In 2015 the Swedish Government committed to the Paris agreement with the ambition to become one of the first fossil free welfare nations in the world. Fossil Free Sweden was established shortly after, with the aim to accelerate the climate transition and to create a strong industrial sector, more jobs and export opportunities, whilst going fossil free. A very important part was the 22 roadmaps created, owned and run by industries themselves, who have set more competitive goals for themselves than the goal set by the Swedish Government.
The idea to present a webinar about Fossil Free Sweden came up during a (SACC) Sustainability Committee meeting. This dynamic and progressive sustainability group, with representatives from a broad range of Swedish companies and business organizations, wanted to hear more about the work of Fossil Free Sweden. They wanted to learn all about the bottom up approach towards net zero for the industry in Sweden with a hope to inform and inspire change in Australia.
” Roadmaps for Fossil Free Competitiveness – Challenges and Opportunities Towards Net Zero Emissions”.
Fossil Free Sweden and the Roadmaps were introduced to a broad Australian audience that joined, listened and contributed with many great questions in the Q&A discussion.
The engagement was an important aspect, we wanted to create a rapid and flowing conversation and we had the pleasure to invite David Leitch, principal, ITK Services Australia and author at RenewEconomy, to moderate the discussion. With his deep knowledge of renewable energy and economics, he applied an Australian angle, skillfully layered the conversation to cover many angles and questions on decarbonization and introduced Fossil Free Sweden to Australia.
H.E Henrik Cederin, Swedish Ambassador to Australia opened and welcomed the audience to the webinar. Delivering a strong message; “The need we face, to speed up the transition from the dependence of fossil fuel to create a society and economies that run on renewable energy. We now have a critical decade ahead of us”
Svante Axelsson, National Coordinator then set the scene of the current situation in Sweden regarding CO2 emissions per capita, energy mix and emissions by industries. Inspiring, with a positive message that industry can set the tone with the right narrative and a can-do-mentality. He instils confidence in leaders and decision makers to be brave and make the right decisions. The big surprise has been that industry has seen the possibilities and now talk about how they can increase their competitiveness by being fossil free. The success of the roadmaps lies in that the industry sectors own their own roadmaps and together, create a needed interface between industry and politicians in suggesting how to remove obstacles to accelerate the transition.
The voice from industry and the 22 roadmaps would be pivotal to our discussion so two roadmap representatives were invited to our webinar. Marianne Hedberg, Swedish Construction Federation, representative of The Construction and Civil Engineering Sector Roadmap and Ellen Einebrant, from the Swedish Recycling Industries, representative of The Recycling Sector roadmap were integral to a layered conversation.
Marianne Hedberg told us that the construction sector’s largest challenge is how to decarbonize, in particular, the largely used material cement. There are ways for the sector to lower their emissions, for example, by adding fillers to cement that does not add carbon emission and by investing in carbon storage/capture. To reduce the climate impact of materials and a building as a whole is important, a climate calculation for every new building will be introduced at the end of the year.
Ellen Einebrant spoke about the Swedish Recycling Industries and that they represent private recycling companies, which cover about 80% of the sector and handle 10 MTons of waste and recycled material. The sector works to increase recycling and resource efficiency, still its main challenge is how to reduce their emissions, where the biggest emitter is landfill. The recycling roadmap has made a call to politicians to introduce a methane capture requirement.
The interface between government and business is important to create adequate policy and procurement. The next, and a very important, step is to provide the infrastructure so that it will be possible to phase out fossil fuels. Today we have an industry that is dependent on fossil fuel, that currently cannot use electricity or hydrogen widely. Therefore, we need interim solutions, like biofuel instead of fossil fuels, in order to strengthen the value chains and enter into this new industrial revolution.
Together, the Embassy of Sweden, the Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce, its Members and the SACC Sustainability Committee are important Ambassadors, representing change, informing of great examples, sharing best practices and solutions for a faster transition.
https://www.swedishchamber.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Roadmap-pic.jpg8601500Camilla Jenningshttp://swedishchamber.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/logo.pngCamilla Jennings2021-09-27 19:43:282021-09-27 20:00:13Fossil Free Sweden and Roadmaps towards Net-Zero Emissions
We are proud to have officially launched Australia’s most safe, responsible and sustainable electric bus system – the Volvo BZL Electric chassis.
Our team of electromobility experts have done extensive work to develop the Volvo BZL Electric chassis from tried and tested European technology, tailored to meet demanding Australian operating conditions and asset life expectancy.
We have also incorporated rigorous data protection and circular battery management systems to offer our customers second to none product quality, reliability and safety – ensuring that the new Volvo BZL Electric chassis offers peace of mind at every stage of the journey.
Our new Volvo BZL Electric chassis is the first platform of our electric vehicle product offering, and we are thrilled to embark on this electromobility journey with our valued customers, partners and with our extensive dealer and product support network.
Our dedicated team will be in touch to set up a one-on-one time to take you through the details of the Volvo BZL Electric chassis – and in the meantime, you can discover more about the new Volvo BZL Electric chassis here.
