This is the first of three columns originally published in Dragon News, the membership magazine of the Swedish Chamber of Commerce (in China).

In China people often ask how a small country like Sweden can have so many internationally successful companies. While planning for the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai we gave this question some extra thought. You will be able to see, feel and hear the answer in the Swedish pavilion next year.

We believe that creativity and innovation are two very important factors in the equation that has made Sweden what it is today. The question is – where does this ingeniousness come from?

We say play.

The fact that we as small children were given possibility to learn and develop – while playing – probably laid the foundation. Then Pippi came along, teaching us to turn all given things upside down. Everyone knows there are (at least) two ways to sleep in a bed – either with your head or your feet on the pillow. We also know that learning the “pluttifickationstabell” is the main reason some kids want to start school and for others it is all about getting the occasional school holidays. We know that there is more than one way to do something and therefore most matters are worth twisting and turning. As a result we can enjoy clever things like sustainable city planning, flat furniture packages, the dialysis-machine, V-style ski-jumping and hit music, all from Sweden.

Now when China is clearly signaling that they would like to add the tag “Created in China” to the widely known “Made in China” Sweden has every opportunity to participate in a fun and rewarding dialogue on creativity and innovation.

The Swedish pavilion will therefore, over the course of six months, give 70 million visitors the opportunity to play and explore innovative solutions to real challenges. The groundbreaking ceremony was held in Shanghai on April 20^th 2009, on May 14^th this year the pavilion was launched in Sweden and May 1^st next year the Expo 2010 in Shanghai will open.

Welcome!

Marie Wennberg

Springtime is a PR- and communications firm with over ten years experience of brand building in China. Springtime is also the lead agency in charge of designing the Swedish exhibition at the World Expo 2010 in Shanghai. The theme of the Swedish exhibition is “Spirit of innovation” and, together with our partners Futurniture, Tengbom Architects and Eastwei Relations, we have developed the concept and given form to the exhibition.