Waterways – All the water in
Stockholm
Grillska Huset – The balcony of
the café Grillska Huset at Stortorget
in Gamla Stan, overlooking a
beautiful garden.
Im-patient for more patient influence
“It’s a basic mistake to think that the doctor always knows best”, says Sara Riggare. An engineer by training
and diagnosed with Parkinson’s disease, in 2010 she decided to combine her patient experiences with her
engineering skills to try to improve things for herself and others with chronic diseases. With a burning passion
for technology, her vision is to promote digital health solutions. “Sweden, and Stockholm especially, has a
great potential to lead developments internationally within this field”, she says.
The amount of commitment and know­
ledge that patients possess should come into
better use. Patients can – and want to – take
part in tailoring their own care, according to
Sara Riggare.
– The health care system needs to think outside the box and it’s time to invite patients to
their discussions, she says.
Self-care and self-monitoring started to pop
up as concepts as early as in the 1980’s – but
it is not until now that technology has caught
up and made it possible to realize these ideas.
”There is both a political will and so
much technological competence in
the city that the future looks bright.”
Sara Riggare, PhD student, Karolinska,
Chief Patient Officer, Nerve
– Today, most things regarding our body
functions and health – from pulse and blood
pressure to happiness – can be measured using
digital technology. This enables us to increase
knowledge about ourselves, as well as to
optimize treatments, Sara Riggare says, pointing at her smart watch, which measures how
much she moves, the length and quality of
her sleep, etcetera. We want to take more
responsibility and now we’re getting the tools
to do so, she continues.
Diagnosis led to new career
Sara Riggare was working in the environment
field as an engineer when she, at the age of 32
and with a four-month baby, was diagnosed
with Parkinson’s disease. She had, however,
experienced the first symptoms already at
the age of 13.
12 – When the doctor told me “you have
Parkinson’s disease – have a nice day” I fell
into a dark hole and saw death and wheelchairs ahead of me. But staying down there
doesn’t work with a small baby, so I pulled
myself up and decided to live as normally as
possible. You have to decide – either you give
up, or you don’t, she says.
– My personal definition of health today is to
not allow my condition to limit my life, while
at the same time not taking un­­necessary risks.
The diagnosis, however, led to some fundamental changes in her life – such as career. For
the first time in Sara Riggare’s life she set up
goals. One of these was to make a career out
of her disease. This decision involved starting to study at a master’s program in health
informatics at the Karolinska Institute in
Stockholm. Currently, Sara Riggare is a
doctoral student at Karolinska and the topic of
her research is “Personal observations as a tool
for improvement in chronic disease”. Today,
she also teaches at the program. Apart from
that, she is involved in a number of projects
promoting self-tracking and patient influence,
an active member of patient organizations
and an ambassador for the World Parkinson
Congress in New York.
Quantified Self
Projects include introducing Quantified
Self in Sweden, a concept she got in contact
with when she tried a medication app. The
Quantified Self is an international collaboration of users and makers of self-tracking tools,
aiming at helping people get meaning out of
their personal data. The Swedish organization
now has over 500 members. She also runs her
own blog – among other things.
– I have realized that my strongest weapon
against my disease, apart from my energy and
curiosity, is self-observation. I see my neuro­
logist twice a year for half an hour at a time –
the rest of the year I observe the effects of my
treatment. Just imagine what we could achieve
together, with our com­plementary areas of
expertise, Sara Riggare says. I’m also proud
to be contributing to changing the image of
Parkinson’s.
Stockholm, a city of opportunities
Sara Riggare says that Sweden – and Stockholm especially – in fact has a good potential
to drive developments in self-tracking globally.
– There is both a political will and so much
technological competence in the city that the
future looks bright. For example, in 2014,
Sweden got its very first Commissioner for
Innovation and eHealth in Stockholm County
Council. But to succeed, we must continue
to attract talents, from Sweden and abroad.
– This is really a city of opportunities, she
adds.
Born and bred in Stockholm, Sara Riggare
now lives in the south part of the city with
her husband and daughter. Since she has discover­ed that the best way to curb her disease
and enables her to reduce medication is exercise, you will often find her exercising along
the waterways, which she loves.
13 PHOTO: JANN LIPKA
”Apart from being beautiful, Stockholm
is extremely accessible with a well-­
functioning public transport system.
It’s also creative, innovative with new
technology networks for exchanging
ideas emerging all the time”.
Fresh take on Stockholm
Jessica Nilsson, Tech investor and entrepreneur
Northzone
“Stockholm has changed while I’ve been abroad – today it’s a truly international city, oozing
with entrepreneurial spirit”, says Jessica Nilsson, who returned to Sweden and Stockholm last year
to join venture capital fund Northzone after setting up a successful business in Germany.
After five years abroad, Jessica Nilsson felt
that it was time to go home to Stockholm.
As a young and passionate entrepreneur, she
co-founded HelloFresh, a global recipe kit
delivery service with market-leading operations in six markets. At HelloFresh, Jessica
Nilsson spearheaded the global marketing
operation, growing the business from scratch
to 500 million SEK turnover. Being in the
fundraising hot seat several times – Rocket
Internet and Insight Venture Partners are
two of their investors – Jessica learned about
venture capital thinking.
– One thing I learned is that speed and focus
will get you far. But the experiences from
HelloFresh also gave me an appetite to help
other startups, says Jessica Nilsson.
– I’ve always admired Northzone and the
way they add value to their portfolio companies, she adds.
So when Jessica moved back to Stockholm
she decided to join the venture capital fund
Northzone.
Team of entrepreneurs
With Spotify, Trustpilot, Fyndiq and a
number of other leading technology companies in its portfolio, Northzone describes itself
as a venture capital fund focusing on techno­
logy investments. Over the past 20 years, the
company has invested in over 100 companies,
as well as raised and managed seven funds.
– An important success factor is that the people
who work at Northzone have entrepreneurial experience themselves, which means that
we understand the types of challenges young
companies may face, Jessica Nilsson says.
– I have a strong passion for entrepreneurship and for building companies. Working
with driven entrepreneurs gives me so much
energy, she says.
– There is also a great interest from foreign
funds to invest in Swedish companies, she
adds.
There are several reasons for this growing
interest, according to Jessica Nilsson.
– I think that one of the most important
explanations is that a number of successful
Stockholm based companies have become role
models in the technology field – like Spotify
and Klarna, she says.