Wishing you all the best,
Mitch Peden
General Manager, Volvo Bus Australia
https://www.swedishchamber.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/8d3f89ea9cdf4908ce3243b7dabb03685fa9efaf6f67a77d1d362689505e9eda.jpg586594Camilla Jenningshttp://swedishchamber.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/logo.pngCamilla Jennings2021-09-27 10:36:032021-09-28 10:43:56Volvo Electromobility chassis are now launched in Australia! Let’s get Connected!
SignUp Software was founded in 1999 and launched ExFlow in 2003. SignUp Software is family owned. Over the years SignUp Software has built a solid reputation on Microsoft Dynamics expertise showcased by their AP and invoice process automation solution ExFlow.
ExFlow by SignUp Software is a built-in, feature-rich AP Invoice Automation solution developed specifically for Microsoft D365 Finance and Operations (AX) and Microsoft D365 Business Central (NAV). ExFlow enables organizations to increase efficiency, transparency, and control in their AP Invoice process, driving down costs while generating substantial process savings. More than 1,100 customers processing more than 50 million invoices annually rely on ExFlow to empower their AP Invoice Process across the globe.
SignUp Software was founded in 1999 and launched ExFlow in 2003. Fueled by an entrepreneurial mindset, SignUp Software is a global forerunner of financial process automation inside Microsoft Dynamics 365. SignUp currently operates out of Stockholm, Sweden (HQ), Denmark, North America and Australia and count approximately 90 employees across the globe.
Contact details:
SignUp Software Pty LTD
Three International Towers, Level 25, 300 Barangaroo Avenue
Barangaroo NSW 2000, Sydney, Australia
Tel: +61 2 8069 8977
Radford Retail Solutions is a family owned Australian business that has successfully installed over 5000 premium quality customer guidance solutions since 2001 and is the 1st choice for Australia’s and New Zealand’s largest FMCG and grocery retailers. Radford is proud to be the exclusive distributor for the Swedish ITAB Group products and services portfolio.
Through organic growth and strategic business acquisitions, ITAB is now one of Europe’s leading players in shopfitting concepts. Resolute and gradual growth has produced a group with market presence not only in large parts of Europe but now globally with over 28 countries and 19 production sites with global revenue exceeding $1 billion AUD.
The ITAB groups mission is to help customers turn consumer brand experience into physical reality with their know-how, solutions, and ecosystem of partners. They co-create with customers, efficient retail solutions that deliver convenient and inspiring consumer experiences.
The ITAB offer includes consultative design services, custom-made interiors, checkout systems, consumer guidance solutions, professional lighting systems and interactive digital solutions for the physical retail store environment and Radford can provide all of the ITAB solutions to businesses here in Australia.
With a global network of retail partners, ITAB products and services are featured in retailers across the globe, including IKEA, H&M, Uniqlo, ASDA and Polestar.
In Australia, Radford continues to partner with Woolworths, Coles, ALDI and IKEA to name a few to deliver innovative Retail Guidance and Checkout solutions and in 2022 will provide design led lighting solutions to launch the Polestar Spaces and BoConcept rollouts.
The first company in the Amokabel group was established in 1992 in Alstermo Sweden. By focusing on technological development and modernisation, Amokabel managed to organically build a very profitable and successful cable manufacturing group with a turnover of more than a billion Swedish crowns. In the last ten years Amokabel has established subsidiaries in Norway, the UK and in 2021, Australia.
Initially, Amokabel engaged solely in sales in Sweden. Today, the majority of sales are export sales. Together with Amokabel’s own sales offices and extensive agent and distribution network, the company has a global presence. Amokabel supplies a diverse range of customers, including many of the world’s largest airports, power distribution companies globally and Amokabel’s consumer-packaged installation cable can be purchased in most stores in Scandinavia.
Sustainability is a key focus at Amokabel and the company has invested heavily in renewable energy. Amokabel has its own solar power, wind power and hydropower, making it the only cable factory in the world to produce more renewable energy than it consumes.
First and foremost, Amokabel’s business is characterised by innovation. The need for cable is constantly changing and modern times require new solutions. Structures, conductors, plastics and packaging are evaluated constantly and are continuously updated.
Another key philosophy is to focus on the needs of the customer. Amokabel has low requirements for minimum volumes and can easily reset production for quick delivery.
Amokabel’s connection with Australia started in 2016 when Amokabel (the world’s leading producer of Covered Conductor) and local engineering firm Groundline were awarded a Victorian Government grant to assist with the development of a Covered Conductor product that was specifically designed to meet the requirements of the harsh Australian operating environment.
The Covered Conductor solution developed by Amokabel/Groundline has now been deployed successfully in a variety of Victorian locations by AusNet, Powercor and United Energy and approved by Energy Safe Victoria.
