Tetra Pak and saveBOARD launches Australia’s first food & beverage carton recycler facility in NSW

The official opening of Australia’s first food and beverage carton recycling took place on Tuesday 21 February at the New South Wales, saveBOARD recycling facility in Warragamba. This local bespoke solution for beverage cartons, is a significant milestone and a huge step towards our shared environmental goals. A first of its kind in Australia, this facility will remanufacture the entire carton into low carbon construction materials for homes and offices, without using any additional water, adhesives, or chemicals, making it a truly sustainable product.

Cartons are one of the most sustainable packaging options for milk and juice beverages in Australia as they are made mostly of renewable paper fibre, and very little material is needed to safely package food or beverages. However, due to a shortage of suitable infrastructure in Australia many cartons aren’t currently being recycled. This new facility will provide a local recycling solution in Australia, contributing to the circular economy, and could reduce the dependency of exportation of cartons for recycling overseas.

saveBOARD is an industry-led collaboration between Tetra Pak and other carton manufacturers, Closed Loop, and Freightways. The boards produced at the facility can be used as a substitute for plasterboard and the saveBOARD technology provides a zero waste to landfill solution as any offcuts are reused and end-of-life boards can be remanufactured into new boards.

 

Orders from big organisations and corporations will create demand for the saveBOARD product, which in turn could mean less carbons emissions compared to the production of other construction boards. Not only is there zero manufacturing waste, but the production process uses zero water or chemicals, producing zero VOC emissions or formaldehyde.

At the opening ceremony of the facility co-hosted by saveBOARD and Tetra Pak, saveBOARD CEO and co-founder Paul Charteris said: “It’s exciting to finally be opening the first saveBOARD facility in Australia, supporting the circular economy to make a real impact to the environment and climate change. This facility will enhance the construction industry’s drive towards more sustainable construction practices, while also showing consumers the importance and value in recycling and opting for recyclable products in their day-to-day lives.”

Tetra Pak Australia and New Zealand Managing Director Andrew Pooch said: “We’re incredibly proud to be part of this sustainability journey alongside saveBOARD, as we look at even more innovative ways we can convert carton packaging waste into useful applications, and contribute to a strong circular economy.

“This is part of our ongoing sustainability commitment, as we look to enable more packaging to become 100 percent recyclable or reusable, in line with the 2025 National Packaging Targets. By partnering with saveBOARD, we’re showing that innovation in recycling comes in many forms, and consumers can see first-hand how they can contribute to a more sustainable future,” Mr Pooch said.

For further information, contact:  

Flavia Vaz, Head of Public Affairs and Government Relations at Tetra Pak

Email: flavia.vaz@tetrapak.com

Web: www.tetrapak.com/en-anz

 

Presenting new Honorary Board Members of the Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce

The Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce is pleased to announce that we in 2022-2023 welcomed 10 new Honorary Members of the SACC Board.

Our Honorary Board Members are also Advisory Board Members with focus to give advice and support within their area of expertise or network. Honorary Board Members don’t have to attend board meetings but they are in the loop with important information and can be invited to board meetings individually.

The SACC is honoured to have such high-caliber members of the Australian and Swedish business and educational network on our board and we are excited about our future collaboration.

Presenting all Honorary Board Members here:

HE Pontus Melander

Ambassador of Sweden to Australia New Zealand and the South Sea Islands

Mr. Pontus Melander is since October 10, 2022, Ambassador of Sweden to Australia. Before coming to Australia, he served as Deputy Head of the Security Department at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Between 2017 and 2019, he served as Sweden’s Ambassador to Iraq. Previously, he was Ambassador at large at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Ambassador at Swedish Armed Forces between 2008 and 2010. Over the years, Mr. Melander has held various positions abroad, including at the Embassy of Sweden to Canada, the Embassy of Sweden to the United States and the Permanent Representation of Sweden to the European Union in Brussels. At the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, he has held positions as Ambassador and Energy Coordinator and Ambassador and Chief Coordinator for Export Support to the Defense Industry. In addition, he has worked at the Office of the European Correspondent, Department for European Affairs and the Trade Department. Mr. Melander received his Master of Science in Politics, Economy and International Law at the University of Lund 1989. He has also received higher management training in the Swedish Armed Forces and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Mr. Melander is married and has four children.

