After Work with Swedes in the States

By

-

May 31, 2018

JOIN SWEDES IN THE STATES, TOGETHER WITH NORDIC LA, FOR AN AFTER WORK AT OUR OFFICE!

Swedes in the States has finally transitioned from existing solely online to having a physical presence, and we chose L.A. to be our first home. We want to celebrate this by inviting all our L.A. neighbors to our office at nordic.la in Hollywood.

Enjoy some free wine, drinks, and beers will be served thanks to our friends, and sponsors, at Sjoeblom Winery, Åhus Akvavit, and nordic.la. We will also be serving Scandinavian food and desserts.

You’ll have the perfect opportunity to network with other Nordic organizations, companies, and people based in L.A.

And of course, as always, ALL nationalities are welcome.

RSVP IS REQUIRED TO ATTEND: http://bit.ly/sitsaw ($8)

/Your new neighbors, Swedes in the States

This is What Swedens New Law Against Non-consensual Sex Means

By

Rebecca Hartill

-

May 30, 2018

0

This week, the Swedish parliament voted yes to adopt a law that makes non-consensual sex illegal.

Sex without explicit consent will, as of the 1 of June 2018, be considered by law as rape. This means that to establish rape, prosecutors will no longer need evidence that the intercourse occurred under violence, threat of violence or that the victim was vulnerable to exploitation. Deputy Prime Minister Isabella Lövin said that the #MeToo movement showed that society needs new legislation on sex crimes. Following other European countries, Sweden is the tenth country to amend its definition of rape since the 2011 Istanbul Convention.

The Swedish Parliament building in Stockholm.

The original bill was criticised last winter by The Council on Legislation, which said the law was formulated vaguely and increases the probability of arbitrary conviction. Though the Council’s recommendations are not legally binding, the bill that passed in parliament on Wednesday the 23 of May included some clarifications on how courts are to judge in these kinds of cases. Anne Ramberg, Secretary General for the Swedish Bar Association, warned that the new law might be a case of populistic politicisation of legislation and does not believe it will lead to higher conviction rates.

Other experts have however welcomed the new law precisely because of its intended purpose to change cultural views on sexual abuse. Massi Fritz, who specializes in sexual offense cases, says to SVT that the next step she would like to see is prolonged periods of limitation for sex crimes. Katrina Bergehed from Amnesty International compares the law to the 1979 Swedish legislation that prohibits corporal punishment of children. ”These laws are normative – they are expressing what is acceptable in society,” she said to The New York Times. The law has been staunchly supported by parliament; both the government as well as the opposition have long supported revising the legal classifications of rape.

With the non-consensual bill, two new crimes will be added to the Swedish criminal code: negligent rape and negligent sexual assault. The sentences for these crimes will be four years at the minimum. The minimum sentence for child rape will be increased to five years and it will also be made more difficult for the accused to refer to the victim’s physical appearance in cases of child rape.

Read more on the Government Offices of Sweden’s website: Government Offices of Sweden’s website or at The New York Times, The Guardian, Göteborgsposten or at SVT here, here, or here. Also, read Mats Knutsson’s analysis and Bar Association’s critique.

Business Sweden releases podcast

By

Rebecca Hartill

-

May 29, 2018

0

This week, Business Sweden released its first podcast with the purpose of informing and creating discussion on how advancing global companies enhance Swedish growth. The primary subjects of the podcast are how small and medium-sized Swedish companies can increase their revenues by engaging in business worldwide, and how multinational companies on their part can benefit from investing and expanding in Swedish industry. Globalization, trade, investment, concrete business strategies and entertaining and enlightening cultural clashes from all over the world are discussed with great enthusiasm.

Business Sweden is partly state-owned and partly private and seeks to assist companies that aspire to take their businesses abroad as well as make it easier for foreign enterprises to establish themselves in Sweden. Founded by the Swedish Trade Council and Invest Sweden in 2013, they are present in 46 countries and have over 500 employees. In the US, Business Sweden has offices in New York City, Chicago, and San Fransisco, and provide market and location analyses as well as consultancy services in for instance human resources, legal advice and financial administration.

The first podcast episode touches upon the emerging markets of Mexico and Iran, both currently in the spotlight. Iran’s economy is expected to suffer significantly from the sanctions following the US’s withdrawal from the nuclear agreement. These sanctions are also predicted to affect European markets. Mexico, with an upcoming presidential election in July, is also an interesting market for anyone investing in the US. Whether NAFTA survives the current American administration unscathed remains to be seen. Mexico is nevertheless an up-and-coming market.

