This is Bluewater’s home country SWEDEN Discover one of the world’s most innovative countries, home to the Nobel Prizes, ABBA, Pippi Longstocking, the Midnight Sun and raw herring. Written by David Noble, who has enjoyed a 45 year long love affair with Sweden and all things Swedish. INNOVATION RULES Swede’s are seemingly always on a mission to innovate, engineering new industrial, communication and social processes. Little wonder then that they rank one of the most innovative countries in the world. Swedish Vikings founded the first kingdom of Russia. All the Tsars of Russia until the last one, Nicholas II, were of Swedish Viking descent. Swede’s also tend to be a friendly lot. They certainly say ‘thank you’, or ‘tack’, at almost every opportunity, sometimes even saying it twice… ‘tack, tack’! Sweden is very much a country of dark and light. In the winter, the sun barely rises during the day in the far north of the country, and doesn’t set at all in the middle of summer. Little wonder perhaps that Swedes celebrate Midsummer in mid-June with abandon and joy. That’s one pre-conception you can forget. Sweden today is a multi-racial country with almost 12 percent of its population representing over 190 different cultures. In reflection of their egalitarian attitude to life, Swedes appear to also love queuing – they line up at every opportunity. Because ‘fair play’, equality and transparency are a backbone of Swedish society, Swedes will patiently wait their turn in line, no matter how long it takes, regardless of social status, gender and even age. Gender equality is self-evident in Sweden. You are as likely to see a woman behind the wheel of a 90-ton truck or taxi, as a man. With 47 percent of parliamentarians female, Sweden boasts the highest number of women lawmakers in the world. Rich in timber and iron ore, Sweden’s exports are engineering led, paced by the likes of Volvo Cars, SKF and Sandvik. But, believe it or not, the third largest export industry is music thanks in part to the likes of ABBA, The Cardigans and Swedish House Mafia. And Swedish dads have the same legal rights to share baby-care paternity leave as moms. Visit any city park in the summer months and you’ll see as many Swedish dads as moms changing diapers, feeding and playing with their children – a sight seldom seen elsewhere. Today’s Sweden is a modern, eco-conscious and very safe country, with a great global reputation - a heritage Bluewater is proud to reflect in it’s belief that everyone has the right to drink pure water and breathe clean air. So are Swedes all blond and tall with blue eyes? 3 FOOD FEST ALWAYS TIME FOR A PARTY Sweden has helped put meatballs and crisp bread on the table’s of people around the world. The nation’s love for food is probably best epitomized by the famed Swedish smorgasbord, a buffet that sees tables groaning under a vast collection of fish and multiple flavored pickled herrings, meat dishes ranging from sausages to ham, and vegetables and fruit. With dancing around maypoles and parties everywhere, Midsummer celebrations are probably the most typical tradition of any in Sweden. However, they are almost matched by the annual uninhibited crayfish parties accompanied by raucous singing of snaps songs that sweep the country during the warm August nights. Imported crayfish from the U.S. and China compete every year for the ‘best in class’ title, although most Swedes will insist that Sweden’s own exclusive crayfish rank tops in taste (problem is, they are in very short supply). hauts crayfish 4 A PLACE TO LOVE A PLACE TO BE From the air, Sweden is a land of boundless forest and lakes. A place where access to nature and all its bounties is a basic human right. Sweden teams with wildlife. Bears, lynx and wolves roam the northern forests. Wild salmon frolic in the many raging rivers, and swans and geese flock to lakeside hideaways in the summer. Little wonder that northern Sweden has been dubbed Europe’s last wilderness. Sweden’s relationship with China started in earnest three centuries ago and was cemented in the 1700s with trading trips between Gothenburg, on Sweden’s West coast, and Guangzou, once known as Canton. Yet for all its natural serenity, Sweden also rates one of the most creative countries in the world, famed for being technologically savvy, and open to new ideas and boasting a highly skilled workforce. Around the same time, during the American Revolutionary war, the Kingdom of Sweden became the first country not involved in the conflict to recognize The United States of America. Sweden is the 3rd largest country in Europe, stretching 1,600 kilometers from the mountains and tundras of the north above the Arctic Circle to the sweeping agricultural pastures of the south. That trading tradition lives on today. Progressive Sweden was the first western country to establish diplomatic relations with the new People’s Republic of China in May, 1950. Since Viking times, Swedes have always been great traders. Sweden’s peaceful trading relationship with powerhouse nations like the USA and China goes back hundreds of years. Swedish inventors have given the world lifechanging ideas and technologies. From ball bearings to dynamite, pacemakers to Tetrapaks, and telephone handsets to flat screen monitors. Around the world, we zip up our jeans using a 1913 Swedish invention, the zipper. And we