James Letherbarrow

Honorary Consul General of Sweden (NSW)

James is an extensively experienced and goal-oriented CFO and Operations professional with more than 20 years of experience in finance and operational management. He has worked within the Media, Digital, Telecommunications and Banking sectors. James is currently the CFO & Director of Operations at Enigma Communication. Enigma is an Advertising, Media, Public Relations and Branding Agency which is in the business of delivering clients an unfair share by solving business issues creatively and intelligently. With longstanding family ties to Sweden, James resides in Sydney and has been the Honorary Consul General of Sweden (NSW) since January 2018. LinkedIn: James Letherbarrow

Martin Ekberg

Swedish Trade and Invest Commissioner to Australia, New Zeeland and the Pacific Islands

During the last two decades, Martin has been assisting Swedish multinationals achieving organic and inorganic growth. He is an experienced advisor in the field of international business development focusing on growth strategies, M&A, and transformational programs across a wide variety of industries. Before joining Business Sweden Martin was part of Accenture Europe’s Strategy and M&A service line. LinkedIn: Martin Ekberg

Jason Collins

Chief Executive Officer, European Australian Business Council Chair, European Business Organisations Worldwide (EBO)

Jason Collins was appointed Chief Executive Officer of the European Australian Business Council (EABC) in 2007. As CEO, Jason leads a team responsible for the delivery of the Council’s business advocacy and policy programmes, membership and institutional relations with government agencies, chambers, industry groups, and other stakeholders. He is also the Chair of European Business Organisations (EBO Worldwide), a peak association headquartered in Brussels of European chambers of commerce and business councils in over fifty countries across Africa, the Americas, Asia, the Indo-Pacific, and in Europe. He also serves as the Honorary Consul of the Kingdom of Belgium in Sydney. Jason is a non-executive director and chair of the governance, nomination & remuneration committee of Business Events Sydney; a member of Screen Producers Australia’s export advisory council; Chair of the Australia Youth Trust; and a former Chair of the Australasian Sponsorship Marketing Association. He also serves on the advisory boards of various Australian and Europe-based government, research centres and industry bodies, including the UTS Business School Dean’s Industry Advisory Board, and is a regular commentator on trade and investment issues at business events and in the media. Linkedin: Jason Collins

Liv Berg

Honorary Solicitor of the Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce

Senior Legal Counsel for Baby Bunting

Liv is a Senior Legal Counsel for Baby Bunting where she passionately assists the business with all legal matters. Liv provides critical legal support across the business, including with an increasing number of strategic initiatives as well as on day-to-day issues and ASX and head office related matters. Prior to joining Baby Bunting, Liv was working as a Director in the PwC Deals practice with a focus on the development of the firm’s integrated X-Los offering in the Australian transactions market working especially with PwC’s private equity clients. Liv’s background is in corporate law, having particular expertise in private and public M&A transactions and joint ventures. During her time at PwC Legal and before that Baker McKenzie, she has advised a number of private and public companies and private equity clients on Australian and offshore acquisitions and divestments as well as joint ventures, equity capital markets transactions, restructures and general commercial work. LinkedIn: Liv Berg

Petra Andrén

Head of Innovation Districts, Greater Cities Commission, NSW Government

Petra is a global business executive, innovation leader, experienced board member and tech investor with >25 years experience traversing international markets and advanced technology sectors. Petra has deep expertise in navigating the complexities of taking IP-rich technologies to market, supporting and scaling high growth technology ventures, and building high impact innovation ecosystems. Having held executive roles driving innovation for global corporations, research org, start-ups, VC and government, Petra brings a unique skill set to the innovation space. Currently, Petra leads the Greater Cities Commission’s work on Innovation Districts and clusters across NSW, accelerating the move towards a knowledge based economy. Most recently, Petra managed the Life sciences investments for Minderoo & Tattarang, Australia’s largest private investment group, developing an investment mandate for a new $250m funding vehicle. Prior to this, she was the CEO and creator of Australia’s first deep tech incubator, Cicada Innovations. LinkedIn: Petra Andrén

Rickard Gardell

Pacific Equity Partners – Managing Director – Buyout and Secure Assets, Capital Solutions, Gateway, Founding Partner

Rickard is a founder of Pacific Equity Partners and a member of the firm’s Operating Committee. Prior to founding PEP, Rickard was a Director of Bain & Company and had 14 years of consulting experience in Europe, Asia and Australasia. Rickard received a Bachelor of Science from the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) (1981-84) where he was awarded Carl Liljevalchs Scholar and IMP Scholar. As IMP scholar, he attended the MBA program at McGill University for half of his last year.