Listen to Business Sweden’s trade experts Mårten Wilkens and Poja Panah discuss there two markets here.

Business Sweden podcast

Nu lanserar Business Sweden en egen podcast! Det första avsnittet handlar om Iran och Mexiko som är två snabbt växande tillväxtmarknader och högaktuella för svenska företag. Hör Business Swedens experter Poja Panah och Mårten Wilkens och deras spännande historier om framtidstro, kulturella skillnader mellan att driva företag i Sverige, Iran och Mexiko och om hur svenska Ericsson påverkat hur ett helt land väljer att svara i telefon. Sök på Business Sweden i din podcastapp (iTunes), på Acast och Soundcloud eller klicka här: https://itunes.apple.com/se/podcast/avsnitt-1-iran-och-mexiko/id1389719642?i=1000412254275&mt=2

Slået op af Business Sweden i Mandag den 28. maj 2018

Ugly vegetables on the rise in Danish supermarkets

By

Johanna Skytt

-

May 29, 2018

0

Have you ever noticed that almost all fruit and vegetables look pretty much the same in the supermarkets?

It’s because fruit and vegetables that don’t look according to rigorous standards get tossed out. However, in Denmark, this is about to change. Prepare for some “ugly” but tasty vegetables in the aisles!

Tons of fruits and vegetables are being wasted in the world every day due to their lack of “beauty”, and this is a major environmental issue. In Denmark alone, there are almost 33,000 tonnes of vegetables being wasted annually, according to the Nordic Council of Minister’s report “Food Losses and Waste in Primary Production – Data Collection in the Nordic Countries“.

It was announced last week that a large supermarket chain, along with two producers, is taking action against the wastage. The Rema 1000 supermarket chain and producers Alfred Pedersen & Søn ApS and Gartneriet Østervang Sjaœlland, together with Danish NGO Stop Wasting Food, have established an agreement.

“We want to do our bit to show that our fresh and tasty vegetables in various shapes and appearances, taste just as good as the beautiful ones, “ said Claus Duedal Jakobsen, head of sales at Rema 1000. His hope is for Danish consumers to buy the produce and help reduce food waste.

From this week, a select few Rema 1000 stores will be going to fill their vegetable isles with irregularly shaped greens. To begin with, the vegetables will be on sale at a reduced price, and 25 øre (3 euro) per vegetable will go to Stop Wasting Food, under the agreement they made together with Rema and the two producers.

“Collaboration throughout the value chain, in which producers, retailers, and customers share responsibility and place focus on reducing food waste, gives the greatest results. When all links in the value chain choose to prioritize reducing food waste, we can achieve the best results. That’s why I’m happy to be part of this partnership,” Rema 1000’s director of purchasing and marketing Anders R. Jensen said in a press statement.

Selina Juul, the founder of Stop Wasting food, also comments on the new initiative: “We have for many years spoken in favor of selling vegetables of this kind in Danish supermarkets. This will help to reduce waste during primary production as well as create growth in the food retail sector. After ten years of debating food waste, I am sure that Danish consumers are ready to welcome irregularly shaped vegetables on to supermarket shelves.”

Futuristic microchip implants are getting more popular in Sweden

By

Johanna Skytt

-

May 28, 2018

0

“It was fun to try something new and to see what one could use it for to make life easier in the future,” Ulrika said to South China Morning Post. She also said that she felt nothing but a slight sting when the chip, which has the same size as small rice grain, was injected into her hand.

Ulrika and 3000 other Swedes are using their chip on an almost daily basis. With it, it is also possible to book train tickets in Sweden. SJ, the Swedish national railway company, already has 130 users that have made reservations through the futuristic chip.

We are excited to see how fast this technology evolves and how many users SJ will have in the next couple of years!

Swedish Musicians Earn More than Ever

By

Elina Sundqvist

-

May 26, 2018

2

STIM, Swedish Performing Rights Society, hit a record high 2 billion SEK in royalties for Swedish music played worldwide, which is a 7 percent increase from last year.

“It’s very nice being able to look back on a record year for Swedish artists and creators. The interest for music keeps growing and Stim has successfully adapted to the digital market,” Karsten Dyhrberg Nielsen, CEO Stim, said in a press release.

Last year, the royalty money was spread out on over 1,8 million works, which is more than ever before. The number of works that received Stim money has increased as the digital market keeps growing. One of the areas that have grown the most is live performances. Arena tours are extending into longer periods of time with an increased amount of appearances included. Ticket prices have gone up too, compared to previous years.

