Spirit of Innovation – facts and figures

Sweden and Innovation Index

Innovation Capacity Index, European Business School
Sweden ranks: 1/131 (2010-2011)

Innovation Union Scoreboard, European Commission
Sweden ranks: Innovationsledare 1/27 (2010)

Global Innovation Index, INSEAD business school
Sweden rank: 2/132 (2009-2010)

 Innovative Swedish ICT leads the Way (2010)

Swedish innovations – a long and strong tradition of innovation

The world’s largest social media application, Skype, is Swedish

One of the world’s most read newspaper, Metro, is Swedish

One of the world’s most sold medication, Losec, is Swedish

 

Other innovations from Sweden:

Mobile telephony

Pacemaker

Bluetooth

Zipper

Computer mouse – the first generation

Safety match

Adjustable spanner/wrench

Color graphics for computers

Celcius thermometer

Modern refridgerator

Tetra Pak

Three-point seatbelt

Dynamite

Screw propeller

Blowtorch

AGA lighthouse

Household vacuum cleaner

Hasselblad camera

Spherical roller bearing

Rear-facing child safety seat

Dialysis machine

 

Sweden has the largest number of international companies in the world, in relation to the size of the population. Sweden is the home of global brands, such as:

Ericsson

IKEA

Atlas Copco

ABB

Sandvik

Volvo

Scania

Electrolux

AstraZeneca

H&M

Elekta

Skanska

SSAB

Assa Abloy

Tetra Pak

 

Leading research and creative environments

Sweden yearly invests nearly 4% of GDP in R&D. Only one country in the world invests more.

Sweden offers leading research within several areas. Some of the areas in which Sweden excels are: medicine, medicine technology, nanotechnonolgy, environmental technology, space technology, telecommunications, material research etc.

Sweden offers the ultimate testing ground for new solutions. Sweden has a long and successful tradition of testbeds in various forms. A testbed is a meeting point or environment for further development of new business concepts, services or products. One example is the world-class winter testing of tyres and vehicles in northern Sweden. Sverige erbjuder många ledande testmiljöer.

Sweden is one of the nations in the world generating the highest number of patents per capita.

 

How is this possible?

… “All this while less than 0.15% of the world’s population is actually Swedish”. 
How can such a small country have generated so many innovations, large international companies and global brands?


Sweden may not have the most people, nor the most money. But there is an innovative spirit and ways to turn a good a idea in to a healthy business and a good life.

 

For information about Sweden please visit Sweden.se – The official gateway to Sweden