Regina Summer

Director Strategic Partnerships at Swedish Incubators & Science Parks (SISP) 

Regina Summer has more than 20 years of experience working in the Swedish innovation eco-system from both an academic, a business and a public agency perspective. Her previous position was Chief Strategy Officer International Collaborations at Vinnova and prior to that she was the head of unit Green growth and innovation at the Swedish Agency for regional and economic growth. She is also the founder of Sweden Innovation Days and the coordinator for Vinnovas participation at COP27. Today she is the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Swedish Incubators & Science Parks (SISP). SISP is the Swedish industry association for Sweden’s incubators and science parks. LinkedIn: Regina Summer

 

Dr Nicole T Garofano

Head of Circular Economy Development for Planet Ark Environmental Foundation

Dr Nicole Garofano is the Head of Circular Economy Development for Planet Ark. In her role, Nicole is leading the ongoing strategic development of the Australian Circular Economy (ACE) Hub. For more than 15 years, Nicole has worked in environmental education and action with a focus on waste management and more recently, circular economy. She has designed and managed community-based initiatives to increase sorting, collection and processing of a range of packaging materials, including plastic. Nicole has a PhD from research focused on the plastic food and beverage packaging value chain, identifying both local and global innovation to improve chain activities and outcomes. She is an Associate of the Australian Institute of Packaging. LinkedIn: Dr Nicole T Garofano

Kieran Schneemann

Sustainability Lead, Special Counsel to AstraZeneca Australia and New Zealand

Kieran has a unique range of relevant work experience over 30 years, working at senior levels of Government, initially in the Federal Public Service and then as Chief of Staff to senior Cabinet Ministers, in the Federal Government. His experience has been augmented by senior executive positions in strategic consulting, Medicines Australia, Pharmacy Guild and Multinational Pharmaceutical Companies. His most recent position at AstraZeneca is Director of Government Affairs and Sustainability Lead. He was also a member of the Executive Management Team.  Kieran’s experience spans across government and corporate affairs, strategy, campaigns, market access, communications, patient advocacy, business development and pharmaceutical manufacturing. Kieran has also direct experience in the Charity and Not for Profit Sectors serving on the Boards of Canteen and the Australian Clinical Trials Alliance. LinkedIn: Kieran Schneemann

Professor Glenn Wightwick

Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Enterprise at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS)

Professor Glenn Wightwick is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Enterprise at the University of Technology Sydney (UTS) where he has responsibility for the university’s entrepreneurship, enterprise learning, industry engagement and precinct strategy.  Prior to this, he was Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research for 3.5 years.  He spent 27 years working at IBM in Australia, the USA and China in a variety of technical and leadership roles in systems engineering, development and research.  He is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technology and Engineering, a Fellow of the Royal Society of NSW and a Senior Fellow of the IEEE.  He is Co-Chair of 2SER, a community radio station jointly owned by UTS and Macquarie University and is on the board of the Sydney Quantum Academy and SCECGS Redlands. LinkedIn: Glenn Wightwick

Ajit Singh, FCPA, FIPA, CMA

Vice President – Group Tax, APAC & VP Company Control Asia Oceania at Volvo Group

Ajit was born and educated in Fiji, with an Accounting and Economics degree. Ajit immigrated to Australia in 1989, and has held various senior finance and related positions in a variety of industries. In 2002 Ajit joined Volvo Group in Australia Pty Ltd, managing various corporate functions, including tax, transfer pricing, legal & compliance, statutory compliance and corporate governance. Ajit Singh currently holds the position of Vice President, Accounting & Company Control, Asia Oceania within the Volvo Group. He is also a Director of Volvo Group Australia and Volvo Treasury Australia Pty Ltd. Ajit is married with two children and lives in Brisbane. LinkedIn: Ajit Singh

 

SACC and the Board

Introducing the new Ambassador of Sweden to Australia

HE Mr. Pontus Melander is since October 10, 2022, Ambassador of Sweden to Australia.

Before coming to Australia, he served as Deputy Head of the Security Department at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. Between 2017 and 2019, he served as Sweden’s Ambassador to Iraq.

Previously, he was Ambassador at large at the Ministry for Foreign Affairs and Ambassador at Swedish Armed Forces between 2008 and 2010.

Over the years, Mr. Melander has held various positions abroad, including at the Embassy of Sweden to Canada, the Embassy of Sweden to the United States and the Permanent Representation of Sweden to the European Union in Brussels. At the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, he has held positions as Ambassador and Energy Coordinator and Ambassador and Chief Coordinator for Export Support to the Defense Industry. In addition, he has worked at the Office of the European Correspondent, Department for European Affairs and the Trade Department.

Mr. Melander received his Master of Science in Politics, Economy and International Law at the University of Lund 1989. He has also received higher management training in the Swedish Armed Forces and the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

Mr. Melander is married and has four children.