Swedish music creators are among the most influential in the world and are a vital export for Sweden. “Behind this year’s success, there’s a long list of talented music creators. Zara Larsson, Max Martin and Tove Lo are only a few that are currently putting Sweden on the worldwide map of music.”

Swedish Candy Company BUBS Has Their Eyes on the U.S. market

By

Natalie Söderberg

-

May 23, 2018

0

BUBS is the candy company behind some of Sweden’s most beloved candy.

Among them being “Hallonlakritsskallen” which directly translates to “The Raspberry/Licorice skull”, and a few other divine goodies.

This sweet, Swedish success story started out as a family business created out of a dire situation and turned into one of the biggest candy companies in Sweden. Now they are ready to take on the U.S. market.

On their website BUBS writes this about their humble beginnings;

“The BUBS story” sounds like an award-winning movie title, doesn’t it? Well, this is just a punchy headline. Like all the best stories begin so does this in a galaxy far far away…
Just kidding. What really happened is that in the outskirts of the town of Huskvarna, a family pawned their house to be able to manufacture candy. The year is 1992 anno Domini. Well, that’s enough history for this time, but if you want the whole story you are more than welcome to look at our slideshow that contains approximately 14 354 slides. Welcome!”

Henrik Elfwing, the CEO at BUBS, was recently in Chicago for Business Sweden’s fairly new concept “Try Swedish”. For this conference, in particular, Swedish companies were invited to the U.S. to discuss what a potential expansion to the U.S. would look like, while also allowing participants to try their products.

BUBS candy, which can already be found in multiple stores in the U.S., such as Sockerbit, BonBon, and Huset, was naturally at the event.

Swedes in the States managed to get ahold of Henrik to get some answers on the candy giant’s pending expansion to the States.

“BUBS was created in the middle of the financial crisis in 1992. The youngest son of the family graduated university with few opportunities available to him and the older brother was working with stationary mobile phones in cars,” says Henrik Elfwing.

“The name BUBS was very creatively thought up by combining the first initial in the family members first names Bernt, Ulrik, Birgitta, and Stefan,” he says.

BUBS started out by making hard caramels and fudge. By the turn of the century the company started taking off, and in 2001 they created the beloved and popular “Hallonlakritskallen”, the Raspberry-Licorice skull. Bringing salt and sweet together in one candy.

And there is no doubt that this special candy is one of Sweden’s most popular. The Raspberry-Licorice Skulls Facebook page has, to this date, around 300,000 followers, which is about 3% of Sweden’s population.

We hear that BUBS is planning on expanding into the U.S, and if so, why?
Right now, we are in a position with the company, where we are looking at expanding to more markets than those we currently exist in. We are doing that in collaboration with Business Sweden. They help us with everything, background checks, local laws and regulations, and more. It’s a great partnership. The United States is going to be one of our focus markets. It’s a big market, and according to the Swedish government, Swedish export to the U.S. is definitely too low.

Are you looking to open stores in the U.S.?
We are looking to establish partnerships with various convenience stores and specialty stores to make BUBS candy a part of their product range. We are also looking at selling through Amazon since e-commerce is constantly gaining popularity. Swedes are well-traveled and are increasingly establishing themselves in other countries. They will usually try finding Swedish products, with online stores being the most accessible for them.

Why do you think Swedish candy is so popular internationally?

Swedes are good with tastes and flavors. We create a candy that speaks to a lot of people. There are a lot of different flavors, and made with great quality, to say the least. In Sweden, the consumer has very high standards and because of that companies has to create great products. We have to be on top with everything from the impact our product has on the environment, the sustainability, fairtrade certified, right ingredients, and so on.

It’s hard to believe that a population as healthy as the Swedes consume as much candy as they do. But corporations like BUBS, take their responsibility and make sure to inform their consumers not to eat too much and to stay active. They know that the average Swedish consumer finds it important to be healthy. They encourage staying active and collaborate with sports clubs and other organizations to promote sports and a healthy lifestyle.

When asking about the differences between the US and Sweden, Henrik says:

Swedes are very much about the “lagom” lifestyle. Lagom is best. We eat a lot of candy but we are also very active and healthy, in general. We at BUBS, don’t make our candy sugarfree the way some American brands do, it just doesn’t taste as good, but as long as you keep a healthy lifestyle, enjoying candy once in a while isn’t a problem.

