The UK’s Ambassador to Sweden Samantha Job has visited South Wales to build connections with businesses and boost investment and trade with Sweden.
Ambassador Job’s two-day visit was part of a ‘domestic roadshow’ launched by the UK Government earlier this year in which Ambassadors and High Commissioners are being asked by the Foreign Secretary to meet businesses across the country in order to support them to expand into key growth-driving markets.
Sweden is the UK’s 13th biggest trading partner, worth over £36 billion.
Minister for Europe, Stephen Doughty, said:
“I’m delighted that His Majesty's Ambassador to Sweden was in Cardiff as part of our ongoing work to drive economic growth.
“Our Ambassadors are working hard to help UK businesses to grow overseas and attract foreign investment into local communities. Our relationship with Sweden is already creating jobs across Wales and I’m looking forward to seeing what more comes out of this partnership in the future.”
Ambassador Job arrived in South Wales for discussions with a range of Welsh energy, defence and life sciences business leaders. She attended Wales Tech Week, where she met the Welsh Government Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Energy and Planning, Rebecca Evans.
Energy, defence, life sciences, and technology are all priority sectors under the Government’s Industrial Strategy – a 10-year plan to increase business investment and grow the industries of the future in the UK.
She also met representatives of Swedish ferry operator Stena Line, and visited Swedish military IT specialist MilDef, which has established its first production facility outside the Scandinavian nation at the Bro Tathan business park in the Vale of Glamorgan.
Ambassador Job rounded off her roadshow tour by meeting representatives of the Life Sciences Hub Wales at its HQ in Cardiff.
His Majesty's Ambassador to Sweden, Samantha Job, said:
“It’s exciting to be in Wales to help develop the relationships that will create growth in every corner of the UK.
“The UK Government’s Plan for Change is making Britain the best country to do business with, and these roadshow discussions will help showcase Wales’ abundance of digital and tech strengths on the international stage.”
Wales exported goods worth £294.4 million to Sweden last year – worth 5.8 per cent of the overall UK total. Sweden was the ninth largest export market for Welsh goods.
There are around 45 Swedish-owned companies in Wales, employing 2,700 people.
