Stockholm the capital of Scandinavia. Ten years on

Abstract

Stockholm the Capital of Scandinavia has now been in place as a marketing platform for the city of Stockholm for over 10 years and has been through three different political administrations – an achievement in itself. Here the person behind the original strategy, Julian Stubbs, recounts how it came about and examines some of the key elements. An interview with Ola Zetterberg, CEO of Stockholm Business Region, provides insights into the strategy from both a business and political viewpoint and the article goes on to look at the Stockholm Business Alliance and how the strategy has had a positive impact on a wider region around the city. The article goes on to look at the results in terms of numbers, looking at tourism and the inward investment perspective. The article also examines the challenges and things still left to be done in the Stockholm region. These include its competition with the Oresund Region (Copenhagen - Malmö region now known as Greater Copenhagen), the proposed 8 million city high-speed rail link project, the challenge of not having a strong hub airport in Stockholm region, and how the life science industry is in danger of slipping off the map if it is not better promoted and co-ordinated. The article finally touches on the challenges of affordable housing, architecture and even the lack of a strong film industry in the region.