The President of the Swedish Business Association (SBA), Bohdan Senchuk, has told The Journalist about the idea of creating the organization, its mission, activities and ambitious plans for the future.
– Mr. Senchuk, tell us about how has been SBA established? What has been achieved during its existence?
– The Swedish Business Association was established at the end of summer 2017. This is a public union of the Swedish and Ukrainian companies working on promoting their ideas and products. Actually, the idea of establishing the organization arose considering to a need to promote Swedish solutions and Swedish experience in Ukraine. For less than two years 13 companies have become SBA members: Volvo, Scania, SKF, Sigma Software, BZK Grain Alliance, PNB Hill + Knowlton Strategies, Primozone, COSA, Cargotec, Monvair, VÄDERSTAD, Octopus, Altas Copco. These are mainly Swedish companies which represent well-known brands in various sectors and in various business areas.
Within the SBA framework we have created several platforms. As of today there are five of them:
• CleanTech Initiative;
• ICT Connection;
• Agri and Food Processing;
• MedTech;
• Road Safery Initiative.
– Why did you decide to create the platforms?
Since they create an opportunity for even the competing companies to complement one other. The CleanTech Initiative combines everything related to renewable energy, heat, cold, waste recycling, both domestic and industrial. ICT Connection joins together IT representatives. Agri and Food Processing unites agro-industrial companies for further cooperation. Medical organizations cooperate in the framework of the MedTech platform.
We have launched a new platform – the Sweden-Ukraine Road Safety Initiative. It will work on reducing the number of fatalities on the Ukrainian roads. This is a joint platform of Swedish companies, public Ukrainian organizations and public institutions of Ukraine, since it cannot function properly without these three sectors involved.
– How do you plan to implement this initiative?
Among SBA members there are Scania and Volvo, which are concern with safety of pedestrians and passengers, equipping their trucks with the latest technologies; they even have a safe road training program. If companies, government agencies and public organizations will join their efforts, they will help Ukraine to save its citizens’ lives.
The Swedish Vision Zero project has been in operation since 1997, in the framework of which specialists plan to reduce the number of fatal incidents on the roads to zero.
– How far is it possible for Ukraine?
In the future it is quite real for Ukraine. This Swedish system makes provision for a person might be wrong, the system – never. If we are able to build up the system here, it will prevent people from making mistakes, foremost, physical ones – to stop in time, to react – because systems always work efficiently.
We have lack of vision. The Swedes plan 25 years ahead. They assume that there will be other technologies, other challenges, and they are preparing for them today, formulating budgets. So, everything is absolutely realistic. We need to have a vision. We always “put out the fire”, and if we change the approach by systematical developing the state, having huge resources, human capital, natural resources, capable people – we can do it.
The government sector is already actively working in this direction – schoolchildren are being trained, an analysis of what can be simplified to avoid fatalities on high-risk roads is being conducted. In fact, sometimes we do not need too much.
– What companies can become SBA members?
The companies which share the values of Swedish business, which are ready for corporate and social responsibility, for innovation and development can join SBA in accordance with today’s challenges.
– Do you have any ambitious plans for the future, taking into account the SBA speedy development and the serious attitude of the SBA companies? Share please with us, which way do you plan to move in the nearest future?
We are planning to develop a creative industry sector. And also I have a dream: to raise the number of SBA members to 100 in ten years – “+ ten companies” every year. This will help to develop stronger cooperation between Sweden Ukraine. We are open to any requests from Ukrainian companies and united territorial communities. We can help to establish direct contacts between companies. We communicate, discuss, conduct various trainings in order the companies representatives to know each other. This is an arduous task, as the companies do not communicate much with each other, dealing busy with their own questions-problems. And though we do not cooperate with all fields at the moment, we are doing everything possible to help those contacting us to get a business partner.
We are going to close the business season soon. In early September it will be opened again with the traditional Swedish Feast Kräftskiva [traditional crayfish festival – ed.], with beer, crayfish and business talks.
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