Amokabel’s product is of high significance to rural Australia as CSIRO research from 2017 has found that the fire risk reduction from using Covered Conductor is between 98.4% and 99.0%, which is comparable to undergrounding at 99.1%. As Covered Conductor can be installed for less than one quarter of the cost of undergrounding, this makes Covered Conductor by far the most cost-effective bushfire risk reduction technology available today.
In addition to bushfire risk reduction, Amokabel’s Covered Conductor provides a major increase in network reliability. With some Australian distribution companies citing that two-thirds of their outages are vegetation related, the benefits of covered conductors in reducing outages and related restoration time are significant.
Another benefit of Covered Conductor is the increased safety that the fully covered solution provides to line workers, the general public and Australian wildlife.
With climate change set to increase the number of high fire danger days ahead, Covered Conductor by Amokabel is the only large scale, economical and safe technology solution that has been developed, tested and trialled in Australia.
Amokabel believes that its Covered Conductor product has the potential to be a game changer in Australia with regards to preventing powerline-initiated bushfires. To this end, the company founded Amokabel Australia in 2021. The company is based in Canberra and led by Steve Rutland, an experienced international executive who has led companies in Sweden, Australia and the Middle East. Steve speaks fluent Swedish and is passionate about the use of Amokabel’s technology to protect rural Australia. Although the company is primarily focused on the Covered Conductor solution, it also represents the full range of Amokabel cable-based products in Australia.
https://www.swedishchamber.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/Amokabel-logo-for-web.jpg6201500Camilla Jenningshttp://swedishchamber.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/logo.pngCamilla Jennings2021-09-25 13:09:172021-09-28 18:19:59NEW SMALL BUSINESS MEMBER – AMOKABEL AUSTRALIA
Swedish software company Novacura help businesses take control of their business processes. The company’s process automation platform Novacura Flow allows users to create simple, user-friendly, repeatable applications that put the right data in the right place at the right time. Thanks to this, companies are able to keep their systems and processes completely in sync and can unlock new levels of adaptability to make sure their end-users can quickly respond to changing business needs.
It all started in 2005 in Hovås, just outside of Gothenburg Sweden, when the founders of Novacura asked: “Why should our clients have to adapt to a static system instead of getting access to an efficient solution, tailor-made to suit their business?”
This was when we realized that instead of trying to create one tool that manages everything, we’d instead focus on a tool that helps businesses get more out of the tools they already have. Something that puts business processes front and center, and makes technology fit the process (instead of the other way around).
Novacura was founded in February 2005. The first system developer was hired at the beginning of 2006. Since then, the company has grown to 15 offices in 9 countries on 3 continents. And we continue to grow organically, year after year.
Why? Because our customers have seen real value in what Novacura provides them: a way to easily adapt to changes, continuously improve their business processes, and significantly improve their profits year after year.
https://www.swedishchamber.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/images.png157321Camilla Jenningshttp://swedishchamber.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/logo.pngCamilla Jennings2021-09-24 13:41:462021-09-27 19:26:07NEW SMALL BUSINESS MEMBER – NOVACURA AUSTRALIA
On September 15 SACC Members ABB and IKEA were represented at an Engineers Australia online event – Thought Leaders Series: The future of transport is electric
Online event content and focus:
A discussion on the key considerations for fleet operators today, such as electrical infrastructure, charging and power demands, to future-proof their transport needs.
The rapid move towards electric vehicles is seeing technology needs outpace wider infrastructure readiness.
This major market shift presents challenges and big opportunities for the infrastructure sector.
How can we balance a practical present-day business case with a proactive long-term vision?
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Understand the requirements for transitioning to electric vehicles
Hear from experts on the benefits and challenges of electric vehicles
From electric buses to commercial fleets – what is the next frontier?
SPEAKERS
Dr Alina Dini
Founder and CEO, Whirl
Dr Alina Dini is captivated by renewable energy innovation and how it can build long term financial and climate resilience. Alina’s experiences delivering energy and sustainability programs include working alongside some of the world’s leading innovators – such as Tesla’s founders and Australia’s first Renewable Energy Commissioner.
As Founder and CEO of Whirl, a peer-based digital marketplace re-imagining the shopping experience for energy technologies like electric cars, Alina brings a human element into technology topics and works with everyday people, businesses, and communities to help them harness energy innovations.
Brendan Groll Customer Fulfilment Strategic Sourcing Manager, IKEA Australia
Brendan is the Customer Fulfillment Strategic Sourcing Manager for IKEA Australia. He has over 30 years’ experience in Retail Transport & Logistics Leadership roles, including time with David Jones Ltd, Steinhoff Group (now Greenlit Brands) prior to IKEA. Brendan is responsible for IKEA Australia’s transport, delivery & services operations. This includes driving the IKEA Australia zero emissions strategy and working with IKEA’s service partner fleet transformation towards agreed sustainability and emission targets.