Photo: Kristian Pohl

Sweden to hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union 1 Jan – 30 June 2023

Presidency of the Council

The Presidency of the Council rotates between EU Member States every six months. During a six-month period, the Presidency will drive forward the Council’s work on EU legislation, ensure continuity of the EU agenda and ensure that legislative processes are carried out in an orderly manner and that Member States cooperate.

The two main tasks of the Presidency are to plan and chair the meetings of the Council and its preparatory bodies and to represent the Council in its relations with other EU institutions.

Sweden will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union from 1 January to 30 June 2023.

The four priorities of the Swedish Presidency

  • Security – unity
  • Resilience – competitiveness
  • Prosperity – green & energy transition
  • Democratic values and the rule of law – our foundation

The priorities of the Swedish Presidency reflect positions that Sweden has traditionally advocated in the EU, but also respond to the current geopolitical and economic challenges facing the Union.

More detailed information on the priorities is available on the official website of the Swedish Presidency

Other related links:

Sweden’s Presidency of the Council of the EU – Government.se

https://www.government.se/articles/2022/12/2023-swedish-presidency-in-focus-during-european-parliaments-stockholm-visit/

Session Podcasts – Swedish Australian Innovation Technology and Design Summit

View the video clip presenting the Summit here: https://youtu.be/ueJWugiR80Y

Listen to the podcasts from the Swedish Australian Innovation Technology and Design Summit.

We are presenting all 10 sessions presented during the two day Innovation Summit together with links to all material presented by our speakers.

Session 1 – OPENING OF THE SUMMIT 

Session 2 – INNOVATION

PowerPoint Presentation – Innovation

 

Session 3 – SUSTAINABLE FUTURE 

PowerPoint Presentation – Sustainable Future

 

Session 4 – SUSTAINABLE CITIES, SMART CITIES

Video clip – Sustainable Cities, Smart Cities

PowerPoint Presentation – Sustainable Cities, Smart Cities

 

 

Session 5 – CIRCULAR ECONOMY – INNOVATION IN SUSTAINABLE FOOD SYSTEMS

Video clip – Innovation in Sustainable Food Systems

PowerPoint Presentation – Circular Economy – Innovation in Sustainable Food Systems

 

Session 6 – THE FUTURE OF ADVANCED MANUFACTURING

PowerPoint Presentation – The Future of Advanced Manufacturing

ABB and Volvo Group Australia Videos

UTS Tech Lab Video

 

 

Session 7 – SUSTAINABLE FASHION AND DESIGN

PowerPoint Presentation – Sustainable Fashion & Design

IKEA video

TreeToTextile video

 

 

Session 8 – 5G A CATALYST FOR DIGITALISATION

PowerPoint Presentation – 5G A Catalyst for Digitalisation

 

Session 9 – HEALTHCARE INNOVATION

PowerPoint Presentation – Healthcare Innovation

 

Session 10 – KEY COMPETENCES AND SKILLS FOR THE FUTURE

 

Summary – Swedish Australian Innovation, Technology and Design Summit 28-29 September 2022

Over two days at the end of September, SACC gathered a few hundred academics, students, government representatives as well as business leaders and innovators, representing a large number of industries, for the first of its kind – the Swedish Australian Innovation, Technology and Design Summit.

The purpose of this Summit was to highlight Swedish innovation, technology, design and sustainability initiatives. We presented examples of key innovation breakthroughs and featured successful Swedish-Australian collaboration and knowledge exchange, R&D and creative business development between Sweden and Australia.Together with partners, we provided a platform to connect involved industries with relevant stakeholders within the corporate sector, government, academia and the research and development community. Through the summit, we raised awareness about the Swedish contribution to economic and technological development in Australia. We initiated new opportunities for collaboration within technology, design and sustainability to stimulate innovation and growth and to support a high-quality R&D ecosystem.

Together with co-host, the University of Technology Sydney, in their stunning Great hall, we held 10 sessions offering in-depth knowledge on a number of engaging topics (see full program here). The event covered many topical focus areas, and the sessions included thought-leadership panellists, who all provided the audience with perspectives that were both informative and educational as well as provocative.

Official dignitaries included The Hon. Alister Henskens, SC MP, New South Wales Minister for Enterprise, Investment and Trade, Minister for Sport, Minister for Skills and Training, and Minister for Science, Innovation and Technology. Guest of Honour was Ambassador of Sweden to Australia, HE Pontus Melander.

The common denominator throughout the entire summit was sustainable innovation, sustainable design and development and how government and different industries are working towards a net zero future.

So, what did we learn?

We learnt that we need to consider the human impact of innovation.

That many businesses and official agencies have the ambition to commence their sustainability journey but they don’t know where to start.

We also learned that we need to shift the business model, with circularity at the core of each process in the business.

