Highlights from previous events
- An evening of insightful and thought-provoking discussions on soft power
- The Embassy of Sweden in Paris hosted an evening celebrating H&M’s creative journey
- Where Swedish design meets French coworking
- An engaging YP afterwork at the Lincoln office

News from the Business Community
- The French unicorn Mistral AI invests 1.2 billion euros in Sweden
- Mistral AI and Ericsson announced new partnership
- Kinnarps has inaugurated its new showroom in Orgeval
- Volvo AB strengthened its position on the European market in 2025
- ArianeGroup and Alfa Laval join forces to develop hydrogen distribution
- A French-Swedish retail partnership: IKEA and Decathlon join forces

Eco Bulletin Board
- France confirmed as one of Europe’s startup nation leaders
- Executive MBA in Forest Industry Management opens for applications in Sweden
- Sweden and France in the top 15 in the Global Soft Power Index 2026 
- 27 of the 39 new Nordic stock market listings were carried out in Sweden in 2025
- Charles de Gaulle in Malmö

• Access to exclusive events
• Networking opportunities with key stakeholders
• Increased visibility across French-Swedish business platforms

• Gain deeper insights into how Swedish companies perceive the business climate in France and internationally
• Identify trends, opportunities and challenges, enabling Team Sweden, investors and other stakeholders to provide more targeted and effective support
• Strengthen the positioning and visibility of Swedish companies in France and on global markets
   

• Philippe Caquet, DRH Associé, Boost'RH Groupe
• Bruno Balagourou, Interim CFO/Controlling & FP&A Manager

• Sofia Gustafsson, Research Engineer, KTH
• Wilda Wilund Lundström, Student, Science Po
• Pascal Frey, Consultant Gestion de Projet, Meogroup
• Junaid Bajwa, Senior (Partnerships) Account Manager, Transatel

Smartports is now recruiting a Business Developer! As a Freelance Business Development Representative, the selected candidate will play a key role in the company’s expansion in France.

The main mission is to actively prospect and acquire new B2B clients nationwide, driving initial commercial growth in this strategic market.

Smartports is a Swedish innovative solution, transforming parking spaces into energy hubs. Join Smartports and help build the energy infrastructure of tomorrow, and contribute to a more sustainable future.
 

Alfa Laval is hiring a new Managing Director for its sales company in France and North-West Africa. As the new Managing Director, you will lead, support, and inspire the whole organisation at all levels to achieve its ambitious targets. Thus, you should have a proven track record in the driving service and capital sales, market and customer interaction.

Alfa Laval is a leading global provider of first-rate products in the areas of heat transfer, separation and fluid handling.

Apply by 6 March 2026
 

The Swedish technology group TagMaster, is currently recruiting a Head of Sales Administration (permanent position) for its French subsidiary, based in Bagneux. The role involves full order-to-cash responsibility (France & Export), coordination of international technical projects, and close collaboration with sales, finance and logistics teams in a dynamic B2B industrial environment.

TagMaster is a recognised leader in Rail solutions, Smart Mobility, ANPR/LAPI and Access Control systems.
 

This March marks the launch of the first edition of our Franco-Swedish leadership and management training in Stockholm.
The Swedish Chamber of Commerce in France and the French Chamber of Commerce in Sweden have partnered to launch this new training programme in intercultural management, in collaboration with the Svensk-Franska Språkfonden Foundation.

Succeeding on the French market requires more than business expertise. A solid understanding of leadership, management practices, and business culture, combined with insight into the differences between the French and Swedish models, is key.

This programme is aimed at professionals based in Sweden working in companies or organisations involved in French-Swedish business relations.
 

Table ronde petit-déjeuner premium en présence de S.E. l’Ambassadeur de Suède, Caroline Vicini.

Lieu : Résidence de l’Ambassadeur, 17 rue Barbet-de-Jouy, Paris 7ème.

Sur invitation. Réservé aux membres Premium.

Comité de veille institutionnelle dédié au suivi des décisions politiques nationales et européennes impactant les entreprises. Échanges sur les projets de loi, partage de bonnes pratiques et coordination des intérêts franco-suédois.
Animation assurée par Kreab, cabinet suédois de conseil en communication stratégique et affaires publiques.

Lieu : À la CCSF, 39 Av. Pierre 1er de Serbie 75008 Paris
Horaires: 8h30 - 10h00

Inscription auprès de katarina.loof@ccsf.fr, réservé aux membres premium.

