Sweden

Hamburg's connection to Sweden

Hamburg and Sweden have enjoyed close neighbourly relations since the early Middle Ages in important areas such as business and trade, culture and religion, science and journalism, tourism and many other areas.

Many of the largest Swedish companies, such as IKEA and H&M, have their European logistics centres in Hamburg, and the Hanseatic city is also one of the largest target markets for Swedish foreign investment. The Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Germany has member companies in the Hamburg region ranging from large corporations to SMEs and start-ups. There are also numerous links between academic institutions.
Around half of Sweden's foreign trade passes through the Port of Hamburg, and the northern route via Hamburg to the south is a major route for Swedish tourists.

Finally, the Hanseatic city of Hamburg, with its many green spaces and waterways and its cultural offerings for young and old, is becoming an increasingly attractive destination for visitors from the north.

HamburgAmbassador Leif Sjöström

Leif Sjöström was born in Karlskrona/Sweden. After training as a naval officer, lawyer and economist, he joined the Swedish diplomatic service in 1964 and has held the rank of ambassador since 1982. He spent many years in Germany, most recently as Consul General for Sweden based in Hamburg from 1996-2003, the last years there as doyen of the large consular corps.

In the years 1988-1996, Leif Sjöström was Director General and Commander of the Swedish Coast Guard, with the special task of promoting Baltic Sea co-operation.

Back in Stockholm, he was President of the Swedish-German Association, the Swedish-German Research Association and the Swedish-German Language Fund from 2003. in 2005 he was appointed HamburgAmbassador and is strongly committed to Hamburg's interests in Sweden at a high official and private level.

Expertise for Hamburg

Older men in suits engaged in a discussion during a formal meeting or conference. — HamburgAmbassador Leif Sjöström together with his colleagues Jürgen Niklaus and Pekka Laaksonen

The proximity to the centres of administration, business and culture in the Swedish capital and the many years of experience and cultivation of private and professional contacts offer the opportunity to achieve special and effective effects for Hamburg. Current topics include the energy industry, including hydrogen projects, harbour and transport issues, cultural projects, tourism promotion, plus of course support for other commercial objectives.

The already lively interest in the Hamburg metropolitan region and the co-operation with southern Sweden and Denmark will soon be given a further boost by the new Fehmarn-Belt link.