We learned that there’s a full shift in business and for example in construction: we used to build things, now we are solving problems.

We learned that for innovations to be affordable – or they won’t be used. And if it is not easy to use – it won’t be used.

We learned that if we want to accelerate the adoption of 5G, we need to own the problem, know the problem and then find out how technology can solve the problem. We need a digital vision and replace old solutions with something smart, not just replace an existing model.

The carrying theme throughout the sessions was collaboration and how working together across sectors can but also even with traditional competitors to share lessons learned and build broad and viable solutions.

During the session on sustainability in fashion, we learned some confronting statistics. 70% of all clothes bought in Australia are deposited into landfill within 12 months after purchase. This number has more than doubled since year 2000, and Australia has the second position in the world of fashion waste per capita in the world, with 15 kilos per capita.

We also learned that we are all part of the solution for a net zero future and that we need to create citizenship around sustainable behaviours.

The manufacturing model is also rapidly adopting to meet more sustainable sourcing of raw materials, or rather, materials to not only recycle but also to reuse and re-manufacture.

We also discussed how our cities will become smarter and in doing so, also become more sustainable and indeed, safer. Utilising data within the whole transport sector already is delivering incremental change, in particular in safety. By enabling different road users to collaboratively, capture and transmit data, vehicles and vulnerable road users like cyclists, delivers robust outcomes and prevent avoidable accidents.

The two days were packed with generous sharing of best practice and absolutely evoked more bilateral as well as local collaboration and new networks.

The SACC is proud to have played an active role in establishing new business connections between Sweden and Australia and supporting knowledge sharing and business opportunities for more than one hundred years. And now also in the area of sustainability.

The Nordic countries have collectively been called “the Silicon Valley of Europe” for innovation, sustainability and green economy. SACC will continue to invite and engage members to explore pathways forward towards a net zero economy and enable trade and knowledge exchange between Australia and Sweden.

Photogaphy by Raquel Pires www.raquelpiresphotography.com

PRESENTING THE INNOVATION SUMMIT PARTNERS CLICK HERE TO READ MORE

 

For more information contact SACC at sacc@swedishchamber.com.au

Related links:

Europe’s most innovative countries

https://www.weforum.org/videos/europe-s-most-innovative-countries

5 reasons why Swedes are world-leading innovators

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umWKUmSYNbA&t=14s&ab_channel=Sweden

ENTRIES OPEN – 2022 SWEDISH BUSINESS IN AUSTRALIA AWARDS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The SACC invite companies and professionals to participate in the 2022 Swedish Business in Australia Awards.

The awards provide a great platform for companies to showcase their business within the Swedish-Australian business community. These awards also offer a great opportunity for companies to be recognised at a state as well as national level for being a business leader in its field or have specific expertise and of course, these awards offer everyone participating, invaluable promotional opportunities. The Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce was founded in 1911 and we feel very proud of celebrating 111 years of dedication to create, promote, add value and support a sustainable Swedish-Australian business network.

The awards are run on a non-profit basis and promote Swedish related business activities in Australia as well as recognising organisations and individuals that help give Swedish business in Australia a positive profile. As in previous years, we are pleased to have the opportunity to co-host this event with the Embassy of Sweden. Eligible winners of the Business Awards will be presented at the Annual Awards Event in Sydney (more details to be announced).

Benefits of entering

  • Gain recognition at regional, state and national level
  • Raise the profile and showcase businesses/professionals throughout the awards campaign
  • Build a reputation for excellence within and outside of your industry
  • Boost employer morale through the recounting of business success
  • Marketing opportunities
  • Credibility and endorsement as a leading business/professional

Read more about the awards and enter here

THE 2021 AWARD WINNERS 

 

Four inspirational companies – newcomers as well as established – won the 2021 Awards, showcasing the successful Sweden–Australia business connection.

 

Excellence in Business Enterprise

This award was open to all Swedish or Swedish-Australian businesses; large or small, newcomer or established. Here we highlight businesses or organisations that have achieved outstanding results through initiatives that demonstrate excellence in business management, a significant project, implementing progressive sustainability strategy, innovative campaign or product, marketing/branding or a new enterprise launch.

 

The Excellence in Business Enterprise Award for 2021 was granted to Ericsson Australia with Husqvarna and Randek as runner ups.

Ericsson Australia has been integral in evolving Australia’s telecommunications industry through the development of innovative technologies and solutions. From the first public telephone system in 1959 to the first 5G network in the Southern Hemisphere in 2020, Ericsson has partnered with operators to cement Australia as a global technology leader. Just in the last 18 months, Ericsson has helped connect over 3 million customers to 5G and is collaborating with partners to evolve 5G networks as a platform for innovation to support Australia’s digital future.