make free phone calls using another novel Swedish idea, Skype, while over 25 million of us listen to music streamed free and legally by Spotify, the 2008 brainchild of Swede Daniel Ek. Alingsås, Sweden. Photography:Poyan Panah 6 The architecture of Sweden’s major cities reflect the creativity of the nation’s engineers. In Swedens capital, Stockholm, the 110 kilometer metro subway ranks one of the world’s longest art exhibitions. The metros 100 stations have been given a dazzling makeover by over 150 artists, who have created spellbinding results that transform the subterranean transport system into a world of color and visual stimulation. THE WORLD’S LONGEST ART EXHIBITION 8 Blueair Sense blueair.com WORLD BEATING TECHNOLOGIES Tap water in Sweden is widely acclaimed for being good to drink. But in the countryside where many Swedes have summer cottages and pump water from the lakes, underground wells and Baltic Sea, the water can be brackish. Bluewater’s leading edge SuperiorOsmosis™ technology was innovated to take away hard-to-remove salt as well as other contaminants, leaving water as pristine and pure as nature intended. Bluewater Spirit bluewater.se WORLD CLASS DESIGN Sweden is seen internationally as embodying all that is best about Scandinavian design. This style – often referred to as minimalist – developed during the Second World War, with clean, simple lines and a strong emphasis on functionality. Typifying modern Swedish design ethos is the Stockholm-based Claesson Koivisto Rune architecture and design agency. Multi-disciplinary in orientation, the agency success story includes the likes of the Sfera Building in Kyoto, Japan, and designs for manufacturers such as Cappellini and Blueair. They were the first architect agency in Sweden to be exhibited in the international section of the prestigious Venice Architecture Biennale (2004). Swedish furniture design has been extremely successful, with everything from stick-back, Windsor-style chairs – which remain extremely popular – to more sophisticated but still practical pieces. APARTMENT WITH BRASS CUBE CLAESSON KOIVISTO RUNE 10 9.6 MILLION PEOPLE #1 EXPORTER OF MUSIC PER GDP 180 SHOPS IN EUROPES LARGEST MALL; NORDSTAN 48% OF ENERGY FROM RENEWABLES 1994 561 NOBEL PRIZES WON OF SWEDENS WASTE IS RECYCLED 30 1943 IKEA FOUNDED 85% OF SWEDES LIVE IN A CITY 625 480 1% GAY SEX IS LEGALIZED AVERAGE AGE A SWEDISH WOMAN GIVES BIRTH OLYMPIC GOLD MEDALS 95% OF GLASS IS RECYCLED 99% DAYS OF PARENTAL LEAVE OF SWEDENS WASTE GOES TO A RUBBISH DUMP 70% 3rd OF METAL IS RECYCLED LARGEST COUNTRY IN EUROPE Data taken from sweden.se 2014 12 I ROLL Volvo’s home city, Gothenburg on Sweden’s west coast, is famed for the friendliness of its citizens. Just like their counterparts in China’s Chengdu, Gothenburgers appreciate nothing more than a day out at the fun-filled Liseberg amusement park enjoying the rides and other facilities. It was in Gothenburg that the first Volvo car rolled off the production line on April 14, 1927. Nicknamed Jakob, the car was built to be strong to cope with Sweden’s climate and rough terrain of the era. Not surprising then that the name Volvo is Latin for ‘I roll’. Net Car Show Volvo P18 The Volvo P1800 designed by Pelle Petterson. 14 THE ULTIMATE FEMINIST Pippi Longstocking symbolizes the ideal of egalitarian Sweden. A place where people strive to be true to themselves and those around them. Written by Astrid Lindgren, the books were first published in 1945. Since then, their appeal has seen the books translated into over 70 languages and adapted into numerous films and television series. So what’s so special about Pippi? • Independent, naturally kind hearted, and has superhuman strength. • She can look after herself • She likes new things and is open to adventure • She accepts herself as she is • Is always ready to help her friends • She thinks its very okay to be a girl • Pippi believes life is to be lived and people can be anything they want CARING, INDEPENDENT AND CHALLENGING 16 Nathalie Nordquist as Pippi Longstocking Photo: Alexander Kenney BIG COUNTRY, BIG HEART Sweden is the 3rd largest country in Europe, stretching 1,600 kilometers from the mountains and tundras of the north above the Arctic Circle to the sweeping agricultural pastures of the south. With strict waste management regulations, Sweden consistently ranks at the top of the cleanest countries in Europe league, winning praise for its clean water and air. More than 40% of the energy use in Sweden comes from renewable sources. Hydropower is the second major source of alternative energy. Sweden has some of the best recycling rates in the world, with over 95% of glass getting recycled, 85% of newspapers, 70% of metal and 65% of plastic. And municipalities are required to organize systems for collecting discarded batteries, for example. 18 BLUEWATER, MADE IN SWEDEN We Innovate, manufacture and bring to market our patented SuperiorOsmosis™ water purifiers for home and business use. Bluewater’s innovative water purifiers are innovated with love in Sweden to turn tap water into healthier drinking water. Bluewater Group Danderydsgatan 11 114 26 Stockholm Sweden @BluewaterPure +46 (0) 8-564 738 00 [email protected] www.bluewatergroup.com BluewaterPureWater BluewaterPure Turning tap water into healthier drinking water
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