Region/Countries: Europe, Sweden Industry: Energy, Power and Control, Other, Water / Clean Technology Date: January 2022

Why this is important to Wisconsin businesses: Wisconsin’s rich history of supporting industries, such as steel, technology and manufacturing, give the state’s firms the experience and knowledge needed as potential collaborators.

Sweden is investing heavily in the expansion and modernization of its infrastructure. Key projects, such as the construction of high-speed rail lines from Stockholm to Gothenburg and Malmö, are expected to trigger an investment of up to €35 billion ($39.8 billion USD) by 2030.

Due to Sweden’s size, rapid connections are only available now by air. This runs counter to Sweden’s ambitious environmental goals, which is why plans for the more environmentally friendly railroads are being accelerated.

Stockholm, Sweden’s capital and largest city, is one of the fastest growing cities in Europe and is investing massively in the expansion of its public transportation network over the next few years. Of the total €3 billion ($3.4 billion USD) to be invested by 2025, more than half will be spent on expanding the city's metropolitan transit routes.

Sweden’s ambitious plans are setting the bar for other countries in the European Union. Despite the great potential, this goal cannot be achieved by Sweden alone, but through the cooperation and support of reliable trading partners.

Wisconsin has numerous civil engineering, railroad engineering and urban planning firms that have achieved recognition in the global marketplace for their skills and expertise; they could be welcome collaborators for projects such as these. The biggest challenge of the northern European market is competition from the large, regional civil engineering firms. Wisconsin firms could gain favor, though, by forming alliances with small, local companies.

Thanks to the enormous demand from the public sector for more environmentally friendly options for travel and freight shipment, the chances of tapping into a potent market with reliable clients in the long term have never been better.

Here are some of the conferences that interested firms may want to consider attending: