Poland in Sweden

The visit included meetings with the Polish community, local and regional authorities, as well as an extensive business programme focused in particular on the defence and forestry sectors. The first stop was Örnsköldsvik, where the Polish delegation visited the BAE Systems Hägglunds facilities and learned more about the production and capabilities of the CV90 infantry fighting vehicle and the BvS10 armoured vehicle.

In Umeå, Ambassador Karolina Ostrzyniewska and Consul Andrzej Szmidtke met with members of the local Polish community at Folkets Hus, following an invitation from Joanna Porankiewicz-Asplund, President of the Polish Association “PIAST-Umeå”. Held in a warm and welcoming atmosphere, the meeting provided an opportunity to present the association’s activities and plans for the coming months.

As part of the programme, the Ambassador also held meetings with the Deputy Governor of Västerbotten, Lars Lustig, and the Mayor of Umeå, Marie-Louise Rönnmark. Discussions focused on current social and economic developments in the region, as well as ongoing and future cooperation projects with Poland, including in the field of cultural diplomacy.

Thanks to the hospitality of the City of Umeå, the Ambassador also took part in a study visit focused on urban planning and public-space solutions designed to make the city more accessible and welcoming for women. She also visited the Kvinnohistoriskt Museum (Museum of Women’s History), the first institution of its kind in Sweden, supported by the municipality of Umeå.

An important part of the visit to the Västerbotten region focused on strengthening economic cooperation between Poland and northern Sweden. In this context, on 28 April the Ambassador opened the business seminar “Sweden and Poland. Close Ties, Huge Opportunities” at the Väven cultural centre in Umeå. The event brought together around 50 representatives of Polish and Swedish businesses, institutions and technology sectors and was organised by the Swedish-Polish Chamber of Commerce, the Polish Investment and Trade Agency (PAIH), Business Sweden and the Västerbotten Chamber of Commerce.

As part of Poland’s science diplomacy efforts, the Ambassador also delivered a lecture for students at the invitation of the Umeå Association of International Affairs, focusing on Poland’s role in today’s world, and met with representatives of Umeå University.

The visit concluded on 29 April with study visits to two companies in the forestry sector, organised by the PAIH Foreign Trade Office and the Swedish-Polish Chamber of Commerce. At SweTree Technologies AB, the delegation learned about the company’s work in forest biotechnology, while discussions at Komatsu Forest focused on the design and production of forestry machinery supporting modern and sustainable forest management.