Ericsson’s Managing Director Australia and New Zealand says: “I’m thrilled that Ericsson has been presented with the Excellence in Business Enterprise award at the 2021 Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce Swedish Business in Australia Awards.

First established in 1876 in Stockholm, we are proud of our Swedish heritage. Our technology innovation has positioned Australia as one of the global leaders in 5G, but it is the imprint of the founder, Lars Magnus Ericsson, who believed access to communication is a basic human right, that remains unmistakable to this day.

In 130 plus years, Ericsson Australia has grown from sales and repair shops to a household name, helping to create sustainable change and transforming nearly every sector of society. Whether it be the launch of Australia’s first public telephone system, or supporting the roll-out of the Southern Hemisphere’s first 5G network, Ericsson has placed the Swedish innovation at the very heart of Australia’s telco industry and ensured that Australia is at the cutting edge of technology.” www.ericsson.com/en

Excellence in Sustainability

The Sustainability award recognises organisations that execute initiatives that demonstrate leadership and commitment to sustainable business practices in planning, operations, marketing and/or in line with the United Nations 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s). We encouraged businesses of all sizes and sectors that go above and beyond to achieve any of the SDG’s, to reduce the impact of their operations on the environment and/or provide products and services that have positive environmental outcomes.

As many Swedish organisations are advanced in this area it was difficult for the jury to select a winner within this category with the impressive runner up companies, Alfa Laval and Axis Communications.

 

The Excellence in Sustainability Award for 2021 was awarded to AstraZeneca Australia. AstraZeneca is part of the global science-led biopharmaceutical company and is engaged in the research, development, manufacture and supply of medicines, that are committed to making a real difference to the lives of Australians.

AstraZeneca Australia’s policy and values embrace sustainable priorities such as; disease prevention and treatment, product environment stewardship, greenhouse gas reduction, water and power stewardship, waste management, responsible supply chain management, ethical business culture, inclusion and diversity and workforce well being and safety.

Two main sustainability initiatives stood out for the jury: “Their decision to provide a COVID vaccine to protect all people at cost and no profit during the pandemic period; and initiating the largest private greening venture in Australia (with Greening Australia), planting 25 million trees to recover native growth following the bushfires 2019-20”. AstraZeneca Australia integrated sustainability into every aspect of their enterprise, going beyond meeting annual and longer-term targets, to evolving a mindset and practices to meet changing and challenging times, well beyond their core business. www.astrazeneca.com.au

 

Excellence in Small Business

This award recognises a business that has attained significant growth and is able to demonstrate the specific strategies and processes implemented to achieve sustainable growth in the last year. 

The 2021 Excellence in Small Business Award was secured by E3 Health, taking the lead over strong runner up companies Fallon Dasey Content and TePe.

E3 Health was established in 2017 as a consulting firm supporting medical technology companies with commercialisation. The first Swedish product, launched in Australia in 2019, was Pjama a washable pyjama for bedwetters invented in Sweden 2014. Pjama has to date generated over $325K in sales and with the right strategies well executed can generate more than $1M in sales annually. More than 1000 children and adults with bedwetting problems in Australia have had a positive life-changing experience thanks to Pjama. More than 1000 children and adults with bedwetting problems in Australia have had a positive life-changing experience thanks to Pjama.

With the launch of Hipsafety’s hip protective clothing, the elderly community has a new unique solution available to improve quality of life.  The wearer can feel safe, comfortable and confident during their activity of choice. “E3 Health edged the other finalists out for its impressive growth in challenging times, as well as the heartwarming customer feedback. As the product offering expands growth is set to accelerate.” e3health.com.au

Excellence in Community Contribution

The Excellence in Community Contribution Award recognises businesses/organisations/individuals that implement initiatives that have a positive impact on the community and generate outcomes that have a long-term benefit. Initiatives can include but are not limited to projects, programs, processes, systems, developments, ventures and undertakings.

This new award for 2021 went to much deserving Elekta, who provides radiation therapy, radiosurgery, related equipment and clinical management for the treatment of cancer and brain disorders.

Elekta is working to broaden cancer treatment availability through new solutions and training so that new, state-of-the-art technology becomes available to everyone in the community. “As technology continues to improve, it requires companies like Elekta to bring it to market to ensure cancer survival rates continue to improve. This enables cancer survivors to live a longer, more improved quality of life.”