Sean Stove Transport Segment Lead, ABB Australia
Sean Stove is ABB Australia’s head of transportation and rail segments, having been involved in the rail sector since 2003. Joining ABB in 1997, Sean has held numerous senior roles in sales, operations and business development across Asia Pacific and Europe. In this role, he is responsible for leading ABB’s offering to the rail and transportation industry, from innovative solutions for rolling stock propulsion to energy efficient solutions for power infrastructure to software optimisation for asset health and management. After completing his Electrical Certificate from Christchurch Polytechnic, Sean became a graduate of the University of Queensland’s Mt Eliza MBA Program and completed the Senior Leadership Development program at the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland.
https://www.swedishchamber.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/09/20210907_ElectricTransport_HeroImage-Placeholder.jpg360840Camilla Jenningshttp://swedishchamber.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/logo.pngCamilla Jennings2021-09-15 18:00:562021-09-23 15:41:40ABB and IKEA represented at Engineers Australia online event – The future of transport is electric
Roadmaps for Fossil Free Competitiveness – Challenges and Opportunities Towards Net Zero Emissions
The idea for this webinar was initiated during aSACC Sustainability Committee meeting. Our dynamic sustainability group, with representatives from a range of Swedish companies and business organisations, wanted to learn more about Fossil Free Sweden, the roadmaps and the bottom up approach and challenge towards net zero emissions from the industry in Sweden.
A prominent list of panellists was part of the discussion;
H.E Henrik Cederin, Swedish Ambassador to Australia opened and welcomed the audience to the webinar. Delivering a very strong message; “the need we face, to speed up the transition from the dependence of fossil fuel to create a society and economies that run on renewable energy. We have a critical decade ahead of us”.
Svante Axelsson, national coordinator set the scene of the current situation in Sweden regarding the CO2 emission per capita, energy mix and emission by industries. Inspiring with a positive message that industry can set the tone with the right narrative and can-do-mentality instilling confidence in leaders and decision makers to be brave and make the right decision.
David Leitch , Principal, ITK Services Australia and Author at RenewEconomy, moderated the discussion, applied the Australian angle and his deep knowledge of renewable energy and economics, layered the conversation to cover many aspects and questions on decarbonisation.
Marianne Hedberg, representative from The Construction and Civil Engineering Sector, one of the 22 roadmaps. The construction sectors largest challenge is how to decarbonize, in particular the largely used material cement. There are ways for the sector to lower their emissions, by adding fillers that do not add carbon emission and by investing in carbon storage/capture.
Ellen Einebrant, from the Swedish Recycling Industries and representative of The Recycling Sector roadmap, represents the private companies, 80% of the sector, handle 10 MTons of waste and recycled material. The sector work to increase recycling and resource efficiency, still its main challenge is how to reduce their emissions, where the biggest emitter is landfill. The roadmap has made a call to politicians to introduce a methane capture requirement.
Fossil Free Sweden is a national initiative working to increase the pace of the climate transition. 22 Industry Roadmaps have been created to identify opportunities that the climate transition can provide for these industries and how it can be used as a commercial advantage.With a “bottom-up approach” industries created their own vision and targets and identified obstacles and proposals for solutions towards their journey for a fossil free competitiveness delivering on Sweden’s national net zero greenhouse gas emission target by 2045.
Keep your eyes on the SACC socials Linkedin and Facebook for further updates as announcements are made about future events, and check out the Recent Events and Webinars page on the SACC website for summaries and recordings of our recent presentations. Please contact us for questions and further information: sacc@swedishchamber.com.au.
https://www.swedishchamber.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Fossil-Free-banner-no-logos.jpg5661400Camilla Jenningshttp://swedishchamber.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/logo.pngCamilla Jennings2021-09-07 16:00:192021-09-21 10:50:29Embassy of Sweden and SACC online event 7 Sept – Roadmaps for Fossil Free Competitiveness
Summary and recording of Swedish Chambers APAC Online Event 2 Sept with Economist Mr Klas Eklund, Senior Economist at Mannheimer Swartling, on the World Economy
During this virtual fireside-style chat, we were given the rare opportunity to tap into the wealth of knowledge of Mr Eklund and gain insight into his views and perspectives of the world economy in the wake of the pandemic. The session includes Q&A from the audience.
Mr Eklund is one of Sweden’s most prominent economists and a sought-after financial adviser with a long career and unique expertise from the private sector – most notably many years as Chief Economist at SEB – as well as from the Swedish Government Offices. He is the author of several well-known titles in the genres of economics, history, and fiction. Mr Eklund has been awarded His Majesty the King’s Gold Medal for outstanding services as an economist and has received the Jacob Palmstierna Award for economic pedagogy. For many Swedes, he is probably first and foremost known for his years within the Swedish Ministry of Finance where he held many different positions, including Economic Policy Advisor to the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance. Last year, Mr Eklund chaired the Commission to Restart Sweden – an initiative established by Stockholm Chamber of Commerce to reboot and strengthen Sweden after the corona crisis. Commission members included eleven of Sweden’s most prominent experts within a number of strategically important reform areas.
