News from the Business Community
- Saab and France strengthen cooperation with GlobalEye contract
- Smartports expands its footprint in France with new strategic contracts
- EQT strengthens its position in Waga Energy
- French Bank Natixis Backs Swedish EV Brand Polestar with Major Investment

Eco Bulletin Board
- “Made with Sweden” initiative to promote foreign trade in 2026
- Sweden and France strengthen their defense partnership

Insights from Brussels
- Newsletter flash from our member KREAB in Brussels

Culture
- Formes Ouvertes - Swedish Design in Paris

• Access to exclusive events
• Networking opportunities with key stakeholders
• Increased visibility across French-Swedish business platforms

• Gain deeper insights into how Swedish companies perceive the business climate in France and internationally
• Identify trends, opportunities and challenges, enabling Team Sweden, investors and other stakeholders to provide more targeted and effective support
• Strengthen the positioning and visibility of Swedish companies in France and on global markets

• Emma Thibaud, Portfolio Manager Industry, Agence des participations de l'État.

• Aurelia N Guessan, Senior Consultant Sustainability, Deloitte
• Sofie Lindström, Investment Banking Analyst, Goldman Sachs
• David Fogelberg, Responsable partenariats entreprises, Ecole nationale des points et chaussées

Rivieraklubben is seeking a new, engaged leader who wants to help drive the association forward and further strengthen its position as the largest foreign association for Swedes in a single country.

The association aims to support its members in their everyday life in France, promote knowledge of French culture and society, and create social connection through shared experiences.

The office is located in Cagnes-sur-Mer.
Apply by 28 of February.
 

Rejoignez-nous pour un rendez-vous avec IKEA for Business & Hej!Workshop, comprenant une présentation, des témoignages ainsi qu’une visite de l’espace.

L’événement mettra en avant les solutions d’IKEA pour les pros pour accompagner les professionnels dans leurs projets d’aménagement, de la conception à l’installation. Les participants découvriront également le témoignage de Maison Kyka, visiteront les espaces de Hej!Workshop et profiteront d’un moment de networking autour d’un cocktail, dans un cadre mêlant design suédois et coworking à la française.
 

Venue: CCSF, 39 avenue Pierre Ier de Serbie, Paris 8
Topic: TBC

Reserved for premium-members.

This YP afterwork explores the theme “Tale Me More: Better Understand Yourself to Better Position Yourself” and is organised in collaboration with Lincoln.

Designed for Young Professionals, the session focuses on self-assessment and self-awareness as key drivers for personal and professional development.
 

This March marks the launch of the first edition of our Franco-Swedish leadership and management training in Stockholm.
The Swedish Chamber of Commerce in France and the French Chamber of Commerce in Sweden have partnered to launch this new training programme in intercultural management, in collaboration with the Svensk-Franska Språkfonden Foundation.

Succeeding on the French market requires more than business expertise. A solid understanding of leadership, management practices, and business culture, combined with insight into the differences between the French and Swedish models, is key.

This programme is aimed at professionals based in Sweden working in companies or organisations involved in French-Swedish business relations.
 

Join us for this years rooftop terrace mingle. A networking event where our new and current members can connect. New members will get an introduction and be able to present themselves to the rest of the network.

For members only.

At CCSF.

The Annual General Meeting of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in France (CCSF) brings together members and partners for an evening dedicated to exchange, reflection and networking.

Information on how to register coming soon.

Team Sweden in France is pleased to invite you to a presentation of the Business Climate Survey France 2026.

The report and subsequent discussions will offer valuable insights into the economic outlook, key market trends, and the performance of Swedish companies operating in France.

The presentations will be followed by a panel discussion with company leaders.

More information and registration details coming soon.

As mentioned in our previous newsletter, Cathrine Vautrin, the French Minister of Defence, visited Saab’s production facility for GlobalEye in Linköping in late November. In the context of ongoing discussions between Saab and French authorities, with a letter of intent signed in June, Saab and the French General Directorate of Armaments (Direction Générale de l’Armement – DGA) entered into a contract on 30 December for two GlobalEye Early Warning and Control (AEW&C) aircraft, including ground equipment, training and support. The order value is approximately SEK 12.3 billion and deliveries will take place 2029-2032.

Micael Johansson, President and CEO of Saab says that the order underscores the robust partnership between Saab and France.

Smartports strengthens its position in the French market. Among the new clients are the municipality of Trainou, as well as several destinations in the Auvergne region, including La Maison de l'Aubrac and Hôtel Enzo Green Clermont-Ferrand. Furthermore, Smartports has entered into contracts with Groupe BDL and the Centre Commercial du Pontet, further strengthening its presence in retail locations.

According to Smartports France, there is growing interest from municipalities and property owners seeking to combine sustainability with long-term value creation. In France, these new projects demonstrate how existing parking areas can play a central role in the energy transition.

Smartports is a CCSF member and a Swedish startup focused on transforming parking lots into revenue-generating energy hubs by combining solar panels, EV charging infrastructure and battery storage.

Following a simplified public tender offer (OPA) closed on 12 December 2025, the Swedish investment company now holds 85.88% of Waga Energy’s share capital and voting rights. EQT had already held 54% of the French renewable natural gas producer’s share capital, which is derived from waste storage facilities.