– Stockholm has become a hub for techno­
logy development, attracting talents from all
over the world.
Returning to Stockholm after some years
abroad also made Jessica re-discover some of
the advantages of the city.
New perspective on Stockholm
Jessica Nilsson holds a MSc in Economics
and Business from the Stockholm School
of Economics and also has her family in
Stockholm. But after living in London,
Los Angeles and Berlin, she says that she sees
Stockholm with fresh eyes and a new perspective.
– Apart from being beautiful, it’s extremely
accessible with a well-functioning public transport system. It’s also creative and innovative,
with new technology networks for exchanging
ideas emerging all the time, she says.
– Stockholm has changed a lot in the last,
few years. It has become much more international. Many companies based here even
use English as corporate language – and a lot
of people from abroad want to come here to
work, Jessica Nilsson says.
Jessica Nilsson favorite
Stockholm spots:
Stockholm City Hall –
perfect symbol for the city
14 Djurgården – best place
for running or walking
with a beautiful view
15 PHOTO: JANN LIPKA
Stockholm’s archipelago inspires photographer
From Rwanda to Stockholm. From still life photography to film direction. World-renowned photographer
Jens Assur may have moved the focus of his lens, but claims that he’s still driven by same the urge
to tell a good story. “I find a lot of inspiration in Stockholm, which is the place to live if you work
in the media, creative or cultural industry”, he says.
“”,
– My main focus has always been on telling a story. And I’ve known from the start
that I eventually wanted to make movies.
Even as a photographer, I’m inspired by film
aesthetics, he says.
”I find a lot of inspiration in Stockholm,
which is the place to live if you
work in the media, creative or cultural
industry.”
Jens Assur, photographer and director
Jens Assurs favorite Stockholm spots:
The 40,000 islands in the Stockholm
archipelago, many of which are uninhabited.
Sven-Harry’s art museum, a spectacular
building with a gleaming brass facade, in the
middle of Stockholm, just by Vasaparken.
16 It’s to the Stockholm archipelago Jens Assur
heads when he feels the need to reflect and
find inspiration. A Northerner by birth, Jens
has made an impressive journey since his childhood. He started his career as a photo­grapher
during the 1980’s working for a local news­
paper. But it was in the 1990’s when he moved
on to one of the biggest evening papers in
Sweden, that his career really took on. While
working for the evening paper, Jens won a great
number of awards for his much acclaimed
photo documentaries from war-torn count­
ries including Somalia, Rwanda and former
Yugoslavia.
– Films contain so many elements; photo­
graphy, texts, design, architecture and music.
I’m interested in all of these areas, and if you
succeed in fitting all these pieces together, it’s
the perfect way to communicate.
The urge to go his own way eventually drove
Jens Assur to start his own studio.
– My goal, regardless of project, has been
to raise awareness about what’s going on in
society, regardless of where it takes. It’s also
been to inspire to a public debate about issues
that I find important, he says.
Award-winning short movies
In 2006, Jens Assur made his debut as a
film director with the short film “The Last
Dog in Rwanda”, depicting the genocide in
Rwanda in 1994. The film won a number of
awards around the globe, including a prize
as best short film at the prestigious American
Tribeca film festival. Five years later, his
second short film “Killing the Chickens to
Scare the Monkeys” repeated the success.
In the 1990’s, Jens Assur’s main focus was on
depicting developing countries, but recently
he has moved his lens to the western world
through several projects.
– In one way, I think it’s a question of maturity
to be able to discover and depict conflicts that
are closer at hand. And this is where the world
consumes, which makes it interesting, he says.
Becoming a father of four boys contributed
to a wish to remain closer to home. But Jens
Assur also claims that Stockholm is the
perfect place to be based in for what he’s
doing right now.
– There is a lot of competence, skill and
creativity in Stockholm. Since the city center
is relatively small, it’s also close at hand. It’s
perfectly possible to have a breakfast meeting
with the head of Moderna Muséet, followed
by morning coffee with the creative director
of an advertising agency, he says.
First full-length movie
His current projects include the full-length
movie “The Ravens”, which he’s both directing and has written the manuscript for. The
film is based on a novel by Tomas Bannerhed.
– I’ve learnt a lot from making short movies,
not least about how difficult it is and how
much it takes to make a good film, he adds.
Jens Assur confesses to being inspired by all
sorts of things, from Austrian cult director
Michael Haneke to the Stockholm archi­
pelago.
– When the world is spinning too fast,
it´s enough to spend a day alone on one of
the islands to feel restored. The archipelago
is also really accessible with the all ferries.
You don’t even need a boat of your own,
he says.
17 PHOTO FROM LEFT: SCANPIX, HENRIK TRYGG
Rankings and ratings
Stockholm’s position as the capital of Scandinavia is based
on the results of a number of surveys, rankings and ratings
that are conducted regularly.
Best city to
locate business
(number 13 of 36)
Innovation*
(number 1 of 131)
Congress &
convention participants
(number 32 of 44)
Investments*
*
(number 31 of 177)
Quality of living
(number 19 of 230)
Regional BNP/capita
(number 8 of 272)
2010 / 2011
Competitiveness
(number 7 of 30)
Commercial bednights
(number 13 of 115)
2011/ 2012
2012 / 2013
2013/2014
Future hotspot
High economic activity
Favorable business climate
Innovation Performance
Multi-criteria decision analysis
A city of opportunity
When The Economist benchmarks the future
(2025) hotspots of competitiveness of 120 cities
across the world, Stockholm is ranked number
eight and one of only three cities in Europe
in the top ten.
Stockholm is in the eight position in the
regional Gross Domestic Product (GDP)
statistics of 272 European regions (based on
data from 2011*). Stockholm was 73 per cent
higher than the EU28 average.
Stockholm is ranked number 13 as a business
city among 36 cities in Cushman & Wakefield’s European Cities Monitor 2011. Stockholm’s strengths include environment and
quality of living, but also access to competent human resources, telecommunications,
language skills and public transport.
Sweden is at the top of the list of 131 countries
in innovation, according to the Innovation
Capacity Index 2010–2011. In addition to an
excellent innovation climate, Sweden plays
an important part of the global economy as a
driver for the private sector. Stockholm drives
growth in Sweden.
