KUALA LUMPUR: Sweden is keen on collaborating with Malaysia, given the substantial potential for growth and cooperation in sustainable practices to bolster sustainable initiatives and foster a green transition.
Swedish ambassador to Malaysia Dr Joachim Bergstrom said Swedish companies in Malaysia have been actively engaging with local stakeholders to drive sustainable agendas, focusing on sectors such as green manufacturing, transport, mobility and energy transition.
“I think that we will potentially see increased trade within the energy transition area, where companies can supply storage and transmission facilities for biofuels and waste energy.
“In many ways, Sweden and Malaysia are very like-minded. We are both strong democracies, who profit from free trade and rules-based world order, two small countries with a long history and tradition in trading, besides having been neutral and non-aligned for many years,“ he told Bernama.
Bergstrom noted that recent discourse between the two nations has centred around developing joint efforts to combat climate change and promote sustainable practices.
“Notably, the ‘Pioneer the Possible’ initiative serves as a platform to facilitate collaboration and raise awareness regarding sustainability goals,” he added.
Launched in 2023, the platform aims to boost green transition in Malaysia through collaboration between Swedish companies such as Volvo Trucks and Atlas Copco as well as local stakeholders, said Trade Commissioner of Sweden to Malaysia, Emma Broms.
“The Malaysian Green Technology and Climate Change and Business Sweden had inked a memorandum of understanding, and there is also the collaboration with the Federation of Malaysian Manufacturers, other local stakeholders and ministries within this programme,” she said.
There are currently over 80 active Swedish companies based in Malaysia, with close to 9,000 employees working with local counterparts to increase access to green energy.
Broms emphasised Malaysia's potential to become a crucial partner in Asean-European Union bilateral trade and economic strengthening.
“Digitalisation is one of the areas where we will see a lot of development going forward. Ericsson is currently rolling out the 5G network in Malaysia, paving the way for other companies providing solutions,” she said.
She added that Sweden also has much to offer in terms of cybersecurity, which would become increasingly important going forward.
“We also see numerous developments in the healthcare area as there is a growing demand for medical devices and digital e-health solutions,” she said.
Broms also noted that a new production facility for electrically-powered mining vehicles is being constructed by Swedish company, Sandvik, in Sendayan TechValley business park, near Seremban.
“There is already a lot of development happening, with Swedish investments into Malaysia amounting to US$500 million (RM2.34 billion), making Malaysia one of the largest receivers of Swedish investment,” she added.