Réception par S.E. l’Ambassadeur de Suède, Caroline Vicini, des membres CCSF.

Lieu : À la Résidence de l’Ambassadeur de Suède, 17 rue Barbet de Jouy, Paris 7eme.

Sur invitation, réservé aux membres CCSF.

This afterwork explores the theme “Leading a Swedish Company in the French Market” and features Fredrik Edström, Country Manager at Livi France.

Designed for Young Professionals, the session will offer concrete insights into intercultural leadership, drawing on the experience of Fredrik Edström, Country Manager at Livi France, experience of leading a Swedish organisation in the French business environment.

Venue: CCSF, 39 Av. Pierre 1er de Serbie 75008 Paris
 

Join us for this years rooftop terrace mingle. A networking event where our new and current members can connect. New members will get an introduction and be able to present themselves to the rest of the network.

Venue: CCSF, 39 Av. Pierre 1er de Serbie 75008 Paris

For members only.
 

The Annual General Meeting of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in France (CCSF) brings together members and partners for an evening dedicated to exchange, reflection and networking.

Information on how to register coming soon.

Team Sweden in France is pleased to invite you to a presentation of the Business Climate Survey France 2026.

The report and subsequent discussions will offer valuable insights into the economic outlook, key market trends, and the performance of Swedish companies operating in France.

The presentations will be followed by a panel discussion with company leaders.

More information and registration details coming soon.

Team Sweden in France is pleased to invite you to a presentation of the Business Climate Survey France 2026.

The report and subsequent discussions will offer valuable insights into the economic outlook, key market trends, and the performance of Swedish companies operating in France.

The presentations will be followed by a panel discussion with company leaders.

More information and registration details coming soon.

The French generative AI specialist Mistral AI has chosen Sweden for its first large-scale investment outside France. The company is investing €1.2 billion in Swedish AI infrastructure and will enter a partnership with the Swedish data center operator EcoDataCenter. The facility will be located in Borlänge and is expected to become operational as early as 2027. Sweden and the broader Nordic region have become a hotspot for compute infrastructure. Cooler temperatures help reduce cooling costs, and electricity prices are among the lowest in Europe.

The investment, announced at the Stockholm Techarena, represents an important step in strengthening Europe’s independence in artificial intelligence. Arthur Mensch, CEO and co-founder of Mistral AI, states that investment is a key part of building Europe’s strategic AI capabilities and reducing dependency on external actors.

“In Europe, we currently import more than 80 percent of our digital services. If companies like ours do not offer digital services and AI solutions, that dependency will only increase. We live in a world where a double-digit percentage of global GDP will be generated by AI. We cannot afford to remain so dependent on the United States and China,” says Arthur Mensch, CEO Co-Founder of Mistral AI.

As part of its broader commitment to strengthening Europe’s AI ecosystem, Mistral AI has also entered into a new partnership with Ericsson. Mistral AI and Ericsson are partnering to apply advanced AI to real telecom challenges. Their partnership aims to make networks smarter, more efficient and more trusted. The partnership focuses on AI for networks, not AI in isolation, to deliver measurable outcomes for customers.

The collaboration combines Mistral AI’s model customisation capabilities and Ericsson’s R&D and network expertise, with the Ericsson acting as a design partner. The focus is on high-impact use cases such as automating legacy code translation, AI-assisted 6G development, and custom AI agents to streamline complex workflows.

On the evening of 5 February, Kinnarps opened its newley renovated showroom in Orgeval, welcoming guests to discover its inspiring interior solutions in a modern and dynamic setting.

Kinnarps is a Swedish company specialising in interior solutions for offices, schools, and care environments. The company is known for its high-quality, ergonomic, and innovative design, with a strong focus on sustainability and functionality.

Kinnarps France was also awarded in December 2025 by the Chamber's Prix d'Excellence for their remarkable strategic resilience. Kinnarps' impressive commercial results in France demonstrate their ability to adapt the products and offer innovative design solutions that meet the evolving needs of contemporary work environments. Kinnarps' commitment to anticipating and shaping the workplace of the future sets a true benchmark of excellence on the highly competitive French market.

At the end of 2025, Volvo Trucks held a 19% market share in the heavy-duty segment, compared with 17.9% at the end of 2024. For the second consecutive year, the company remained Europe’s leading manufacturer. 

The markets with the most registered Volvo trucks during the year were UK, France, Poland, Germany, Lithuania and Spain. Furthermore, Volvo Trucks is market leader or the second largest brand in 30 countries in 2025.