Clinicians are inspired by Elekta’s innovative, outcome driven and cost-efficient solutions which allow them to treat more patients and achieve elevated treatment outcomes. Through awareness and advocacy of radiation therapy and the use of Elekta solutions, patients are inspired to take active participation in their cancer journey and seek the best treatment outcomes to extend their life. www.elekta.com

 

The SACC would like to thank all company members who participated in the 2021 Business Awards. 

www.swedishchamber.com.au

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SWEDEN – WINNERS OF THE NORDIC OPEN GOLF DAY 2022

The 2022 Nordic Open Golf Day at Moore Park Golf, Sydney turned out to be a fantastic day with 76 players from the Nordic and Estonian Chambers and more guests arriving for the post game lunch.

This year Sweden took home the trophy with team SignUp Software, the first runner-up was Norway with team 8×8, the second runner-up was Sweden with team EQT Group and the third runner-up was Finland with a mixed team.

We were pleased to welcome the Ambassador of Sweden to Australia HE Henrik Cederin, who participated in the tournament and celebration lunch.

Volvo Car Australia sponsored the HiO with a Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric, no lucky/skilled HiO winner but on the green. 

This annual golf day is a great networking and social event in a relaxed setting but the competition for the trophy is on and with the help of the Golf app players could follow the interactive scorecards and live leader board which added to the comp.

The Nordic Open Golf Day Trophy winner for 2022 was Sweden by corporate team SignUp Software, with Magnus Perri, Graham Rout, Lachlan Jones and Gareth Thomas. Runner up was Norway with team 8×8, Brend Johnston, Brendan Maree, Tim Williams and Vahe Hamparian. Second runner up was taken home by Swedish team EQT Partners with Sam Franklin, Harry O’Neill, Harry Brynes Howe and Hyebin Ko. The third runner up team was Finland with Eero Toivanen, Joona Puhakka Joakim Westerholm and Anssi Paatero. Congrats to the overall winners!

The Individual prizes for Nearest to Pin were won by Camilla Bowhill, Sandcaslte Finance and Mikko Mannerkorpi, Wärtsilä. The individual prizes for the Longest Drive went to Hyebin Ko and Harry Brynes Howe both from EQT Partners. Congrats all, fantastic effort!

All players had a chance to win a brand new Volvo XC40 Recharge Pure Electric with a hole-in-one on hole 10. No players were lucky or skilled to hit the hole in one but there were some close attempts. Team Fiskars won the Corporate team draw prize, sponsored by Amire Strategic Digital Marketing. A Harahorn G&T was handed out to everyone who hit the green on hole 15 and there were many great lucky door prizes to be won by all.

New for the Nordic Open Golf Day 2022 was the Putting Competition which took place in front of the club house throughout the day for golfers and lunch only participants. The winner for the 2022 Putting comp was Joona Puhakka from Coredo, runner up was Fredrik Avellen from Optimity and second runner up was Mikko Mannerkorpi from Wärtsilä.

Well done to you all as it was not easy to get close to that pin and thanks to all who took part in this new comp.

The Ambassador of Sweden to Australia HE Henrik Cederin, enjoyed the participation in the golf tournament again this year, playing in a SACC corporate team together with Mikael Dahlgren, Alfa Laval, Jussi Ylinen, Flick Anticimex and Michael Calvert, ABB.

Danish Connect was represented by their President David McLellan, Minna Monaghan and Anssi Paatero represented FACC, EACCI by President Marianna Jolla, NACC by President Sophia Demetriades Toftdahl and SACC by President Jan Gardberg and Camilla Jennings General Manager, SACC. Thank you for your support and contribution to making this event happen.

We would like to express a huge thank you to all Event Sponsors; Volvo Car Australia, Elekta, Finnair, Fiskars, Iagon, Paradise Charnock O’Brien, SignUp Software and Wärtsilä. A big thank you also goes to all Prize Sponsors; Amire Strategic Digital Marketing, Caddie Snacks, Ecope, Euro Drinks, Harahorn Gin, Iittala, Kopparberg, Nordic Fusion, Marimekko, Milla’s Vineyard Wines, Moore Park Golf, Voss and 8×8. A final thank you to all participants and to the Nordic and Estonian Chambers for kicking off this event for the 6th year and to Moore Park Golf Club for hosting this annual event. Read the full event summary here.

We look forward to next year’s Nordic Open Golf Day, which is planned to be held the first week in March 2023. We welcome new event ideas, feedback and if you would like to get involved please contact us:
sacc@swedishchamber.com.au

 

The SACC Sustainability Committee Launch Event on 6 April at the Embassy of Sweden in Canberra

The Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce launches Sustainability Committee to inspire and accelerate sustainability actions across corporate Australia

7 April 2022, Canberra: The Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce (SACC) today announced that it has launched its sustainability committee to advocate for corporate Australia to champion best practice in sustainable business practice and take an active stance on the transition to a net zero economy. The SACC Sustainability Committee was officially launched at an event hosted by the Embassy of Sweden, in Canberra, officiated by His Excellency, Henrik Cederin, Ambassador of Sweden to Australia.