The company is valued at approximately €534 million, and EQT has announced its intention to initiate a mandatory squeeze-out procedure to delist the company from Euronext Paris.

This investment by the French investment bank follows a capital increase in which the Spanish bank BBVA also injected USD 150 million, bringing the total capital increase for the electric vehicle manufacturer to USD 300 million.

Polestar is a Swedish electric performance car brand with a focus on uncompromised design and innovation, and the ambition to accelerate the change towards a sustainable future. Polestar launched its activities in France during 2025.

On 18 December, the Swedish government unveiled “Made with Sweden”, the new strategy for brand Sweden, an initiative to increase Swedish exports, promote investment and strengthen international cooperation in a time of growing protectionism. Sweden aims to strengthen its image as an open country at a time of global trade slowdown. Unlike the traditional “Made in” label, the new approach focuses more on the geographical origin of a product, emphasizing the logic of partnership rather than that of success alone for the country’s foreign trade.

The initiative will include special promotion initiatives in countries with potential for entering into free trade agreements, better follow-up of how embassies and Team Sweden actors contribute to deals for Swedish companies, and initiatives to attract world-class talent to Sweden.
 

In a time of security policy turbulence, marked by rising tensions between major powers and Russia’s continued war of aggression against Ukraine, strong alliances and reliable partners are essential. The cooperation between Sweden and France stands out as a clear example of how European nations are taking joint responsibility for shared security.

During a visit to Norrbotten, the Supreme Commander of the Swedish Armed Forces, General Michael Claesson, and France’s Chief of Defence, General Fabien Mandon, further deepened the already strong and trust-based relationship between the two countries. The visit aimed to strengthen cooperation bilaterally, within NATO, and in European and international frameworks.

Focus was placed on Arctic operational capability and the strategic importance of Norrbotten and the High North, where demanding conditions, operational reality, and allied cooperation converge. France’s increased engagement in the region contributes to strengthening both the Alliance and Europe’s overall deterrence.

The space domain was also highlighted as an integral part of modern military capability, with clear areas where Sweden and France can develop together, particularly in research and development. The visit confirmed France as a key European partner and underscored the importance of continued cooperation to meet today’s threats and tomorrow’s challenges together with allies in NATO and Europe.

After months of negotiations, the European Parliament and Council have reached an agreement on the 2040 climate target during, setting a legally binding objective for the European Union to cut net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 90% by 2040 compared to 1990 levels.

In practice, 85% of GHG emissions reduction will have to be achieved within the EU and an additional 5% via international carbon credits from 2036. Strict safeguards have been pushed by the European Parliament to ensure they do not infringe on human rights, do not contribute to environmental damage, and result in permanent carbon emissions reduction in third countries that would not have occurred otherwise.

Member States and MEPs also agreed to postpone the start of the new Emissions Trading System for buildings and road transport (ETS2) by one year, from 2027 to 2028. The ETS2, initially planned to be launched in 2027, will extend the EU’s carbon pricing system to new sectors, including fuel used for road transport and for heating buildings. International carbon credits will also play a role for compliance in the EU ETS2.

Next steps 
The agreement must now be formally approved by the Parliament and the Council before entering into force.

After a year and a half of negotiations, the co-legislators have formally adopted the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), an instrument designed to boost the EU’s defence readiness by strengthening the competitiveness and responsiveness of the European Defence Technology and Industrial Base (EDTIB). The provisional agreement between the Council and the Parliament confirms the budget proposed by the European Commission, i.e. €1.5 billion, in the form of grants. Out of this amount, €300 million will be channeled for a dedicated Ukraine Support Instrument, with Kyiv invited to participate.

The EDIP proposal is the first operational measure of the European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS), presented by the European Commission and the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy in March 2024. It builds on two ongoing EU instruments: the instrument for the reinforcement of the European defence industry through common procurement (EDIRPA) and the regulation on supporting ammunition production (ASAP).

EDIP will operate under the new European armament framework, offering easier rules, VAT exemptions, and better financing options. Most significantly, the Parliament and Council agreed on a “buy European” principle, which requires at least 65% of the cost of components in funded defence projects to originate from the EU or associated countries. As such, the regulation contains a clause establishing that components originating outside the EU and associated countries (EEA states), as well as Ukraine for the Ukraine Support Instrument, should not exceed 35% of total component costs of the end product. Also, no components may be sourced from non-associated countries that conflict with the EU’s or member states’ security and defence interests, in order to safeguard and strengthen the EU defence industry, while still maintaining cooperation with likeminded international partners.

Next steps
The EDIP regulation was signed on 17 December 2025 and entered into force on the day following its publication in the Official Journal of the European Union.

Currently on view at the Institut suédois, Formes Ouvertes invites visitors into the world of contemporary Swedish design where creativity, craftsmanship, and sustainability meet. Formes Ouvertes explores nearly thirty years of work by Olle Bærtling (1911–1981), one of the most iconic figures of geometric abstraction in Swedish art, presented at the Swedish Institute in Paris. The exhibition brings together designers, artists, and architects who experiment with materials, forms, and processes, highlighting design as something open, evolving, and deeply connected to societal and environmental questions.

A must-see exhibition for anyone curious about Nordic creativity and innovation, right in the heart of Paris.