In recent years, much of Mr Eklund’s work has been dedicated to the economics of climate change. He has published several books on the topic and he has been a member of the Swedish initiative Task Force on Green Finance Reform and Green Transformation – CCICED (China Council of International Co-operation and Environmental Development). To the younger Swedish audience, Mr Eklund is well-known for his tongue-in-cheek educational short films Klas Förklarar, where he explains fundamental economic terms and concepts – including the corona crisis – in a plain and simple language.
Mr Eklund will be introduced by Jakob Ragnwaldh, Partner, Mannheimer Swartling Singapore.
Moderators: Emil Akander, Sweden’s Trade Commissioner to Singapore, and Lisa Ferraton, General Manager, Swedish Chamber of Commerce Singapore.
The gaming industry is arguably one of the most important and innovative sectors in tech today. Its importance to culture, social networking and entertainment cannot be understated. The term “entertainment industry” is no longer reserved for the film industry as gaming is now providing one of the most immersive forms of entertainment to more than two billion people around the globe.
Tomas and Roger shared their insight on the gaming industry, its size, value chain, key industry players, industry trends and what’s new in Australia and Sweden.
The event included an interactive Q&A session with the option to ask live questions.
https://www.swedishchamber.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Gaming-industry-pic-banner.jpg4921200Camilla Jenningshttp://swedishchamber.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/logo.pngCamilla Jennings2021-08-26 19:41:412021-09-20 15:52:34Summary and recording SACC online event 26 Aug – Insight to the Gaming Industry
Fossil Free Sweden and Roadmaps towards Net-Zero Emissions
How can transition increase competitiveness?
In 2015 the Swedish Government committed to the Paris agreement with the ambition to become one of the first fossil free welfare nations in the world. Fossil Free Sweden was established shortly after, with the aim to accelerate the climate transition and to create a strong industrial sector, more jobs and export opportunities, whilst going fossil free. A very important part was the 22 roadmaps created, owned and run by industries themselves, who have set more competitive goals for themselves than the goal set by the Swedish Government.
The idea to present a webinar about Fossil Free Sweden came up during a (SACC) Sustainability Committee meeting. This dynamic and progressive sustainability group, with representatives from a broad range of Swedish companies and business organizations, wanted to hear more about the work of Fossil Free Sweden. They wanted to learn all about the bottom up approach towards net zero for the industry in Sweden with a hope to inform and inspire change in Australia.
Under a Team Sweden flag, the Embassy of Sweden and the Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce together with Fossil Free Sweden presented on the 7 September webinar:
” Roadmaps for Fossil Free Competitiveness – Challenges and Opportunities Towards Net Zero Emissions”.
Fossil Free Sweden and the Roadmaps were introduced to a broad Australian audience that joined, listened and contributed with many great questions in the Q&A discussion.
The engagement was an important aspect, we wanted to create a rapid and flowing conversation and we had the pleasure to invite David Leitch, principal, ITK Services Australia and author at RenewEconomy, to moderate the discussion. With his deep knowledge of renewable energy and economics, he applied an Australian angle, skillfully layered the conversation to cover many angles and questions on decarbonization and introduced Fossil Free Sweden to Australia.
H.E Henrik Cederin, Swedish Ambassador to Australia opened and welcomed the audience to the webinar. Delivering a strong message; “The need we face, to speed up the transition from the dependence of fossil fuel to create a society and economies that run on renewable energy. We now have a critical decade ahead of us”
Svante Axelsson, National Coordinator then set the scene of the current situation in Sweden regarding CO2 emissions per capita, energy mix and emissions by industries. Inspiring, with a positive message that industry can set the tone with the right narrative and a can-do-mentality. He instils confidence in leaders and decision makers to be brave and make the right decisions. The big surprise has been that industry has seen the possibilities and now talk about how they can increase their competitiveness by being fossil free. The success of the roadmaps lies in that the industry sectors own their own roadmaps and together, create a needed interface between industry and politicians in suggesting how to remove obstacles to accelerate the transition.
The voice from industry and the 22 roadmaps would be pivotal to our discussion so two roadmap representatives were invited to our webinar. Marianne Hedberg, Swedish Construction Federation, representative of The Construction and Civil Engineering Sector Roadmap and Ellen Einebrant, from the Swedish Recycling Industries, representative of The Recycling Sector roadmap were integral to a layered conversation.
Marianne Hedberg told us that the construction sector’s largest challenge is how to decarbonize, in particular, the largely used material cement. There are ways for the sector to lower their emissions, for example, by adding fillers to cement that does not add carbon emission and by investing in carbon storage/capture. To reduce the climate impact of materials and a building as a whole is important, a climate calculation for every new building will be introduced at the end of the year.
Ellen Einebrant spoke about the Swedish Recycling Industries and that they represent private recycling companies, which cover about 80% of the sector and handle 10 MTons of waste and recycled material. The sector works to increase recycling and resource efficiency, still its main challenge is how to reduce their emissions, where the biggest emitter is landfill. The recycling roadmap has made a call to politicians to introduce a methane capture requirement.
The interface between government and business is important to create adequate policy and procurement. The next, and a very important, step is to provide the infrastructure so that it will be possible to phase out fossil fuels. Today we have an industry that is dependent on fossil fuel, that currently cannot use electricity or hydrogen widely. Therefore, we need interim solutions, like biofuel instead of fossil fuels, in order to strengthen the value chains and enter into this new industrial revolution.
Together, the Embassy of Sweden, the Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce, its Members and the SACC Sustainability Committee are important Ambassadors, representing change, informing of great examples, sharing best practices and solutions for a faster transition.
VIEW SLIDES FROM THE PRESENTATION HERE
VIEW THE ONLINE RECORDING HERE: Roadmaps for Fossil Free Competitiveness – Webinar 7 September 2021 – YouTube
Volvo Electromobility chassis are now launched in Australia! Let’s get Connected!
Dear valued business partners,
We are proud to have officially launched Australia’s most safe, responsible and sustainable electric bus system – the Volvo BZL Electric chassis.
Our team of electromobility experts have done extensive work to develop the Volvo BZL Electric chassis from tried and tested European technology, tailored to meet demanding Australian operating conditions and asset life expectancy.
We have also incorporated rigorous data protection and circular battery management systems to offer our customers second to none product quality, reliability and safety – ensuring that the new Volvo BZL Electric chassis offers peace of mind at every stage of the journey.
Our new Volvo BZL Electric chassis is the first platform of our electric vehicle product offering, and we are thrilled to embark on this electromobility journey with our valued customers, partners and with our extensive dealer and product support network.
Our dedicated team will be in touch to set up a one-on-one time to take you through the details of the Volvo BZL Electric chassis – and in the meantime, you can discover more about the new Volvo BZL Electric chassis here.
Wishing you all the best,
Mitch Peden
General Manager, Volvo Bus Australia
NEW PREMIUM MEMBER – SIGNUP SOFTWARE
SignUp Software was founded in 1999 and launched ExFlow in 2003. SignUp Software is family owned. Over the years SignUp Software has built a solid reputation on Microsoft Dynamics expertise showcased by their AP and invoice process automation solution ExFlow.
ExFlow by SignUp Software is a built-in, feature-rich AP Invoice Automation solution developed specifically for Microsoft D365 Finance and Operations (AX) and Microsoft D365 Business Central (NAV). ExFlow enables organizations to increase efficiency, transparency, and control in their AP Invoice process, driving down costs while generating substantial process savings. More than 1,100 customers processing more than 50 million invoices annually rely on ExFlow to empower their AP Invoice Process across the globe.
SignUp Software was founded in 1999 and launched ExFlow in 2003. Fueled by an entrepreneurial mindset, SignUp Software is a global forerunner of financial process automation inside Microsoft Dynamics 365. SignUp currently operates out of Stockholm, Sweden (HQ), Denmark, North America and Australia and count approximately 90 employees across the globe.
Contact details:
SignUp Software Pty LTD
Three International Towers, Level 25, 300 Barangaroo Avenue
Barangaroo NSW 2000, Sydney, Australia
Tel: +61 2 8069 8977
info@signupsoftware.com
www.signupsoftware.com
NEW CORPORATE MEMBER – RADFORD RETAIL SOLUTIONS – ITAB
Radford Retail Solutions is a family owned Australian business that has successfully installed over 5000 premium quality customer guidance solutions since 2001 and is the 1st choice for Australia’s and New Zealand’s largest FMCG and grocery retailers. Radford is proud to be the exclusive distributor for the Swedish ITAB Group products and services portfolio.
Through organic growth and strategic business acquisitions, ITAB is now one of Europe’s leading players in shopfitting concepts. Resolute and gradual growth has produced a group with market presence not only in large parts of Europe but now globally with over 28 countries and 19 production sites with global revenue exceeding $1 billion AUD.
The ITAB groups mission is to help customers turn consumer brand experience into physical reality with their know-how, solutions, and ecosystem of partners. They co-create with customers, efficient retail solutions that deliver convenient and inspiring consumer experiences.
The ITAB offer includes consultative design services, custom-made interiors, checkout systems, consumer guidance solutions, professional lighting systems and interactive digital solutions for the physical retail store environment and Radford can provide all of the ITAB solutions to businesses here in Australia.
With a global network of retail partners, ITAB products and services are featured in retailers across the globe, including IKEA, H&M, Uniqlo, ASDA and Polestar.
In Australia, Radford continues to partner with Woolworths, Coles, ALDI and IKEA to name a few to deliver innovative Retail Guidance and Checkout solutions and in 2022 will provide design led lighting solutions to launch the Polestar Spaces and BoConcept rollouts.
Contact:
itab.com | www.radfordretail.com
NEW SMALL BUSINESS MEMBER – AMOKABEL AUSTRALIA
The first company in the Amokabel group was established in 1992 in Alstermo Sweden. By focusing on technological development and modernisation, Amokabel managed to organically build a very profitable and successful cable manufacturing group with a turnover of more than a billion Swedish crowns. In the last ten years Amokabel has established subsidiaries in Norway, the UK and in 2021, Australia.
Initially, Amokabel engaged solely in sales in Sweden. Today, the majority of sales are export sales. Together with Amokabel’s own sales offices and extensive agent and distribution network, the company has a global presence. Amokabel supplies a diverse range of customers, including many of the world’s largest airports, power distribution companies globally and Amokabel’s consumer-packaged installation cable can be purchased in most stores in Scandinavia.
Sustainability is a key focus at Amokabel and the company has invested heavily in renewable energy. Amokabel has its own solar power, wind power and hydropower, making it the only cable factory in the world to produce more renewable energy than it consumes.
First and foremost, Amokabel’s business is characterised by innovation. The need for cable is constantly changing and modern times require new solutions. Structures, conductors, plastics and packaging are evaluated constantly and are continuously updated.
Another key philosophy is to focus on the needs of the customer. Amokabel has low requirements for minimum volumes and can easily reset production for quick delivery.
The Covered Conductor solution developed by Amokabel/Groundline has now been deployed successfully in a variety of Victorian locations by AusNet, Powercor and United Energy and approved by Energy Safe Victoria.
Amokabel’s product is of high significance to rural Australia as CSIRO research from 2017 has found that the fire risk reduction from using Covered Conductor is between 98.4% and 99.0%, which is comparable to undergrounding at 99.1%. As Covered Conductor can be installed for less than one quarter of the cost of undergrounding, this makes Covered Conductor by far the most cost-effective bushfire risk reduction technology available today.
In addition to bushfire risk reduction, Amokabel’s Covered Conductor provides a major increase in network reliability. With some Australian distribution companies citing that two-thirds of their outages are vegetation related, the benefits of covered conductors in reducing outages and related restoration time are significant.
Another benefit of Covered Conductor is the increased safety that the fully covered solution provides to line workers, the general public and Australian wildlife.
With climate change set to increase the number of high fire danger days ahead, Covered Conductor by Amokabel is the only large scale, economical and safe technology solution that has been developed, tested and trialled in Australia.
Amokabel believes that its Covered Conductor product has the potential to be a game changer in Australia with regards to preventing powerline-initiated bushfires. To this end, the company founded Amokabel Australia in 2021. The company is based in Canberra and led by Steve Rutland, an experienced international executive who has led companies in Sweden, Australia and the Middle East. Steve speaks fluent Swedish and is passionate about the use of Amokabel’s technology to protect rural Australia. Although the company is primarily focused on the Covered Conductor solution, it also represents the full range of Amokabel cable-based products in Australia.
Amokabel Australia Contact Details:
Steve Rutland
Stephen.rutland@amokabel.com
Mobile: 0448009673
amokabel.com
NEW SMALL BUSINESS MEMBER – NOVACURA AUSTRALIA
Swedish software company Novacura help businesses take control of their business processes. The company’s process automation platform Novacura Flow allows users to create simple, user-friendly, repeatable applications that put the right data in the right place at the right time. Thanks to this, companies are able to keep their systems and processes completely in sync and can unlock new levels of adaptability to make sure their end-users can quickly respond to changing business needs.
This was when we realized that instead of trying to create one tool that manages everything, we’d instead focus on a tool that helps businesses get more out of the tools they already have. Something that puts business processes front and center, and makes technology fit the process (instead of the other way around).
Novacura was founded in February 2005. The first system developer was hired at the beginning of 2006. Since then, the company has grown to 15 offices in 9 countries on 3 continents. And we continue to grow organically, year after year.
Why? Because our customers have seen real value in what Novacura provides them: a way to easily adapt to changes, continuously improve their business processes, and significantly improve their profits year after year.
Contact:
Novacura Australia
Anders Liljeqvist, Director & Sales Manager AU/NZ
anders.liljeqvist@novacura.com
www.novacura.com
ABB and IKEA represented at Engineers Australia online event – The future of transport is electric
On September 15 SACC Members ABB and IKEA were represented at an Engineers Australia online event – Thought Leaders Series: The future of transport is electric
Online event content and focus:
A discussion on the key considerations for fleet operators today, such as electrical infrastructure, charging and power demands, to future-proof their transport needs.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
SPEAKERS
Dr Alina Dini
Founder and CEO, Whirl
Dr Alina Dini is captivated by renewable energy innovation and how it can build long term financial and climate resilience. Alina’s experiences delivering energy and sustainability programs include working alongside some of the world’s leading innovators – such as Tesla’s founders and Australia’s first Renewable Energy Commissioner.
As Founder and CEO of Whirl, a peer-based digital marketplace re-imagining the shopping experience for energy technologies like electric cars, Alina brings a human element into technology topics and works with everyday people, businesses, and communities to help them harness energy innovations.
Brendan Groll
Customer Fulfilment Strategic Sourcing Manager, IKEA Australia
Brendan is the Customer Fulfillment Strategic Sourcing Manager for IKEA Australia. He has over 30 years’ experience in Retail Transport & Logistics Leadership roles, including time with David Jones Ltd, Steinhoff Group (now Greenlit Brands) prior to IKEA. Brendan is responsible for IKEA Australia’s transport, delivery & services operations. This includes driving the IKEA Australia zero emissions strategy and working with IKEA’s service partner fleet transformation towards agreed sustainability and emission targets.
Sean Stove
Transport Segment Lead, ABB Australia
Sean Stove is ABB Australia’s head of transportation and rail segments, having been involved in the rail sector since 2003. Joining ABB in 1997, Sean has held numerous senior roles in sales, operations and business development across Asia Pacific and Europe. In this role, he is responsible for leading ABB’s offering to the rail and transportation industry, from innovative solutions for rolling stock propulsion to energy efficient solutions for power infrastructure to software optimisation for asset health and management. After completing his Electrical Certificate from Christchurch Polytechnic, Sean became a graduate of the University of Queensland’s Mt Eliza MBA Program and completed the Senior Leadership Development program at the International Institute for Management Development in Lausanne, Switzerland.
VIEW ONLINE EVENT RECORDING
Embassy of Sweden and SACC online event 7 Sept – Roadmaps for Fossil Free Competitiveness
S
ummary and Recording of the Event
Roadmaps for Fossil Free Competitiveness – Challenges and Opportunities Towards Net Zero Emissions
The idea for this webinar was initiated during a SACC Sustainability Committee meeting. Our dynamic sustainability group, with representatives from a range of Swedish companies and business organisations, wanted to learn more about Fossil Free Sweden, the roadmaps and the bottom up approach and challenge towards net zero emissions from the industry in Sweden.
A Team Sweden event was presented on 7 September by Embassy of Sweden and Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce together with Fossil Free Sweden. Introducing Fossil Free Sweden and the roadmaps to a broad Australian audience that joined and contributed to the discussion.
A prominent list of panellists was part of the discussion;
Fossil Free Sweden is a national initiative working to increase the pace of the climate transition. 22 Industry Roadmaps have been created to identify opportunities that the climate transition can provide for these industries and how it can be used as a commercial advantage. With a “bottom-up approach” industries created their own vision and targets and identified obstacles and proposals for solutions towards their journey for a fossil free competitiveness delivering on Sweden’s national net zero greenhouse gas emission target by 2045.
VIEW SLIDES FROM THE PRESENTATION HERE
VIEW THE ONLINE RECORDING HERE: Roadmaps for Fossil Free Competitiveness – Webinar 7 September 2021 – YouTube
Keep your eyes on the SACC socials Linkedin and Facebook for further updates as announcements are made about future events, and check out the Recent Events and Webinars page on the SACC website for summaries and recordings of our recent presentations. Please contact us for questions and further information: sacc@swedishchamber.com.au.
Swedish Chambers APAC Online Event 2 Sept with Economist Klas Eklund
Summary and recording of Swedish Chambers APAC Online Event 2 Sept with Economist Mr Klas Eklund, Senior Economist at Mannheimer Swartling, on the World Economy
During this virtual fireside-style chat, we were given the rare opportunity to tap into the wealth of knowledge of Mr Eklund and gain insight into his views and perspectives of the world economy in the wake of the pandemic. The session includes Q&A from the audience.
In recent years, much of Mr Eklund’s work has been dedicated to the economics of climate change. He has published several books on the topic and he has been a member of the Swedish initiative Task Force on Green Finance Reform and Green Transformation – CCICED (China Council of International Co-operation and Environmental Development). To the younger Swedish audience, Mr Eklund is well-known for his tongue-in-cheek educational short films Klas Förklarar, where he explains fundamental economic terms and concepts – including the corona crisis – in a plain and simple language.
Mr Eklund will be introduced by Jakob Ragnwaldh, Partner, Mannheimer Swartling Singapore.
Moderators: Emil Akander, Sweden’s Trade Commissioner to Singapore, and Lisa Ferraton, General Manager, Swedish Chamber of Commerce Singapore.
SACC contact: sacc@swedishchamber.com.au
VIEW ONLINE EVENT RECORDING
Summary and recording SACC online event 26 Aug – Insight to the Gaming Industry
The gaming industry is arguably one of the most important and innovative sectors in tech today. Its importance to culture, social networking and entertainment cannot be understated. The term “entertainment industry” is no longer reserved for the film industry as gaming is now providing one of the most immersive forms of entertainment to more than two billion people around the globe.
At this online event we listen to topic experts Tomas Rossel, Founder of Spawn Ventures Roger Clarke, Managing Director at Koch Media (owned by listed Swedish company Embracer Group).
Tomas and Roger shared their insight on the gaming industry, its size, value chain, key industry players, industry trends and what’s new in Australia and Sweden.
The event included an interactive Q&A session with the option to ask live questions.
For more information contact: Tomas Rossel on tomas@spawnventures.vc or Roger Clarke on r.clarke@kochmedia.com.au
VIEW THE RECORDING HERE