This analysis report gives an overview of the chemical industry in Sweden in the year 2014. The report highlights some important industry features and discusses the structure of the chemical industry. The report is brief and its main aim is to serve as a basis for discussion as well as give insights and ideas for further studies of the chemical industry in Sweden including other parts of the innovation system connected to it. The report is essentially an update of an earlier report, Vinnova Report/Analysis VA 2013:01, but with the addition of data for competence analysis.
The study covers about 515 companies – out of which roughly 440 were active year 2014 – and gives a snapshot of the companies’ activities in Sweden in the year 2014. The companies are grouped by business segment, activity category, region and export intensity. Companies involved only in sales, marketing and/or transport of chemical products have not been included, neither has manufacturing of plastic products. In the year 2014 the chemical industry in Sweden accounted for about 33 000 FTE (full time employments). Between the years 2007 and 2010 the employment in the included companies decreased by 3 500 FTE, however, after year 2010 the decrease has stagnated and between years 2010 and 2014 the employment in the included companies only decreased by 1 500 FTE. The decrease is most significant within the business segments “Pharmaceutical products, regents, etc.” and the “Organic and inorganic basic chemicals”.