In order to measure the strengthening of
Stockholm’s position as a destination for establishing businesses and attracting visitors, the
development is monitored with a multi-criteria
analysis including eight indicators.
Stockholm is ranked third in Europe and
in seventh place, of a total of 30 compared
cities in the world, in pwc Cities of Opportunities monitor 2014. The study includes
ten categories and Stockholm is at the top
in two of these; Health, safety and security
and Sustainability and natural environment.
Note: The Innovation Capacity Index is a composite
of 50 indicators within 5 categories that is considered
having a strong effect on the ability to create an
innovative environment in a country.
*Rank refers to nations.
Rank
Score
1 New York
75.7
2 London
73.1
3 Singapore
71.2
4 Hong Kong
68.1
5 Tokyo
68.0
6 Sydney
67.3
7 Paris
67.0
8 Stockholm
65.7
9 Chicago
10 Toronto
65.6
64.7
Note. The Index scores each city across eight categories: economic strength, physical capital, financial
maturity, institutional character, social and cultural
character, human capital, environmental and natural
hazards and global appeal.
Source: The Economist Intelligence Unit, Hot spots 2025
– Benchmarking the future competitiveness of cities.
Rank
PPS
1 Inner London
321
2 Luxembourg
266
3 Bruxelles-Cap. / Brussels Hfdst.
222
Rank
Score
1 London
0,84
4 Hamburg
202
2 Paris
0,55
5 Bratislavský kraj
186
3 Frankfurt
0,32
Source: European Business School.
The further from the center, the better the positioning.
A position at the outer edge of the diagram means a
top ranking for Stockholm.
Rank
Score
1 London
1,290
2 New York
1,235
3 Singapore
1,230
1,215
6 Île de France
182
4 Amsterdam
0,26
4 Toronto
7 Groningen
182
5 Berlin
0,26
5 San Francisco
1,211
8 Stockholm
173
6 Barcelona
0,25
6 Paris
1,196
9 Praha
171
7 Madrid
0,25
168
8 Brussels
0,25
10 Oberbayern
9 Munich
Note: The comparison measures GDP per inhabitant,
expressed in terms of purchasing power standards
(in PPS, EU 28=100). *latest available figures
Source: Eurostat, 2014.
0,19
10 Zurich
0,14
11 Geneva
0,12
12 Milan
0,12
13 Stockholm
0,12
14 Dusseldorf
0,11
15 Hamburg
0,11
Investments
Sweden is ranked number 31 out of 177 in
unctad World Investment Report 2012
concerning foreign direct investments (fdi).
The indicator used is fdi Potential Index,
which expresses a country’s attractiveness for
foreign investment.
7 Stockholm
1,191
8 Hong Kong
1,156
9 Sydney
1,153
10 Chicago
1,133
Source: PWC Cities of Opportunities monitor 2014.
Source: UNCTAD World Investment Report 2012.
Source: European Cities Monitor 2011.
18 19 PHOTO LEFT SIDE: HOTEL MISS CLARA, HENRIK TRYGG, ULF H BÖRJESSON
Stockholm Business Cycle
Rank
No. of participants 2013
1 Barcelona
122 877
2 Amsterdam
114 166
3 Istanbul
112 175
4 Vienna
101 714
5 Singapore
96 620
Wages in the private sector, Stockholm County
Population, Stockholm County
6 London
83 358
Change (%) compared to the previous three-month period, with seasons and trends taken into account
(thousands)
7 Paris
82 447
2,250
8 Berlin
9 Seoul
11 Milan
12 Madrid
13 Kuala Lumpur
15 Prague
16 Bangkok
With close to eleven million commercial overnight stays per year, Stockholm is number 13 of
the most attractive city in Europe, based on a
sample of 115 cities in European Cities Market­ing Benchmarking Report 2014.
Rank
No. of bednights 2013
1 London
53 696 680
2 Paris
36 679 245
3 Berlin
26 942 082
4 Rome
24 160 505
5 Barcelona
16 485 074
6 Madrid
14 873 643
7 Prague
14 654 282
8 Istanbul
14 597 845
9 Vienna
13 544 798
10 Munich
12 894 504
11 Hamburg
11 603 135
12 Amsterdam
11 262 000
13 Stockholm
10 956 922
14 Milan
9 922 368
15 Dublin
9 250 320
Source: European Cities Marketing
Benchmarking Report 2014.
20 Stockholm is ranked number 19 out of 230
cities in Mercer 2015 Quality of living index.
This is a global study ranking the quality of
living in cities. The study takes into account
facts about political, social and cultural conditions, economics, health and healthcare, access
to compulsory schools, public services and
infrastructure, recreation, access to consumer
goods, housing, nature and climate. Together,
this creates a Quality of living index.
Source: Mercer 2015 Quality of living index.
Delegates at association meetings
Of the 44 biggest cities in the world in terms
of the numbers of congress delegates attending
association meetings, Stockholm is ranked
number 32, according to International Congress and Convention Association (ICCA).
The statistics is based on numbers of delegates
attending meetings organized by international
associations, which take place on a regular
basis and which rotate between a minimum
of three countries.
56 750
55 876
08
09
51 707
10
11
48 743
48 621
48 232
22 Rio de Janeiro
23 Beijing
24 Melbourne, VIC
25 Hamburg
26 Washington, DC
27 Rome
28 Montreal, QC
29 Shanghai
30 Lima
38 876
37 980
37 776
08
225 11
09 3710
36 956
33 541
32 Stockholm
33 137
33 Brussels
32 729
34 Taipei
31 542
35 Cape Town
31 026
36 Warsaw
30 600
37 Munich
29 874
38 Budapest
29 757
39 Toronto, ON
29 722
40 Tokyo
29 137
41 Vancouver, BC
28 683
42 Florence
27 441
43 Santiago de Chile
25 770
23 704
Source: ICCA 2014.
11
12
13
14
Business life
Labor market
Stockholm continues to be Sweden’s growth
engine. In the third quarter 2014, wages
in the private sector rose by 4.6 per cent in
10,000
Stockholm County and by 6.5 per cent
in
Stockholm, change from the previous
8,000
quarter, with seasons and trends taken into
consideration.
