Skills & Innovations
World leader in R&D
Sweden is an OECD leader in terms of combined public and private R&D expenditure in relation to GDP. It is among the world’s top R&D spenders, even when R&D outlays are expressed in nominal terms (US$). One of many reasons is the high investment in higher education and basic research which has propelled Sweden to a prime position in terms of university enrollment, workforce skills and R&D outcome (measured as the number of patents and scientific articles per capita).
Broad participation in higher education
Synergies are generated by the close connection between Swedish universities and research institutes and the private sector and government institutions. A number of Swedish hospitals are renowned institutions for medical research and are populated by students and PhDs of all nationalities.
High standard basic infrastructure
The information and communication technologies infrastructure attracts particular attention abroad. It is one of the reasons of the rapid growth of the Swedish ICT sector. Sweden remains a leader in terms of per capita access to personal computers, the Internet, etc.
Sweden’s capability also rests on its citizens, who are prone to utilize and leverage ICT. Good education and training – including widespread proficiency in English – in combination with cultural factors have led to a high level of connectivity in the Swedish society.
Over the years, the Swedish business community has demonstrated a consistent ability to accommodate change and promote innovation.