The SACC Sustainability Committee consists of fourteen global companies with long standing presence in Australia, recognized within their respective industries as being in the forefront of sustainability. These companies include ABB, Alfa Laval, AstraZeneca, Getinge, H&M, IKEA Australia, Sandvik, Serneke, Tetra Pak, Volvo Group Australia, BCSD Australia, Embassy of Sweden, Business Sweden and the Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce.

Carin Varverud-Hardin, Chair of the SACC Sustainability Committee, said: “Swedish companies are leading the way in how they actively respond to climate change. The aim of our sustainability committee is to share global best practices with corporate Australia so that we can inspire faster and greater action, and create a platform where companies can learn from each other”.

Camilla Jennings, General Manager of the Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce said: “Sweden is recognised as one of the most sustainable countries in the world. The Swedish government has set ambitious goals for sustainability, including going fossil-free by 2045 and 100 percent renewable energy”.

“This ambition extends to the Swedish corporate sector as well, and so we are seeing a lot of innovative practices that are driving real and tangible results in achieving the UN’s sustainable development goals such as reduction of carbon emissions and driving equality in the workplace,” said Ms Jennings.

Some of these best practices include:

ABB has committed to becoming carbon neutral across its own operations and enable its customers to reduce their CO2 emissions by 100 megatons per year through its technologies.

Alfa Laval collaborates with cleantech pioneers to accelerate the energy transition, such as Australian start up RayGen building the world-first ‘hydro-solar’ thermal storage power plant in Victoria. Alfa Laval also set itself the target to become a climate neutral company by 2030.

AstraZeneca has partnered with Greening Australia to plant 25 million trees in Australia by 2025, as a result of the ‘AZ Forest’ Global initiative.

Getinge is transforming its corporate fleet to hybrids and electrical vehicles and switching to renewable energy sources in production.

IKEA uses more renewable and recycled materials than ever to eliminate waste in its operations and to change how they design products. They have set a goal to become climate positive by 2030.

Sandvik has ambitious sustainability targets that take a holistic approach that includes customers, suppliers and their own operations in its scope which are in line with the Science Based Targets initiative (SBTi). They have committed to become the leaders in battery electric trucks, loaders and drills which feature zero underground emissions, produce less noise and heat and help their mining customers reach their Net Zero targets.

Tetra Pak is working towards delivering the world’s most sustainable packaging, made solely of responsibly sourced renewable or recycled materials, fully recyclable and carbon-neutral.

Volvo Group’s long-term ambition is to lead the industry towards net-zero emissions. The Group have committed to net-zero emissions across their value chain by 2040. More than 35% of vehicle sales will be electric by 2030.

Read more about the Committee Members and their Sustainability Initiatives here

About the Committee, Vision and Focus

For further information, contact:  

Carin Varverud Härdin, SACC Sustainability Committee Chair and Vice President of Marketing Communications, Volvo Group Australia

Email: carin.varverud-hardin@volvo.com

Camilla Jennings, General Manager Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce

Email: camilla@swedishchamber.com.au

 

Swedish – Australian Innovation, Technology and Design Summit 28-29 September 2022

Swedish – Australian Innovation, Technology and Design Summit 28-29 September 2022, University of Technology Sydney

This two-day Summit held at the University of Technology Sydney is a new initiative organised by the Swedish Australian Chamber of Commerce in collaboration with UTS, the Embassy of Sweden, Business Sweden and partner companies. The purpose to highlight Swedish-Australian innovation, technology and design, raise the profile of Sweden and Australia as innovative nations.

During the 2 day Summit, we will present examples of innovative cooperation, knowledge exchange, R&D and creative business development between Sweden and Australia. Highlight key initiatives and new areas of cooperation to drive innovation and sustainability in the future.

Partner companies and organisations will showcase and inform about their innovation initiatives within tech, sustainability and design. Offer demonstrations and informative topic presentations to students, business contacts, special guests and clients. Facilitate master classes for students, thought leadership talks and thought-provoking conversations to share expertise and spark new ideas. There will be on stage in person and hybrid talks, presentations, panel discussions as well as smaller group sessions on specific topics. The Summit also offers great networking opportunities and ends with a Gala Dinner on 29 September.

Keep an eye on Socials and the SACC website for partner and event updates.

Contact us for more information on sacc@swedishchamber.com.au