Message from The President

March 2023

Dear members,

Thank you to everyone who participated in our annual meeting on February 7. And a special thank you to Alten Technology USA for sponsoring our meeting at your great facility in Greensboro. Nothing beats being together as this provides great opportunities to make valuable connections. Your membership is valued and appreciated and this year we plan to announce more events than in previous years and we are looking forward to meeting new members preferably in person but also virtually.

At our annual meeting, we voted in five new board members, all with significant credentials. (see website under Board of Directors) As a result, we have realigned our working committees and responsibilities that will pave the road to enhanced values for our members as well as more opportunities for networking, promoting and advancing business relations, and the ability to connect. One example is that we recently launched our Membership Directory, where members easily can contact each other. (see more information further down)

We are already in the middle of March and in many ways last year, 2022 was a difficult year for many of us with the news covering the war in Eastern Europe, increased energy prices, and inflation coupled with a never-ending pandemic and possibly a looming recession. Research shows that news presented in the media is nearly always more than 90% negative which can have a stressful effect on us. In the book ‘Factfulness’ (featured in the last Newsletter), by Hans Rosling, he mentions that this leads to a systematic exaggerated impression of our environment and the world which can be very stressful. He recommends we expect bad news to control this behavior and observe the positive announcements.

Another thing that interests me since the pandemic started is the debate over workplace flexibility. Will it change during 2023 or will it stay the same? It is my understanding that most employees have been able to point out the positive results to explain why they can stay remote or hybrid, but I wonder, what will happen if a recession takes place, will companies then require the employees to return with the risk of them leaving within a couple of months? My belief is that the year 2023 will be pivotal for the future of remote work. And as we know, the price for replacing an employee can be very high, close to 12 months of an employee’s salary.

Looking forward to meeting as many of you as possible at our upcoming events, until then, stay safe and enjoy the beautiful spring here in North Carolina!

Best regards

Riber Gustafson

President of SACC Carolinas

International Women's Day Webinar

The International Women’s Day Webinar, co-hosted by SACC Georgia and SACC DC, was an inspiring event that brought together women from diverse backgrounds and industries to celebrate the achievements of women and discuss ways to advance gender equality. The event featured a panel of accomplished female leaders who shared their personal stories, insights, and advice. The panel consisted of Jesica Lindgren from Blue Star Strategies, Nancy Fischer from Pilsbury inc.,Yelena Epova from Aprio, Caroline Johansson from Zoe Hoop, and was moderated by Stacey Youngdale from Volvo Financial Services. It was a very successful event that reminded us of womens progress in the business world and the continued work that needs to be done to create a more equitable and inclusive society.

If you missed the webinar, or want to re-watch it, you can find it here.

News Tidbits 

Better Shelter and IKEA Provide Shelter Homes to Earthquake Victims

Around 25 000 people will get roof over their heads after the deadly earthquake in Turkey and Syria thanks to the Swedish company Better Shelter and the IKEA-Foundation. Better Shelter develops and produces temporary crisis homes, which can be delivered in flat, compact packages to disaster areas. 5000 of the 17.5 sq m houses are now set to be delivered and installed in the affected countries, a project which the IKEA-Foundation will be funding.

Swedish EV Charging Service Now Opens for Business Customers

The Swedish app Northe is expanding its customer base from private individuals to business customers. The company is currently testing a charging disc for faster access to charging stations and is now taking in 20 million SEK in new capital.

Swedish Medtech Company Launches New Technology in the U.S.

The Swedish First North-listed medical technology company CLS has developed new technology for laser surgery which is now being tested on patients with complicated and hard-to-reach brain tumors. The new technology is now being launched on the U.S. market, where it has already been approved for use.

Citibank: Stockholm is Europe's Silicon Valley

Jelena Zec, director of European investments at Citibank, describes Stockholm as “Europe’s Silicon Valley”, as the bank’s venture capital branch Citi Ventures doubles its investments in Swedish Companies. According to Zec, the bank aims to increase investments in the 'open banking' sector such as climate and fintech and has in the past 12 months invested in two Swedish climate-tech companies: Doconomy and Anyfin.

Priorities for trade meeting between EU and the U.S.

The EU and the U.S. launched a Trade and Technology Council (TTC) in June 2021, which is a forum for coordinating strategies on global trade, economic and technical issues, and deepening transatlantic trade and economic relations. There are ten working groups under the TTC, and a meeting at the ministerial level takes place every six months. 

Strengthening the trade relationship between the U.S. and the EU remains a priority for the business sector. The EU and the U.S. should use the TTC to facilitate trade, promote common standards, and collaborate on the development of international standards and further deepen cooperation on research, development and innovation.

Ahead of the third ministerial-level meeting in December, Svenskt Näringsliv, together with member organizations and with a special contribution from Teknikföreningen, has written a paper outlining the priority areas for Swedish business. It is of utmost importance that the TTC begins to deliver on its ambitious agenda. 

Written by Ingrid Serup for Svenskt Näringsliv

Member Directory

Our member directory exists to help facilitate communication and networking between our members. To ensure it is up-to-date, we kindly request that each member takes a moment to review and update their profile. This will help us ensure the directory contains the most current and complete information. 

Full member directory can be found here (you need to be logged in to view): 

Book Recommendation

Reading is knowledge, and knowledge is power. We came up with the idea for everyone to share a book worth reading in every newsletter, so our members can get some inspiration. Here is a book we found informative, unfortunately only in Swedish. It can be found on Bokus.com in all formats.

Ord och Handling: Ett liv i diplomatins tjänst

Ord och Handling: Ett liv i diplomatins tjänst, is a memoir by Jan Eliasson, a diplomat who has served in various high-profile roles including Deputy Secretary-General of the United Nations. In the book, Eliasson reflects on his experiences and challenges he faced while working in the field of international diplomacy. The book offers insights into the world of diplomacy and the complexities of global politics, as well as the personal qualities and skills needed to succeed in this field.

Please share any book here that you believe may be of interest and we will add it to our book recommendation in our next newsletter.

SACC-USA Talent mobility Program 

Advertising

Want to advertise your company or host an event through our platforms?

Do you want to learn more about our organization? Expand your network and have input on SACC Carolinas development?

If you are interested in promoting your venture to our members, we would gladly help you by using our platforms. It can be an ad, a sponsor spotlight in our newsletter, physical or digital event. If you are willing to sponsor an event or advertise, reach out to us and we will make it become reality. 

If you are interested in gaining publicity, we also arrange company tours. 

Member Involvement

Do you want to learn more about our organization? Expand your network and have input on SACC Carolinas development?

We encourage all our members to get involved in one of our committees:

• Event/Webinar
• Recruitment/Membership
• Marketing and Communications
  

Click here to let us know your interest!

Our members are the core of our organization and we always welcome your feedback and how to improve. Looking forward to meet as many of you as possible at our upcoming events! 

We wish you a Happy Easter and a beautiful spring!

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