In the third quarter 2014, the
6,000
number of new registrations of companies
4,000 with a 7 per cent increase in the county
soared
and a 10 per cent increase in the city, com2,000 to the same quarter 2013. Meanwhile,
pared
the number of bankruptcies turned down,
0 by 11 per cent in Stockholm.
falling
Stockholm’s labor market is strong and
growing. In the third quarter 2014, employment rose by 22,200 people in the county,
of which 10,400 in the city, compared to the
same quarter 2013. This corresponds to an
employment growth of 1.9 per cent and 2.1
per cent, respectively. Meanwhile, the number of available jobs continued to increase,
while the number of people receiving notice
decreased. This resulted in unemployment
falling to 5.8 per cent in both the city and
the county.
12,000
41 601
95
10
08
12
13
14
03
04
05
06
07
08
09
10
09
10
11
12
13
14
Source: Statistics Sweden
1,750
08
40 946
100
09
Source: Statistics Sweden
42 837
105
1
1,750
1,875
08
14
42 206
31 Sao Paulo
44 Geneva
13
45 770
110
2,125
2,250
1,875
2
,000
0
12
47 439
115
1
2
,000
2,125
2
51 827
1,750
2,250
4
55 399
19 Copenhagen
21 Sydney, NSW
6
62 712
18 Hong Kong
20 Dublin
8
63 131
1,875
17 Boston, MA
Quality of living
67 768
2 ,000
14 Buenos Aires
10
72 570
2,125
10 Lisbon
Increasing number
of overnight stays
Stockholm continued to show strong economic growth in 2014, despite uncertainty in global markets
and slow development in Europe. Wages rose, while the business sector increased with more companies
and fewer bankruptcies. This strengthened the labor market and attracted more inhabitants.
09
10
11
12
13
14
Employment, Stockholm County
115
Index 100 = 2008 kv3
110
115
1
105
110
1
100
105
1
95
100
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
08
09
10
11
12
13
14
95
Source: Statistics Sweden
11
12 13 14
Population
Stockholm’s attractiveness is reflected by
population statistics. In the last, few quart­
ers, the number of inhabitants in Stockholm
increased by 1.7 per cent in the county and
1.8 per cent in the city. This corresponds to a
year-on-year growth by almost 37,000 people
in the county, of which 16,000 in the city.
On the 30th September 2014, Stockholm
County had 2,192,433 inhabitants, of which
909,976 in Stockholm.
21 PHOTO FROM LEFT: JONAS BORG, XXX, DANIEL ASPLUND.
Tommy Myllymäki winner of gold medal,
Bocuse d´Or Europe 2014.
Year in Review
More direct flights to Stockholm
Work continued to improve international
access within the framework of Connect
Sweden, a cooperation project between SBR
and Swedavia. At the World Routes, which
was arranged September 19 – 23 in Chicago,
Swedavia cooperated with Stockholm and
Gothenburg. Since the beginning of the
year, a number of new flight links have come
into operation, as a direct result of Connect
Sweden’s cultivation of these air companies.
Stockholmsdagen
Stockholmsdagen – the Stockholm Day – held
on January 23, attracted more than 400 representatives from the tourist industry. The purpose of the meeting was to inspire and ensure
continued positive and long-term development
of Stockholm as a destination.
Roundtable discussion about
cultural differences
On February 18, a roundtable discussion about
cultural similarities and differences between
China and Sweden concerning doing business,
work permits, etc was arranged together with
the Sweden-China Trade Council and the
trade department of the Chinese Embassy.
Participants included Huawei, Bank of China
and the Swedish Migration Board.
Stockholm’s new Tourist Center
On April, Stockholm Tourist Center, under
the new name Stockholm Visitor Center,
opened in Kulturhuset. The strategic location
and the change of name will lead to improved
service and a wider target group.
22 The winners of Stockholm Innovation Scholarship 2014
together with the mayor of Stockholm, Karin Wanngård.
The world’s biggest travel fair
Hotel report with forecast until 2020
ITB in Berlin was held March 5-8. The fair
attracted 174,000 people, of whom 114,000
were so-called trade visitors. Led by Digital
Tourism Think Tank, questions concerning
digital marketing and strategies were discussed together with representatives from
Trip­Advisor, Tnooz, Sparkloft Media, as
well as VisitNorway and Bologna Welcome.
In May, the HUI Research Institute published a hotel report, describing all existing
and planned bednight possibilities in Stockholm. In addition, the hotel report contains
a forecast on hotel room demand for 2014
– 2020. According to the forecast, the hotel
market in the Stockholm county will be in
balance until 2020, if all planned and potential establishments will be carried out. When
it comes to the city of Stockholm specifically,
HUI forecasts that there will be a shortage
of 500 rooms in 2016 and of 1,800 rooms in
2020, if all planned and potential projects
are carried out.
Stockholm – a creative
culinary destination
Bocuse d’Or Europe is the European
Championship in gastronomy for professional
chefs. The event was carried out in connection with the GastroNord fair, May 7-8 at
Stockholms­mässan. PR work ahead of the
event was focused at building an image of
Stockholm as a creative culinary destination.
In addition, a pressprogram was arranged
in connection with the event targeted at some
30 international journalists, in order to further
strengthen the image of Stockholm.
A bouquet of events
During the summer, a number of events were
carried out, including ASICS Stockholm Marathon, Stockholm Pride, DN Galan, World
Triathlon Series, Stockholm Music & Arts,
ÅF Offshore Race and Fashion Week, which
all contributed to marketing Stockholm and
attracting visitors. In connection with ASICS
Stockholm Marathon, a tourist economy
survey was carried out, showing that visitors
who came here for the event spent a total of
212 million SEK during their visit.
Between May and August, some 70 international conferences were held in Stockholm. The number of international delegates amounted to around 35,000, generating
around 140,000 bednights. Focus areas
of these conferences included urology,
anesthesia, Parkinsons, epilepsy, dyslexia,
food, philanthropy, environment and energy
International culture exchange,
Kulturfestivalen – La Mercè
One of the major cooperation projects of the
year was a cultural exchange project between
Stockholm and Barcelona that took place in
August and September, in connection with the
culture festivals of each city. The assignment
included program content, coordination, as
well as national and international marketing,
in which SBR was responsible for the international marketing part. The project resulted in
240 articles, radio and TV stories in Spanish
media, with a total of 518 million exposures
in media and social media in Spain.
Patient controlled health
August 25 – 27, delegates from the whole
world were gathered for the Digital Health
Days, which was held for the second time at
Stockholmsmässan.