I also think there is more of a dessert-eating culture in the U.S., which would be a big part of the so-called “hidden sugar”. People forget how much sugar is in these desserts and most consumers in the U.S. are not as informed about sugar as most Swedes are.

Which of your products do you think will be the most appreciated in the U.S.?
The packaged candy. Because of the many health regulations surrounding food, there are many barriers to overcome. Therefore, it’s better for us to enter the market with our wrapped candy. I think the Americans will like it because it’s innovative, entirely vegan, fairtrade certified and a texture that we think both Americans and Scandinavians will appreciate.

Where in the U.S. can we expect to see BUBS next?
We are going to start on a small scale in various locations. The Midwest and the West Coast are known for being open to new products, New York as well. If I’ve been correctly informed the west coast attitude towards vegan candy is generally pretty good, and a lot of Scandinavians live there, which we think will be helpful.

This interview originally conducted in Swedish and translated into English.

New Hourglass Tower to be One of a Kind in Scandinavia

By

Jennifer Nyström

-

May 22, 2018

0

A new tower is rising in the otherwise pretty flat landscape of Denmark.

The construction of Denmark’s latest attraction, a 45-meter tall observation tower, has just begun. “We will be the first of this sort in Scandinavia,” said Business Developer, Kasper Larsen.

The tower will be the newest addition to the adventure park, Camp Adventure, who already offers treetop climbing paths and areal zip lines. The park is located in Haslev- an hour south of Denmark’s capital, Copenhagen. It will be available for anyone wanting to walk or roll up the 600-meter-long wooden spiral, to the top, where you are offered a 360-degree view over the tree-tops.

The wooden and corten steel spiral designed by EFFECT /Image courtesy of the Deezen

Shaped like an hourglass, this 45-meter observation tower is a design made by the architecture studio EFFECT. It is designed like an hourglass to provide structural support and it consists of corten steel, usually used for structural elements. Although this might be the first one of this sort in Scandinavia, there are similar ones built in London and Tallinn, according to The Deezen.

Expected to be finished in Oktober-November this year, “we are hoping for 100 000 visitors per year,” said Larsen.

Ask The Pro: Cultural Care Au Pair

By

Swedes in the States

-

May 21, 2018

0

“Ask The Pro” is our new article series where experts within their industry help you answer any questions you might have about working, living, traveling or moving between the Nordic countries and the U.S.

If you want to be featured in our “Ask The Pro” series, or find out if you are a good match, email us at: friends@swedesinthestates.com. If you have questions that you would like to ask our Pro’s, email us at: hello@swedesinthestates.com

Jessica Christensen at Cultural Care Au Pair

Cultural Care Au Pair is one of the leading Au Pair agencies in the world, with 25 years of experience and multiple Scandinavian counselours located around the United States ready to assist in the process.

Jessica Christensen has been an Au Pair Coordinator at Culture Care Au Pair for the last 5 years. She came from Mölndal in Sweden to the United States as an Au Pair herself 19 years ago. If you are interested in working as an au pair in the U.S. or finding a Swedish au pair, you can contact Jessica here at scandinavianaupairexpert@gmail.com.

These are the most common questions that people have about finding an au pair or working as one;

What is it like to have someone living in your house full time?

It’s like having a family member staying with you but they have fewer opinions on how you raise your children. Jokes aside, with a good match an au pair can feel like a trusted extended family member. Many of the Scandinavian parents I speak with require a highly independent au pair, who is responsible to take care of him or her self. Most au pairs work 45 hours a week but should have 1,5 days off per week and one weekend off per month where they are free to go out, visit with friends and experience the area. The host family considers the au pair to be an adult; as a result, they generally do not have opinions on what the au pair should be doing in their free time. This works well as most Scandinavian au pairs want to be a contributing adult in the household and enjoy the feeling of independence.

Due to visa regulations, families can expect to have a new au-pair after 12-24 months.

What is it like to change au pairs?

Most au pairs stay for one year but it is possible for the same family to extend for a second year if both parties agree to the extension. Some au-pairs prefer to only stay for one year, as they want to get back to Scandinavia and continue pursuing their studies or other commitments they may have. According to research, children are not harmed by having a new caregiver each year as long as they have a strong bond with their primary caregiver. The pattern of having a new caregiver can prepare children as they become school aged and have a new teacher each year.

How much does it cost to host an au pair?

