{"id":38075,"date":"2014-09-29T16:12:19","date_gmt":"2014-09-29T15:12:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.voyages-d-affaires.com\/stockholm-lanticipation-des-grands-mouvements-20140929.html"},"modified":"2016-02-10T10:21:49","modified_gmt":"2016-02-10T09:21:49","slug":"stockholm-the-anticipation-of-major-movements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.voyages-d-affaires.com\/en\/stockholm-the-anticipation-of-major-movements","title":{"rendered":"Stockholm - Anticipating the big moves"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEW MILLENNIUM <\/strong>Modernity begins at home. A great exporter of design and innovation, the Swedish capital is setting an example with its new Stokholm Waterfront conference centre - the largest in Scandinavia - featuring ultra-modern architecture by Bengt Svensson and Hans Forsmark of White.<\/span><\/p>\n

Nine o'clock in the morning on a typical weekday in Stockholm. Bicycles glide along the straight avenues, just as boats bob between the 14 islands that together make up the Swedish capital. Stockholm is bustling, but a very relaxed kind of bustle. It has to be said that it is currently one of the fastest-growing cities in Europe. According to Price Waterhouse Cooper, it even ranks first in the world for innovation, business environment, health and safety. In 2013, its GDP growth was 68% higher than that of the average of the 27 largest cities in the European Union. A record! >>><\/p>\n

\"Traditionally, Sweden has been an industrial country, but Stockholm's economy is increasingly based on services, particularly information technology and telecommunications.<\/em>It's a great opportunity for us,\" explains Kristina Hulteberg, Director of the French Chamber of Commerce in Sweden. \"The Kista technology cluster, which has been developing since the 1970s in the suburbs of Stockholm, is home to major Swedish companies such as Ericsson, as well as a large number of young start-ups.<\/em>\".<\/p>\n

Two names stand out in the list of innovative businesses: Skype and Spotify, both of which were founded in Stockholm. But they are not the only pride of Stockholm. The success story of the video game Minecraft, developed by Markus Persson - \"Notch\" to his fans - was also born on the shores of Lake Malaren. \"Many start-ups are the brainchild of very young people who embark on a project in parallel with their studies and end up achieving international renown.<\/em>\"says Kristina Hulteberg. This passion for innovation, combined with an open mind, is what encourages foreign entrepreneurs to come and preview their products in Sweden, a real market for experimentation.<\/p>\n

\"Stockholm\"<\/p>\n

\"Stockholm\"<\/p>\n

With its labyrinth of charming streets, <\/strong>Gamla Stan, Stockholm's historic city centre, bears witness to the Swedish capital's rich past. Around this central island, where the Royal Castle is also enthroned, Stockholm is building its future with eco-neighbourhoods and, above all, a gentle way of life. Its hotels, such as the Skeppsholmen here, and the dreamlike world of its metro are testament to this.<\/span><\/p>\n

Sweden owes this favourable position in part to its neutrality during the Second World War. Positioned on the international market well before other European countries, with companies such as Ericsson, Electrolux, Volvo and, more recently, H&M, it was able to pave the way for its current economic success. As a result, the greater Stockholm area attracts almost 40,000 new residents a year - out of a total population of 1.3 million - and many foreign companies are setting up their Scandinavian headquarters here. All the more so as business taxes, at close to 20 %, remain fairly low for Northern Europe. Even personal income tax has recently fallen, whereas not so long ago it could be as high as 60%. \"The only problem is housing. There are very few rental properties available, and this is a real problem for those who cannot necessarily buy.<\/em>\"concludes the director of the French Chamber of Commerce. With a price per m2 approaching \u20ac8,000 in the city centre, it's understandable...<\/p>\n

Sustainable inventions<\/h2>\n

It was in response to this problem that the Hammarby Sj\u00f6stad project was launched around ten years ago, an eco-neighbourhood on a former industrial estate that partly earned Stockholm its status as Europe's first Green Capital in 2010. A similar project, Royal Seaport, using even more advanced sustainable technologies, is currently under construction. A collaboration between companies, the municipality, research centres and engineering schools, this initiative aims to take innovation a step further by inventing new materials and achieving unprecedented energy savings and reductions in CO2 emissions. \"The first international conference on environmental issues was held in 1972 in Stockholm, a city that now aims to be CO2-free by 2050.<\/em>\"says Olof Zetterberg, Director of Stockholm Business Region.<\/p>\n

What's more, the air in Stockholm is among the purest in Europe, so much so that living in the Swedish capital could save you two years of your life! \"99% of household waste is recycled or incinerated to generate electricity or fuel<\/em>\"says Olof Zetterberg. Similarly, a toll system, similar to that in London, was introduced in 2007 to limit car traffic in the old town. \"The metro, which was inaugurated in the 1950s and has 101 stations linking the centre to the conurbation and nearby towns, is due to be extended over the next ten years.<\/em>\"he concludes, proving that the hunt for C02 is well under way.<\/p>\n

\"Stockholm\"<\/p>\n

Economy and ecology <\/strong>go hand in hand in Stockholm. Set against the sublime backdrop of Lake M\u00e4laren, the Swedish capital has forged a special bond with nature while asserting its status as one of the great metropolises of the North.<\/span><\/p>\n

Avant-garde design<\/span><\/h2>\n

\"BoutiqueSince the advent of the Gustavian style at the end of the 18th century, Sweden has always been a pioneer when it comes to aesthetics and design. It was at the beginning of the 20th century that everything really began, with the advent of the classic and refined Swedish Grace style, under the impetus of architects Gunnar Asplund and Ivar Tengbom, followed by Swedish Modern, launched at the Stockholm exhibition in 1930. In 1950, with the beginnings of functionalism, Scandinavian design made a name for itself on the international scene, while the principles of an egalitarian society gave rise to the world's largest \"design for all\" brand: Ikea. Today, the Swedish brand in yellow and blue may be headquartered in the Netherlands, but it still represents the image of Scandinavian design within everyone's reach, with 345 shops in 42 countries and a turnover of 29.2 billion euros. A visit to Stockholm therefore requires a special itinerary, with a stopover at Asplund, a leading figure in Swedish design. Nor should you miss Malmsten, a historic shop selling furniture with a folk spirit and very pure lines. Next door is Svenskt Tenn, where you'll find the textile creations of the famous Estrid Ericson, before continuing your aesthetic quest through a city brimming with designers great and small.<\/p>\n

www.ikea.com - www.asplund.org www.malmsten.se - www.svenskttenn.se<\/p>\n