The goal of the conference is to connect and
promote projects, companies, entrepreneurs
and initiatives that push the development in
health, health care, medical technology and
pharmaceutical industry forward.
New recurring forum for startups
On September 4 – 5 the STHLM Tech Fest
was held at Waterfront Congress. The event
was the biggest ever in Stockholm for startups in ICT, attracting 2,800 participants,
who came to listen and network for a day at
Stockholm Waterfront. Companies like King,
Klarna and iZettle participated on stage and
in different panel discussions.
International Business Meeting
On December 2, the International Business
Meeting was carried out in collaboration with
foreign trade offices located in Stockholm.
The event, which has been held on a yearly
basis since 2008 at the City Hall, offers an
opportunity for decision makers from foreign
companies to meet and discuss with politicians representing the city. This year’s edition attracted close to 130 participants to the
event to discuss sustainable development in
Stockholm and the surrounding municipalities.
Music meets innovations
A seminar was arranged in London in connection with the 40th anniversary of ABBA
on the theme Music meets innovations from
an investor’s point of view. At the seminar,
held early April at Tate Modern, innovations
focused on ICT and music were presented.
Some 50 investors, media representatives
and other interested parties participated.
Innovation scholarship
On December 11, the Stockholm Innovation
Scholarship was awarded in a prize giving
ceremony held the Prinsens Galleri in the
following seven categories: IT & Telecom,
Environmental Technology, Tourist Industry,
Cultural and Creative Businesses, Services
and Eeveryday Products and Life Science.
Breakfast inspired by Nobel
The annual, traditional breakfast inspired
by Nobel was held on the theme “Are there
solutions to one of the world’s biggest
challenges?”. Some 250 guests participated
in the event, which took place in the assembly
hall of the Stockholm University.
23 PHOTO LEFT: OLA ERICSSON, RIGHT: JANN LIPKA
Stockholm – even more globally attractive
There is keen global competition for talent, yet Stockholm is attracting more technology talents at the
moment than ever before. And Stockholm is not only in the top league in the ICT and computer games
businesses; but also when it comes to technical development in the creative industries: the music
production industry, for instance, shows great interest in Stockholm.
Stockholm is one of the fastest growing
cities in Europe. The result of this influx of
population growth is that one of the greatest
challenges for Stockholm today is to make sure
that new housing is built. Apart from this,
good international connectivity will probably
be more important than ever, considering the
fact that Sweden is located at the northern
edge of Europe.
Stockholm have been successful in techno­
logy for many years, boosting well-known
companies such as Ericsson, Klarna, Spotify
and Skype. But also as individuals, Stock­
holmers are interested in technology and
so called early adopters, quickly embracing
and using new technology. The high level of
technology knowledge is also evident in businesses such as Life Sciences and Cleantech.
”During the year, along with other
city representatives, we have tried to
encourage initiatives strengthening the
eco system within the Startup scene.”
Anna Gissler,
CEO Stockholm Business Region Development
24 In 2014, the Atomico Report stated that
Stockholm has the largest number of billion
dollar startups in Europe. Izettle, King and
Truecaller are just a few of the companies that
have received large amounts of money in funding. Venture Capital investments within the
tech sector increased by 338 percent in 2014.
Meanwhile, Mojang – who conquered the
world with its game Minecraft – was acquired
during the year by Microsoft for 2,5 billion
dollar.
During the year, along with other city
representatives, we have tried to encourage initiatives strengthening the eco system
within the Startup scene. The # Sthlmtech
hashtag was launched and is used in almost all
information about the tech business in Stockholm. The Tech Meet Ups held every month
have proven so popular that there is hardly
room enough for all those wanting to attend.
The initiative SUP 46, hot spot for startups,
continues to grow and attract attention around
the world, while Epicenter, a member based
innovative space located in the city center,
opens at the beginning of 2015.
Anna Gissler
CEO, Stockholm Business Region Development
Recently, The Economist presented a report
in which Stockholm was named the third best
city to live in and the fourth safest city in the
world. Hopefully, facts like these combined
with the entrepreneurial spirit that exists here
will continue to increase global attraction for
Stockholm – The Capital of Scandinavia.
25 PHOTO FROM LEFT: HENRIK TRYGG, TOP, STAFFAN ELIASSON.
Promoting the Stockholm region
as a business destination
Stockholm Business Region Development (SBRD) is the official
investment promotion agency of Stockholm. The principal focus
areas are business service, introduction to relevant contacts in
trade and industry, investment promotion and the development
of Stockholm as a location for establishing businesses.
News 2014
In 2014, the Atomico Report wrote that Stockholm has the largest number of billion dollar
startups in Europe. Izettle, King, Klarna and
Truecaller are just a few of the companies
that have received large amounts of funding.
Venture capital investments within the tech
sector increased in 2014 by 338 per cent.
Meanwhile, Mojang – which conquered the
world with the game Minecraft – was acquired
during the year by Microsoft for 2.5 billion
dollars.
26 These types of events resulted in increased
interest in Stockholm as an investment
region in 2014. They also empower the
continued efforts by Stockholm Business
Region Develop­ments (SBRD) to package and market the region to investors and
companies. Meanwhile, the development of
the Stockholm Uppsala Life Science Hotlist
and the Stockholm Cleantech Hotlist raised
great interest among investors and investment advisors in both Europe and the rest
of the world.
International culture exchange
STHLM Tech Fest
Developing business contacts
In 2014, efforts to attract talents to Stockholm were intensified. In February, a roundtable discussion was arranged together with
the Sweden-China Trade Council and the
Trade Department of the Chinese Embassy.
Topics included differences and similarities
between China and Sweden when it comes
to conducting business, work permits, etc.
Participants included Huawei, Bank of China
and the Swedish Migration Board.
Beginning of September, Sthlm Tech Fest
was carried out at Waterfront Building,
attracting 2,500 participants. The event was
the first attempt to gather a great number of
Stockholm’s technology companies, entre­
preneurs and investors – along with many
inter­nationally renowned people on the stage
– for a day together. Investments in the technology sector soared during the year – only
Beijing beats Stockholm when it comes to
investment growth in the tech sector.
During the year, SBRD conducted a survey
among 1,000 companies asking for their view
on the service provided by the city of Stockholm and the conditions to conduct business
in different parts of the city.
