New opportunities for support and networking in California

During the opening of the Consulate General, which is inaugurated by the Crown Princess Couple, a Swedish delegation with representatives from business and academia participates. The focus of the delegation is on AI, and they will visit, among others, OpenAI, Google, Meta, Chan Zuckerberg Foundation, NVIDIA, Intel and Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence. How Sweden can continue to be a leading technology nation and how we can strengthen our collaboration with business and academia in Silicon Valley are issues that will be discussed.

Along for the trip is, among others, Vinnova's director general Darja Isaksson.

- Many Swedes live in California and they are active in AI, IT and other technological developments that take place here. Key technologies for our common future are being developed here, and it is important that Sweden and Swedish companies are a force to be reckoned with in the green transition, she says.

The Consulate General strengthens Sweden's presence in the United States and the opportunities to actively promote trade and Sweden, as well as provide consular support in the area of operations. The Consulate General will be an important partner for Vinnova, which has had a presence in Silicon Valley since 2012. Over the years, Vinnova has built a strong ecosystem in Silicon Valley, which is the basis for knowledge development and relationship building with Swedish areas of strength.

Furthermore, the work aims to increase the visibility of Sweden as an attractive country to cooperate with. Together with corresponding organizations in the Nordic countries, Vinnova has created Nordic Innovation House in Palo Alto.

- We are on site in Silicon Valley to help Swedish actors and innovative companies to benefit from the region's unique innovation climate and ecosystem. That Sweden now opens a consulate general here increases Sweden's visibility and gives us even better conditions to develop the innovation system between Sweden and California, says Inger Gustafsson, site manager at Vinnova's office in Palo Alto.