‘Swedish National Team of Rail Competence’
Posted: 20 September 2012 | | No comments yet
SWERIG, the Swedish Rail Industry Group, is often referred to as the ‘Swedish National Team of Rail Competence’. Acting on a fairly limited home market which is extremely open to competition, the Swedish rail industry has, over the years, searched for new business opportunities on the international rail market.
For many years, Sweden has had a reputation for benefitting from advanced railway technology. Swedish companies are today well established and recognised internationally. So how has a small country like Sweden achieved that position?
Swedish companies like Ericsson and ASEA (now ABB), both forming part of what is today Bombardier Transportation in Sweden, together with SKF, were early players on the international market with innovative products for the railway sector. ASEA with their electric locomotives, Ericsson with signalling and SKF with bearings paved the way for the formation of clusters of other high-tech companies in the railway industry.
SWERIG, the Swedish Rail Industry Group, is often referred to as the ‘Swedish National Team of Rail Competence’. Acting on a fairly limited home market which is extremely open to competition, the Swedish rail industry has, over the years, searched for new business opportunities on the international rail market. For many years, Sweden has had a reputation for benefitting from advanced railway technology. Swedish companies are today well established and recognised internationally. So how has a small country like Sweden achieved that position? Swedish companies like Ericsson and ASEA (now ABB), both forming part of what is today Bombardier Transportation in Sweden, together with SKF, were early players on the international market with innovative products for the railway sector. ASEA with their electric locomotives, Ericsson with signalling and SKF with bearings paved the way for the formation of clusters of other high-tech companies in the railway industry.
SWERIG, the Swedish Rail Industry Group, is often referred to as the ‘Swedish National Team of Rail Competence’. Acting on a fairly limited home market which is extremely open to competition, the Swedish rail industry has, over the years, searched for new business opportunities on the international rail market.
For many years, Sweden has had a reputation for benefitting from advanced railway technology. Swedish companies are today well established and recognised internationally. So how has a small country like Sweden achieved that position?
Swedish companies like Ericsson and ASEA (now ABB), both forming part of what is today Bombardier Transportation in Sweden, together with SKF, were early players on the international market with innovative products for the railway sector. ASEA with their electric locomotives, Ericsson with signalling and SKF with bearings paved the way for the formation of clusters of other high-tech companies in the railway industry.
Sweden has been at the forefront when it comes to restructuring and transforming the state railways into efficient business oriented units, designed to meet the competition from other means of transport. This process has developed a number of technically advanced and market oriented Swedish suppliers of products and services. Sweden’s severe winter climate has also contributed to the development of products and systems which stand up to the extremely harsh conditions. It is in this environment and on a deregulated and competitive market that SWERIG members have been working for more than 25 years.
About SWERIG
SWERIG is supporting its member companies with export activities for products and services to the international railway sector. The SWERIG member companies supply infrastructure owners, train manufacturers and train operators worldwide with advanced railway technology in a wide range of areas.
SWERIG was established during the 80s as one of several business focus areas of the Swedish Trade Council. Over the years, SWERIG has become increasingly independent, however a close relationship and cooperation with the Swedish Trade Council still exists. Today, SWERIG is an independent organisation that is focused on supporting Swedish rail industry companies acting on the international railway market. We are proud to be known as ‘The Swedish National Team of Rail Competence’.
The areas of competence within SWERIG have been significantly expanded since its start up, but the core competence that formed SWERIG more than 20 years ago is still available among the member companies.
The SWERIG homepage1 provides full information on our members and what they can offer within different business areas. The group strongly focuses on technically advanced products and services offering safety, security, and environmentally-friendly and energy-saving advantages, but also on software for increased business profitability.
The following sections will give some examples of how members have used their SWERIG membership to help their international, as well as their Swedish business, in the railway sector.
The Västerdal line and Bombardier Transportation
Bombardier Transportation offers the broadest portfolio in the rail industry and delivers innovative products and services that set new standards in sustainable mobility. Bombardier Transportation in Sweden employs approxi – mately 2,400 people. Sweden also serves as a technology hub for Bombardier, developing signalling equipment, propulsion and controls for the global market. As such, Bombardier is a useful project partner for local companies wanting to enter or expand on international markets. The cooperation within SWERIG opens up for the possibilities to exchange market experiences and offer the customers complete systems solutions thanks to the extensive product and service portfolio within SWERIG.