Fall 2014, a total of 53 municipalities co­­
operated in the international marketing efforts
of the Stockholm region in order to attract
foreign investments and establishments. The
fact that the Stockholm Business Alliance
partnership now covers a population, i.e. also
a market, of 3.7 million inhabitants, means
that we can compete internationally with the
major regions in Europe.
A report was presented in the spring together
with the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce,
focusing on identifying the main oppor­tunities
and challenges facing international talents
who live and work in Stockholm. Linked
to the report, an attractiveness index was
created; the Stockholm Talent Attractiveness
Index. Stockholm received 86 per cent, indicating that talents who come to Stockholm
enjoy life here.
Talent attraction
During the Stockholm International Business Meeting in December, foreign companies in the region were invited to the City
Hall in Stockholm to discuss and sum up
the challenges and opportunities linked to
being established and growing in the Stockholm region. The meeting is part of SBRD’s
efforts to continuously communicate with a
great number of the companies that are already
established in the region.
In order to expand the network of contacts,
meetings and trade fairs are attended and
contacts are established with committees
and organizations. The annual Stockholm
Meeting, the Stockholm Innovation scholarship and The International Business Meeting
at the City Hall with foreign companies and
Chambers of Commerce as well as regular
breakfast seminars are a few examples of all
the activities arranged by SBRD.
Other ways of reaching business and media
contacts is via the specialist publication,
Stockholmskonjunkturen, which reports the
Stockholm region business cycle quarterly.
Developing Stockholm
as a business place
SBRD works with business trade and industry and other governmental stakeholders to
develop Stockholm as a business place. This
work includes encouraging improvements
in infrastructure, waste handling, and other
operational matters.
Kista Science City (ICT), Hagastaden
(Life Sciences) and Stockholm Royal Seaport (Media/Film) Telefonplan (Design/­
Creative Industries) and the area around
Stockholm Globe Arena (Hospitality),
Högdalen (Cleantech) are examples of
specific locations that are being developed as
clusters. The develop­ment of these locations
is often conducted together with universities, other municipalities in the region and
property owners.
27 PHOTO FROM LEFT: ESKILSTUNA, MELKER DAHLSTRAND
Gävle
Ludvika
Stockholm Business Alliance
– A collaboration for regional growth
Uppsala
Västerås
The Stockholm Business Alliance (SBA) collaboration is formed as an
agreement based partnership, including 53 municipalities in the region.
Örebro
Today, the Stockholm region corresponds to
around 43 per cent of Sweden’s GDP, with
3.7 million inhabitants and receiving 46 per
cent of all the foreign investments made in
Sweden.
Purpose and goal
The purpose of SBA is to strengthen the joint
resources in the effort to attract foreign investments to the region. Improved conditions for
attracting investors and new establishments
are created through highlighting the advant­
ages of the region. The vision has been set:
Stockholm shall be Europe’s leading, sustainable growth region. This shall be achieved
through ensuring that the municipalities offer
world-class service, that the region’s position
Stockholm – The Capital of Scandinavia is
firmly established on the world market and
that interested parties are offered one of the
world’s best organizations for establishing
investments.
Organization
From an overall perspective, SBA is a project
run by the politicians of the region. Operations
are run by the city of Stockholm´s company
Stockholm Business Region Development,
in close co­­operation with its partnership
municipalities. All municipalities participate
actively in different projects.
Increased quality of investments
The work method and direction that was
initiated in 2010 with increased focus on the
quality of investments.
An investment can be of high, medium or
low quality, depending of how much value it
contribute with to the growth and development of the region. Resources are pinpointed
at work promoting investments and resulting
in new, high quality investments.
The quality concepts in investment promoting businesses are based on areas including:
• If it is made in a strategically important
business.
• The size of the investment.
• The quality of the investment, i.e. how it
contributes to the development of the region.
The goal is that investments that are made in
sectors of strategic importance for the Stockholm region shall account for 65 per cent.
Furthermore, the share of investments that
contribute with high value for the Stockholm
region shall reach 40 per cent. Last, but not
least, the region shall keep its market share
of 46 per cent, compared to a national level.
Improved service to trade
and industry
In order to attract new companies to the
region, every municipality must be able to
offer well-developed services to trade and
industry. This include being able to quickly
and efficiently assist companies with different types of permits, such as building permits
and licenses to serve.
28 Stockholm
Eskilstuna
Nyköping
53 municipalities
Arboga
Oxelösund
Botkyrka
Sala
Danderyd
Salem
Ekerö
Sigtuna
Enköping
Smedjebacken
Eskilstuna
Sollentuna
Flen
Solna
Gnesta
Stockholm
Gävle
Strängnäs
Hallstahammar
Sundbyberg
Haninge
Surahammar
Heby
Södertälje
Huddinge
Tierp
Håbo
Trosa
Järfälla
Tyresö
Karlskoga
Täby
Katrineholm
Upplands Väsby
Marketing and communication
Knivsta
Upplands-Bro
Kungsör
Uppsala
Köping
Vallentuna
Lidingö
Vaxholm
Consistency and a long-term view in promotion and PR create attention and contribute to
strengthening the position of the Stockholm
region as the capital of Scandinavia.
Ludvika
Värmdö
Nacka
Västerås
Norrtälje
Örebro
Nykvarn
Österåker
Nyköping
Östhammar
Nynäshamn
These types of services are measured every
second year in a ranking, in which every
municipality gets rated. All these ratings result
in a ranking, indicating which municipalities
that trade and industry perceive as offering
the best service. The most recent rankings
show a clear trend – municipalities focusing on these types of issues receive a better
rating by trade and industry. This is important
for municipalities when it comes to attracting foreign investment. Stockholm Business
Alliance’s goal is a total value of 70 out of 100
NKI 2015. The most recent rating was done
in 2013, showing a total value of 66.
In 2014 a PR concept was developed for
investment promotion which resulted in
several press trips and visits from journalists.
For example trips were arranged for global
press during the Stockholm based events
Digital Health Days and the Nobel Week that
focused on tech companies from the region
which all resulted in articles in targeted media
around the world.
The result of the year
Investment areas:
The results for 2014 was 65 investments, of
which SBRD with partners were involved in 30
investments. Of the 65 investments completed,
46 per cent belonged to sectors of strategic
importance. Finally, the share of investments
with high value were 47 per cent. The total
amount of investments in the region is bigger
than that. SBRD’s coverage of international
investments shows that the Stockholm region’s
part of the direct investments in 2014, which
were made in cooperation with Business
Sweden, aggregated to 179.
