Advantage Sweden – our challenges ahead

Sweden must strive to foster a world-class business climate. Successful business is based on shared values such as free and fair competition, ownership rights and the rule of law. It is also about attitudes, trust and optimism.

Advantage Sweden is a program backed by all member organizations in the Confederation of Swedish Enterprise. While their support clearly demonstrates the business sector’s constructive attitude and optimism, it is also evidence of the need to address the major challenges that Sweden is facing.

1. Razor-sharp international competition. A large proportion of the world’s population, particularly people in Asia, are now asserting themselves in the global economy. This is a source of both challenges and opportunities.

2. Sweden has an internationally low level of investment, something that is undermining our future competitiveness.

3. Over one million Swedes of working age are on sick leave or disability pension, or are unemployed or living on social assistance. More people must work if Sweden is to afford its welfare system.

4. Sweden’s age pyramid is top-heavy. After 2010, the number of people over the age of 80 will grow faster than the number gainfully employed. This increases the need for a highly competitive economy that can provide resources for the welfare system in the future.

5. The proportion of entrepreneurs in Sweden has never been as low as now. We need more individuals to start and run companies.