l YEAR IN REVIEW 2009 l
LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT
The year of 2009 was perhaps a year we would try not to remember
for too long, with official unemployment reaching over the 10% level
and the real level likely exceeding 15%. The financial crisis, ignited
especially by the continued major problems with mortgages and
mortgage based securities spreading over the whole western world,
forcing governments to bail out major banks and investment companies, insurance companies and even automobile manufacturers,
in an attempt to prevent a total melt-down of the western world
financial system.
Yet, in the midst of this financial turmoil the Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce in Philadelphia, SACC-P, managed to close a surprisingly good year with several very successful events, a great cadre
of sponsors and a stable economy. See separate write-up of the
events, the list of sponsors and the overview of the year’s finances.
I like to highlight the fantastic work our Swedish trainees are providing for our Chamber and also what our work committees are doing
by organizing and managing events, website development/maintenance and public relations. --- Thanks for all the great work.
One event I would like to mention in some detail was the annual
Entrepreneurial Days (E-Days) Conference that this year took place
in the old navy base of Karlskrona, a city on the SE coast of Sweden.
The conference was named CATWALK 09, referring to the narrow
side decks on a ship, and by that hinting at the history of the old city.
Focus was on telecommunications as Karlskrona in modern time has
transformed itself from a navy base/ ship yard to a cutting edge Telecom City and entrepreneurial incubator. As always, the conference
was perfectly organized and also supported by a couple of sunny
and beautiful mid-September days. SACC-P, fully sponsored by one
of our member companies, IID, attended and was presenting, actually just next to SACC-USA, the greater Philadelphia region and the
various services offered by SACC-P, IID and NBP. These exhibitions
and also the meetings were set up in the Navy Museum overlooking
the waters and archipelago surrounding the city.
We had several interesting meetings with various entrepreneurs and
their firms, from Per Åhlström, EstablishUS (assistance to US aiming
firms), Erik Stenberg, Mobile Heights (cluster management software),
Pocket Mobile (compact transport logistics software), Mats Hellman,
Adduce (product scoring software) and to reestablishing contact
with Lisette Lindahl, counselor Trade and Economics Affairs at the
Swedish Embassy in DC.
Final evaluation of the CATWALK 09 cannot yet be done, but initial
impression was that the majority of the exhibitors were not at that
point fully committed or financed to take the step into the US market,
but rather first focus on Scandinavia, Balticum and Europe in general.
However, these E-Days conferences are not planned to deliver immediate results but rather create connections that in the near future
can result in business developments in or with the US market.
Thus, I am convinced SACC-P will continue to grow in the Greater
Philadelphia region (PA, NJ and DE) and strengthen its position as
one of the major Chambers in the SACC-USA umbrella organization.
Philadelphia, March 2, 2010