Stockholm, Sweden

Stockholm is the capital of Sweden, and is also the largest city with a population size of 788,269 in 2007. Geographically, Stockholm is located on Sweden's east coast, where Lake Malaren meets the Baltic Sea. Many Stockholmians work in the service industry, account for about 85% of the jobs in Stockholm. In the last decade, many high technology companies such as IBM, Ericsson, and Electrolux have located here making Stockholm a  major regional IT center.

In October 2008, Stockholm will host the European Technology Round Table Exhibition (ETRE 2008). This premier event is focused on the movers and shakers of the global technology industry, and the conference will bring more than 700  key decision makers from 40 countries to Stockholm. The purpose is to exchange insights, discover innovative technologies, secure funding, and establish new alliances and solidity existing partnerships.

Stockholm is Scandinavia's trendsetting cultural city with many unique galleries and museums, a world class dining scene, and music production. Stockholm is growing as a city, and estimates show that by 2030 it will have more than one million residents. The need for real estate for this new growth makes investment in Stockholm very attractive. As a matter of fact, Swedish commercial property is among the most attractive in Europe with Stockholm attracting more of the interest from investors. Next to Southeast Asia, many believe that the Baltic region will have the strongest growth in the coming decades opening the doors to trade and investment.

43 percent of the 645,000 private sector employees in Stockholm are employed by an export company, and most exports are to the Nordic and other European countries. In 2006, companies in Stockholm County had 3,967 foreign subsidiaries, and 252 are located in North America. The service sector including retailing, business consulting, business services, hotels and restaurants, health care, finance, R&D, and telecommunication account for 70  percent of both businesses and occupations in the private sector. Manufacturing, construction, and transportation account for roughly 25 percent of businesses and employees in the private sector. The finance sector is especially important  as many of Sweden's largest banks and insurance companies are headquartered in Stockholm. 

Sweden is Miami-Dade's 46th trading partner in 2007 with a trade volume of $229.82 million. Miami International Airport reported $13.6 million in export cargo in 2006, and $40.8 million in imports. The Port of Miami handles approximately 46,265 TEUS in imports, and 20,920 TEUS in exports. Stockholm became a Miami-Dade Sister City in 1995.