Staying a few days in Gothenburg (Sweden) gave me the insight that the wheels are rolling again, thanks to Volvo and the deal with Chinese Geely and Volvo Car. Volvo is the engine of Gothenburg, close to all people have a relationship to the old traditional car manufacturing industry. Me too. Volvo Group had a fantastic quarterly result, and the deal between the sister company Volvo Car and Geely gave hope and expansion possibilities. However, something else happened, beyond that the money flows in the system again. Something cosmopolitical. Global capital has hit Gothenburg in a good way, at least for now. Volvo people I talk to tell me that they expect many Chinese people in the Volvo Car factory and the headquarter this autumn, just after the deal is finally closed with Geely. But it is not the usual jargon that you might expect from a Gothenburg citizen (which, by the way, is very funny and facetious). When talking to my old friends, business contacts and people general it is with mixed feelings they talk about Geely and Volvo. The deal can give new opportunities, new challenges, as well as potential trouble at the global arena. One example of progress in the bilateral connection between Sweden and China is that Volvo Construction Equipment increased it export to Chine with 50% in the last year.
When standing on the main street (Avenyn) in Gothenburg late last evening, you could feel the atmosphere in the air. Excitement, curiosity, entrepreneurship and adrenalin. It is like when you graduated, you needed to pass the last exam and then the world was open to you. At least for a while… People are back in business again, the town have just graduated and passed with an A in globalization!
I keep my finger crossed, go for it!