Hosting an au pair is surprisingly affordable when you consider the benefits compared to nannies or daycare. I’ll explain more about the benefits below but as a general rule, the monthly cost is $1700 a month. Included in that cost are the agency fees and an educational scholarship and stipend that is provided to the au pair. The host family should also provide a private room, free of charge, in their home for the au pair.

Can I ask the au pair to speak Swedish with my children?

Yes, as long as the au pair is also exposed to English throughout his or her stay. Having an au pair is a cultural exchange that requires both parties to be exposed to different languages and customs. Speaking English when the host parents at home and making sure the au pair has ample time outside of the home to speak English would be ideal.

Can I host an extended family member, such as a cousin, as an au pair in my home?

Unfortunately, hosting a family member as au pair is not permitted. However, a non-relative can be paired with your family as long as you have an agency sponsoring the au pair. This is considered a prearranged match.

What are the benefits of having an au pair compared to a nanny or daycare?

Families with busy schedules will find one of the major benefits of having an au pair is the ability to schedule hours according to your needs. In addition, there is no more scrambling to find solutions for daycare when the children are sick at home!

The au pairs schedule can be divided up within the day. For example, they can work in the morning getting children ready and off to school and then have free time until he or she picks up the kids at school later in the day.

Mutually agreed upon schedules can include early mornings, evening and weekend coverage as long as the total work time does not go beyond 45 hours in a week. Light housekeeping and meal preparation associated with childcare can be included which is also extremely helpful to busy families.

Having an au pair live with you enables a trusting relationship to develop rather quickly. It also provides children with the opportunity to learn about a different culture and language, which encourages them to be more open-minded.

If you want to be featured in our “Ask The Pro” series, or find out if you are a good match, email us at: friends@swedesinthestates.com. If you have questions that you would like to ask our Pro’s, email us at: hello@swedesinthestates.com

From Sweden with love, The Humble Co

By

Jennifer Nyström

-

May 16, 2018

0

Every year, around 3.5 billion plastic toothbrushes are sold.

After being used for a few months, they are thrown away with many not even considering how a toothbrush should be recycled. Because of this, many eventually end up in our oceans.

Swedish company The Humble CO are on a mission to change that, with their sustainable, environmentally friendly bamboo toothbrush. “We are the most shared toothbrush on Instagram,” said Oskar Holmblad, Sales Manager at The Humble CO.

“Good” and eco-friendly

Large amounts of toothbrushes, made by non-sustainable plastic and washed up on beaches all over the planet was the dreary reality that dentist, Noel Abdayem, came across when he was volunteering abroad. At the same time, he found that not many people had access to a toothbrush of their own.

Because of this, Abdayem decided to start The Humble Co with their main focus being to make “good” and environmentally friendly toothbrushes, made out of bamboo.

If you want to start brushing your teeth in a more conscious way,
you can try out Humble and Co’s toothbrushes here.

Humble and Co’s toothbrushes can be found on Amazon,
with a four-pack starting $15.96.

Four years later, the company exists in 30 countries and can be found at around 25.000 retail stores. Among those are the American retailers are Walmart, T.J.maxx, and Amazon, among others. “ We develop and they distribute, which gives us the possibility to grow on many different markets simultaneously,” said Holmblad.

Taking it a step further

“We are very goal oriented and focused on our niche, we have found a window in the market that nobody yet have developed,” said Holmblad and talks about how the toothbrush industry has always been the same, dominated by plastics and without innovation, “We thought a step further and choose to develop a product that is considerate towards the environment as well as our peers”.

The team behind the company consists of 4 people so far, which is remarkable given that their sales have been off the charts with it’s 23 million SEK turnover last year (close to $2,8 million). Holmes, think that the success is due to strong cooperations with distributors across the globe and this year the aim is for a 50 million Swedish kronor turnover (close to $6 million).

Natural Charcoal toothpaste. Credit/The Humble CO

Supporting kids in need

What started as just the idea of a toothbrush has now expanded into larger product-line such as toothpaste, chewing gum, dish brushes and more, and while their biggest markets are Sweden, Norway, and Germany, they ship worldwide and toothbrushes cost less than $5 (30-36 SEK).

A big part of the business is based on welfare and sustainability, so it is no surprise that 3-5 percent of the sales go to the company’s own foundation called, The Humble Smile Foundation, who support kids in need.

Instagram has been a big contributor to Humble’s success, “we are the most shared toothbrush on Instagram. When people hear our story they find it unique and want to get behind it. We received a lot of marketing through it,” said Holmblad.