• Life Sciences
• ICT
• Cleantech
• Hospitality
• Logistics
• Automation
• Metals and Mining
Geographical origin
of the 30 investments:
South Korea 7, India 5, USA 3, Switzerland
3, Japan 2, Australia 2 and Rest of world 13.
Rest of world 27%
Australia
6.5%
South Korea 23%
India 17%
Japan 6.5%
Switzerland 10%
Strategic
alliance 28%
USA 10%
New establishments
54%
29 PHOTO LEFT: JANN LIPKA. RIGHT: HENRIK TRYGG.
Fantastic growth in 2014
Stockholm continues to be the engine of the Swedish visitors industry, strengthening its position as one
of Europe’s most popular destinations – as well as one of the fastest growing. 2014 was a very good year,
with an increase of 8 percent to almost 11.8 million commercial bednigths in the county of Stockholm.
After four years as a project assignment, the
cooperation between Stockholm Visitors
Board, Stockholm’s seven archipelago municipalities, county council, county administrative
board and the Archipelago foundation, has
now been made permanent. The cooperation
has been named Stockholm Archipelago and
we have employed a project manager who
will, co­ordinating activities in the archipelago
along with municipalities, trade and industry.
The project manager will be based at Stockholm Visitors Board.
In 2014, Connect Sweden – a project carried
out together with Swedavia aimed at increasing connectivity to Stockholm – resulted in
an increasing number of direct flights from
destinations outside Europe. Of these, one
destination in particular increased dramatically thanks to Connect Sweden, i.e. India.
During the last two years, the number of
visitors from India has increased by more than
30 percent annually and the country now
ranks number eleven among all nationalities
visiting Stockholm.
Following a year with a great number of events
in sports, music and culture, Stockholm
Visitors Board – with support from the city of
Stockholm – has secured a number of major
events in the coming years, including FIS Ski
World Cup slalom and Dreamhack.
Work related to press trips is a very important
part of our work. Last year, we received 500
journalists and a number of TV crews. One of
the major events of the year was the European
Championships in gastronomy, Bocuse d’Or,
hosted by Stockholm in May. Major efforts
were made along with Gastronomy Sweden
and Stockholmsmässan to attract food journalists in order to position Stockholm as a
culinary city.
Stockholm was hosting the World Cup in
the endurance sport of triathlon 2014 and
it’s gratifying to know that Stockholm will
be host for two more years to come.
During the year, we worked hard on developing our presence on social media. Today,
we have some 150,000 extremely engaged
followers on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
The goal for 2020 to achieve 15 million
commercial bednights is within reach.
Stockholm Visitors Board is currently working on its strategy for 2016 – 2020 together
with trade and industry. Meanwhile, a new
partner/financing model will be introduced
for the period 2016 – 2018.
30 Peter Lindqvist
CEO, Stockholm Visitors Board
”The cooperation between Stockholm’s
seven archipelago municipalities, county
council, county administrative board and
the Archipelago foundation, has now
been made permanent”.
Peter Lindqvist,
CEO Stockholm Visitors Board
31 PHOTO FROM LEFT: JANN LIPKA, TOVE FREIIJ, JEPPE WIKSTRÖM.
Stockholm Visitors Board – The city charms
an increasing number of visitors
Stockholm Visitors Board (SVB) is the official tourism promotion agency of Stockholm. The aim
is to increase the number of international bednights and to increase tourism and further promote
Stockholm as host for corporate meetings, incentive travel, congresses and events.
Leisure travel
Leisure travel is part of SVB, focusing on
leisure travellers.
In 2014, international bednights rose by
11 per cent. Leisure travellers make up for the
major part of the commercial overnight stays
in Stockholm, and they also have a positive
impact on visiting statistics.
During the year, SVB concentrated its
marketing efforts on prioritized markets, i.e.
Finland, Russia, China, Germany, France,
UK, USA and Norway. One of SVB’s focus
areas has been to promote growth and
commitment in selected social media. Major
efforts to clarify messages and to create a
clear plan for content, as well as to establish
measuring tools, have yielded results.
32 These conform to the goals with more than
150,000 followers on Facebook, Twitter,
Instagram and VK. There is a strong
commitment on social media among those
who follow Stockholm.
A new graphic identity and technical system
were created for the Stockholm Card. Meanwhile, Stockholm Tourist Center changed
its name to Stockholm Visitor Center and
moved to Kulturhuset, which is closer to the
city center.
The year was characterized by marketing
events, most of which were aimed at strengthening the brand. And the major part were
activities with the main purpose to sell. Many
of these were arranged in cooperation with
airline companies including Norwegian,
Air Berlin, British Airways and SAS, but
also together with strong so called OTA’, e.g.
Expedia and Opodo. The cooperation with
IKEA Family in Germany and Russia continued during the year. Focus was to promote
Stockholm during low season, as well as on
continuing to build relations with airlines to
promote campaigns.
French bednights have developed very favorably in recent years. In order to retain – and of
course raise – French interest in Stockholm as
a travel destination, SVB carried out a digital
campaign during the year, #Stockholmize,
which won first prize in two categories in the
competition Trophées de la Communication.
During the year, Stockholm welcomed 265
cruise ships with a total of 467,000 passengers, who spent 450 million SEK.
The long-term work together with Stockholm Gay & Lesbian Network continued. The
aim is to attract more hbt-travellers through
promote the image of Stockholm as an open
and welcoming city.
Stockholm Convention Bureau
Stockholm Convention Bureau, SCB, is a
division of SVB focusing on international
corporate meetings and meetings arranged
by international associations. These meetings
also create possibilities for researchers and
developers of trade, industry and academia
to be seen and acknowledged.
Association meetings are major sources of
knowledge distribution in the world. In order
to create impact, almost 200 public and private
partners are cooperating financially with SCB,
sharing knowledge, contacts, experiences and
also business with each other.
As part of the aim to be present on different
markets, a great number of activities were
carried out during the year, including events,
sales visits, workshops and trade fairs. SCB
also entertained some 150 guests who visited
the city in connection with client events, site
visits and so-called ”familiarization trips” to
Stockholm.