During the Hyvolution Paris event, ArianeGroup and Alfa Laval announce the co-development of a pump dedicated to tanker trucks transporting liquid hydrogen.

The objective of this onboard pump: to enable safer and more efficient transfer of liquid hydrogen between production sites, distribution hubs, and refuelling stations. An announcement that aligns with Alfa Laval’s ambition to support the energy transition.

A new collaboration between Swedish furniture giant IKEA and French sporting goods retailer Decathlon highlights the growing potential of French-Swedish business partnerships in the retail sector. The two companies have announced a pilot project that will see a Decathlon store open inside an IKEA location in Croydon, near London, marking the first time IKEA has hosted another major international brand within one of its stores.

This partnership reflects shared values between the two brands, notably their focus on accessible, functional, and affordable products for everyday life. The project also serves as a test concept that could be expanded to other locations in Europe if successful.

By combining Swedish expertise in home furnishing with French leadership in sports retail, this initiative illustrates the innovative and complementary nature of French-Swedish cooperation and its potential to shape new retail experiences across Europe.

In ESNA’s (European Startup Nation Alliance) report EU Startup Nations Standards – Report 2025, they evaluate Europe’s startup policies by tracking the adoption and implementation of the eight Startup Nations Standards across European countries. ESNA is an organisation dedicated to propelling Europe to the forefront of the global startup ecosystem.

France got an overall score of 95% and stands out as a European leader for pro-innovative policies including:
-    Access to finance, stock-opinions, social inclusion and diversity protecting democratic values (100%)
-    Fast startup creation, smooth market entry (88%)
-    Attracting and retaining talent (87%)

Sweden got high scores in stock options, access to finance and digital first, and an overall score of 64%.
 

The School of Business and Economics at Linnaeus University has launched a new Executive MBA in Forest Industry Management. Delivered in an 18-month hybrid format, the programme is designed for executives across the forest business and other nature-based industries, who want to confidently navigate a sector undergoing major transformation. The program gives a clear understanding of emerging risks, advances in modern forestry technologies, shifting market expectations, and increasing sustainability demands, so that executives can anticipate change rather than react to it. This Executive MBA is a program that consolidates knowledge by applying it to real scenarios, decision making, and real challenges. It provides first-hand experience of sustainable business models, data literacy culture, and best practices in forest management in Sweden and worldwide.

This initiative is closely related to the Strategic Innovation Partnership between France and Sweden, as sustainable forestry is one of the key priority areas in the pact.
 

Brand Finance is a world’s leading brand evaluation and strategy a consultancy and launched their Global Soft Power Index 2026. Sweden ranks as the number 13 and France as number 6 out of the 193 UN member states. France remains firmly in the global top tier of soft power nations, whereas Sweden continues to be one of the strongest performers among the Nordic countries.

The survey investigates several factors, including perceptions of the business climate, culture, governance, international relations, sustainability, media environment, education systems, as well as countries’ populations and values. 
France’s strong position reflects its global visibility and long-standing international influence. However, the 2026 results indicate a slight decline in perceptions, particularly in areas such as business climate, economic prospects, and political stability. This suggests a degree of stagnation despite France maintaining its overall rank.

Sweden, ranked 13th, remains the leading Nordic country in soft power. Its performance is driven by strong results in governance, stability, and sustainability, which continue to be key strengths of the Swedish national image.

Sweden’s results in this year’s index shows a strong global reputation, that Sweden is a global leader in sustainability and trade as well as high trust in Swedish governance.
 

According to a PwC report, the Stockholm Stock Exchange was the leading Nordic stock market in 2025 in terms of initial public offerings (IPOs).
The report highlights that the total value of the IPOs was almost five times higher than in 2024. Among the notable IPOs, the October 2025 listing of Verisure (a specialist in alarm systems) on Nasdaq Stockholm, valued at €13.7 billion at the time of its introduction and at more than €16 billion after its first day of trading, represents the largest IPO on Nasdaq Stockholm in 25 years and the largest in Europe since September 2022, the date of Porsche’s IPO (€9.4 billion).
 

On 25 February, the French Carrier Strike Group (CSG), led by the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle, arrived at the Swedish city Malmö’s harbour. The deployment of the group supports NATO operations aimed at ensuring the security of the Alliance’s member states.

The visit marks a clear step forward in the deepened defense cooperation between France and Sweden and underscores the countries shared commitment to security and stability in the North Atlantic.