Sweden eyes partnerships with Qatar in fintech, startup sectors

Sweden aims to increase cooperation and launch partnerships with Qatar on internationalisation strategies, fintech (financial technology) development, and strengthening of both countries’ startup sectors.
To foster dialogue, mutual cooperation and trade between Qatar and Sweden, the embassy of Sweden in Qatar has arranged for a visiting programme this week of the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce (SCC) and a delegation of startup and business representatives, according to ambassador Ewa Polano.
Polano said SCC CEO Maria Rankka and chief economist Andreas Hatzigeorgiou held a meeting yesterday with Omar Hussain Alfardan, president and CEO of the Alfardan Group.
The chamber is also expected to meet with Tarik Yousef, director of Brookings Doha Centre; Youssef al-Jaidah, CEO of Qatar Financial Centre; and with officials of the Qatar Chamber. The group also met Abdulla al-Mehshadi, CEO of Msheireb Properties, and Egbert Shillings, CEO of the World Innovation Summit on Health, among others.
Polano said the chamber’s visit aims to create strategic partnerships between the two countries in two key areas.
“First, the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce has followed and is strongly impressed by Qatar’s internationalisation strategy. Qatar’s successes in education, mega events, and elsewhere have made it an international role model with which the chamber wishes to cooperate. Stockholm is currently making a concise effort to develop such an internationalisation strategy, and see Qatar as a future partner for knowledge sharing in these areas.
“Secondly, the chamber would like to make connections with local decision makers to find areas of potential future cooperation, especially within the fintech and startup sectors, but also on sustainable urban development,” Polano said.
She noted that Qatar’s paradigm shift from oil and gas dependency into a diversified economy and a knowledge-based society, relies on a “triple helix approach” between the government, education, and private sectors.
“This is the same triple helix approach that has been successful in launching Sweden from the depths of poverty one hundred years ago, to the top of economic and social indexes today, with a progressive, diversified and knowledge based economy.
“I am thoroughly impressed by the great strides Qatar has made towards this goal already, and by the high ambitions of the great Qatari leadership, so excellently laid out in the Qatar National Vision 2030. Because of our shared reliance on this triple helix approach, Qatar and Sweden are natural partners for the road ahead,” Polano said.