2014 surpassed the previous year in regard
to the number of meetings and the economic
impact of these. A total of 224 (172 in 2013)
international association meetings were
organized in the Stockholm region and they
attracted some 282 000 (170 000 in 2013)
commercial bednights during the year. The
revenue from the international association
meetings was about SEK 1 470 million (SEK
890 million in 2013).
The number of corporate meetings is also
increasing; there is a great interest in Stockholm. More than 250 international requests
were handled during the year. Corporate
meetings are estimated to generate about
SEK 800 million per year to the city.
33 11
PHOTO FROM LEFT: TOVE FREIIJ, TRIATHLON, JENS SKOVGAARD THE COLOR RUN.
11
6
4
2
0
12
13
08
14
09
10
11
12
13
14
Commercial overnight stays Stockholm County
in thousands
12,000
10,000
8,000
6,000
12
13
14
4,000
2,000
0
03
Stockholm
Guide
Guida a
Stoccolma
Svenska
Italiano
Stockholm
Guide
Guide
Stockholm
04
05
English
Français
06
07
Tukholmaopas
Guía de
Estocolmo
08
09
10
Suomi
Español
11
12
Stadtführer
Stockholm
13
14
Deutsch
Русский
Public events
Areas of high importance 2014
Every week, hundreds of events are held in
Stockholm. Many of them have national
and international impact and create media
exposure.
The public event coordinator in Stockholm
worked actively in 2014 to make it easier for
event organizers to apply for and carry out
events.
During the year, decisions were made to apply
for and carry out a number of events in the
years to come. During the autumn it was
confirmed that Stockholm will host FIS Ski
World Cup for the first time in history. The
parallel slalom competition will be held in
Hammarbybacken in February 2016, with
the ambition to repeat the event annually
for three years.
Events resulting in international exposure are
extremely important for Stockholm, as this
enables showing off the city as one of the main
event cities in Europe, as well as positioning
Stockholm for many target groups.
The work to develop Stockholm as a vibrant
city for events is of major importance. A wide
mix of events makes Stockholm an attractive
destination for citizens and visitors alike.
34 Swedish Handball is set to arrange two
championships, of which the latest to be
confirmed is the European Championships for
men in 2020. The bidding process to arrange
and host the finals in January 2020 was won
by Stockholm.
It is also pleasing that Stockholm has secured
the continued role as host for the World Cup
in Triathlon for three years to come.
Stockholm is a strong catalyst for international
music trends. This is evident from the signi­
ficant increase of applications for assistance
from music organizers during the year. These
have resulted in assisting in establishing four
new music festivals.
City dressing
In order to improve the marketing of major
events and to show that Stockholm welcomes
the event, a city-dressing-program has been
created. The program further strengthens
Stockholm’s position as a strong event city
in both international and national contexts.
Stockholm Visitor Center
A professional and welcoming reception is an
important part of the total marketing efforts
and a success factor for a destination. Being
well received and offered world class tourist
service is a prerequisite for making the visit
an enjoyable experience and significantly
increases the probability that visitors recommend the destination to others.
In 2014, service to both visitors and citizens
was improved through moving the tourist
center to a more central location. At the same
time, the name was changed to Stockholm
Visitor Center.
A satisfied customer index survey was also
carried out, showing that our visitors are very
satisfied with the service they receive. Stockholm Visitor Center gets a rating 89 (out of
100), described as “fantastic” by the opinion
poll company.
The Stockholm Card
Stockholm was the first city in Europe to
introduce a city card at the beginning of the
1980’s. The objective then, as well as now,
is to present Stockholm as a city that offers
great value for money and with easy access,
as well as stimulating to an increased number of visits at the museum and attractions
in the city.
Since the introduction, the Stockholm Card
has been one of the best cards from an international point of view, and the ambition has
always been to be at the front edge when it
comes to content, user-friendliness and technology. In 2014, a new technical platform,
new design and new responsive purchase flow
was launched on visitstockholm.com.
35 Executive Management
Stockholm Business Region
Stockholm Business Region is a company, wholly owned by the City of Stockholm,
and a part of the Stockholms Stadshus AB Corporation. The company has two subsidiaries:
Stockholm Visitors Board and Stockholm Business Region Development, which work together
to promote, develop and market Stockholm as a business and tourist destination.
Stockholm Business Region works closely with the business community, academic and other institutions,
as well as with various organizations in the city, other municipalities and federal agencies.
Key Performance Indicators
Organization
City Council
2014
2013
2012
2011
253
246
241
240
EBITDA, SEK Million
2
0
-2
-3
EBT, Result, SEK Million
4
2
1
0
30.9
29.8
29.5
29.5
161
153
147
144
69
74
73
76
Earnings, SEK Million
Equity Ratio, %
Balance, SEK Million
No. of employees
Stockholms Stadshus AB
Stockholm Business Region AB
From left: Anna Gissler, CEO SBRD. Peter Lindqvist, CEO SVB. Lena Häggdahl, Director of Administration.
Monica Ewert, Director of Communications. Olof Zetterberg, CEO SBR
36 Stockholm Business Region
Development AB
Stockholm Visitors Board AB
37 PHOTO LEFT: JANN LIPKA, RIGHT: JEPPE WIKSTRÖM.
The Board
Monia Benbouzid (MP)
chairwoman from Oct 20, 2014.
Standing from the left: Hans Kilsved (S), Lars Bengtson (M), Gudrun Waldenström (FP), Mats Hulth (S).
Sitting: Christian Carlsson (KD), Joakim Gräns (M), Ulla Hamilton (M) chairwoman until Oct 20 2014, Göran Johnsson (S), Erica Wright (MP).
Not present: Annika Elmlund (M), Hans Jeppson (M), Karl Bern (FP), Lise-Lotte Fylking (M), Maria Östberg Svanelind (S),
Carina Fréden Larsson (S), Sanna Fransson (S), Monia Benbouzid (MP), Sofia Jöngren (C)
C = The Centre Party, FP = The Liberal Party, KD = The Christian Democratic Party, M = The Moderate Party, MP = The Green Party, S = The Social Democratic Party
38 39 COVER PHOTO: HENRIK TRYGG
Stockholm Business Region
P.O. Box 16282
SE-103 25 Stockholm, Sweden
Phone + 46 8 508 280 00
www.visitstockholm.com
investstockholm.com
stockholmbusinessregion.se