- Most Swedish businesses are satisfied with their investment levels over past three years.
- Swedish firms well ahead of other EU-based companies in having women in senior roles.
- Companies in Sweden more positive than peers elsewhere in Europe about economic climate and business prospects.
Most Swedish firms – 73% – have taken actions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and are more likely than businesses elsewhere in Europe to have invested in sustainable transport, according to a European Investment Bank (EIB) Group survey. Swedish companies also have done more than the European Union average in embracing digital technologies, new country results from the EIB Group Investment Survey (EIBIS) show.
EIBIS is an annual report based on polling of approximately 13,000 firms across all EU Member States plus a sample from the United States. Its main results were released in October 2024, showing that EU businesses lead way in investments in climate mitigation and adaptation.
The detailed country reports for individual EU countries were released today. Key takeaways for Sweden include:
- Nearly half of Swedish firms – 49% – consider the transition to stricter climate regulations as an opportunity over the next five years compared with a 29% average among EU businesses.
- Large Swedish companies are more likely than EU firms on average to take action to guard against climate-change risks.
- Swedish firms are more likely to have 40% or more of women in senior management compared with the EU average.
- Swedish businesses are positive about the availability of external and internal financing sources, with more expecting improvement rather than a deterioration of financial conditions, in line with peers elsewhere in the EU.
- Large companies in Sweden have the highest levels of digital use while construction firms and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMES) have the lowest.
“Swedish firms in balance are much more positive than EU peers about the economic climate and business prospects,” said EIB Vice president Thomas Östros. “Looking ahead, businesses in the country expect to prioritise capacity expansion investment, while facing similar challenges as EU peers, such as the lack of availability of skilled staff.”
The full country report about Sweden is available here.
"European companies are making significant progress in tackling climate change and embracing digital transformation across the board," said EIB Chief Economist Debora Revoltella. "However, enhancing EU investment necessitates a more cohesive and integrated single market."
Survey results feed into the annual Investment Report, the flagship publication of the EIB Group’s Economics Department, gauging the investment outlook for Europe’s economy. The next Investment Report will be released on 5 March 2025 during the annual EIB Group Forum in Luxembourg.
The annual Forum brings together key stakeholders from the government, business and finance domains to exchange views on investment priorities that support Europe's policies, including industrial decarbonisation, artificial intelligence, the Capital Markets Union, security, housing and EU enlargement. The theme of this year’s event is Investing in a more sustainable and secure Europe.
Background information
The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, we finance investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union, and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world.
The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.
In 2024, the EIB Group signed €1.9 billion in new financing for projects in Sweden, supporting investment to tackle pollution, promote advanced manufacturing, and improve sustainable transport infrastructure.