Bombardier demonstrated its technical achievements in Sweden by showcasing its ground-breaking European Rail Traffic Management System (ERTMS) regional signalling solution at the UIC ERTMS World Conference in April 2012. Over 400 delegates participated in a day-long field trip, visiting the Västerdal line in Sweden, to view the innovative BOMBARDIER INTERFLO 550 ERTMS regional system, which was commissioned in early-2012. This is only one of many projects where Bombardier acts as system integrator and SWERIG members deliver systems and services to Bombardier, a cooperation that takes partners to the international market.
Finding new business partners through the membership of SWERIG, Cactus UniView
Cactus UniView is a Swedish company with the business idea to supply Traffic Management Systems (TMS) for train operations, and systems for the control of water treatment and energy plants. Since 1993, Cactus UniView has supplied TMS to Swedish and Danish customers.
Recently, when the company searched for widening the export potential, Cactus UniView joined a SWERIG activity with members visiting Jernbaneverket in Norway. The products and solutions presented by Cactus UniView were interesting and the company was listed as a possible supplier. Cactus UniView has since then offered TMS to Norway, in some cases in cooperation with other SWERIG members, to be able to offer a total package.
Ole Torp Sejersen, Director of TMS Solutions at Cactus UniView, says that: “It is due to the SWERIG membership that this opportunity, to be a part of a consortium delivering a complete package to a new market, was possible. As a consequence of the cooperation with other companies, new ideas have opened up for further product development, thus helping us to become more competitive. SWERIG took the initiative to visit a customer on a market that was new to Cactus UniView. That helped us not only to get a quick start in Norway but also to develop new business opportunities together with other companies, and last but not least, expand our network and relations globally.”
Finding business partners for Swedish projects at SWERIG seminars, Tyréns
Tyréns is one of Sweden’s leading technical consultancies. The company specialises in planning and engineering of infrastructure solutions that promotes sustainable development.
Tyréns is briefly involved in the ongoing Stockholm City Line – a 6km-long tunnel for commuter trains. Birgitta Olofsson, Vice President of Tyréns, points out that SWERIG seminars are a good forum for international railway business contacts. The Swedish market is also a part of the international railway market and SWERIG is a good platform for discussions of on-going or upcoming projects when partners are searched for.
Visit to MTR in Hong Kong, Powerbox
Powerbox delivers converters for DC/AC, DC/DC and AC/DC from a few watts up to several kW. Both standard type and customer specified power converters are available. “The demand from the railway sector is steadily increasing,” says Mr. Jan Ancker, Director of Business Development at Powerbox AB. SWERIG regularly invites member companies to visit an interesting customer or market. Some examples are visits to MTR in Hong Kong, Jernbaneverket in Norway and the coach builder CAF in Spain. These visits are highly appreciated by both parties, as it gives a chance to meet and discuss potential projects with several parties, over a short period of time. “The visit to MTR in Hong Kong was a very good event,” says Mr. Ancker. “It gave Powerbox a good understanding of the needs and opportunities at MTR. Several personal meetings during the visit have given new business opportunities for our company. The same goes for the visit to CAF in Spain. Our experience is that these joint events by SWERIG give business opportunities that would otherwise take a long time to develop on our own.”
Cooperation with Stockholm School of Economics in Russia and the Russian Railways RZD, SJ Service Academy
SJ Service Academy is a daughter company of the state owned railroad operator for passenger traffic, SJ. SJ Service Academy offers training and education, not only for SJ employees, but also to external companies. In addition to courses in the area of traffic safety and safety manage – ment, mainly focused on the railway business, the portfolio also consists of education and training within human safety, sales and service and leadership.
Since 2010, SJ Service Academy has, in cooperation with the Stockholm School of Economics in St Petersburg, Russia, been training managers of Russian Railways RZD in strategy and in sales and marketing. The cooperation with Stockholm School of Economics and RZD has been very fruitful and Mr. Joost van Dijck, Business Development Manager Traffic Safety has ambitions to grow the international business even more. “The need for sound traffic safety education is increasing and in line with that, a lot of organisations are focusing on safety management and improve – ment of their safety culture. SWERIG is a good partner for finding new market contacts and for supporting us in our choice of markets for future expansion of SJ Service Academy. So far, SWERIG seminars have given us insights in markets and in financing of international expansion which had not been easy to find ourselves. So the membership of SWERIG not only gives us a wide contact group of Swedish rail industry companies, it also supports us in our international growth.”
You are welcome to get in touch
As can be seen from the examples in this article, the portfolio of products and services from SWERIG members is very wide. Among our members we can offer almost everything needed within rail traffic as well as rail bound infrastructure. We welcome all contacts at [email protected]. Please do not hesitate to get in touch with ‘The Swedish National Team of Rail Competence’.
References
1. www.swerig.se
About the author
Lennart Klerdal is the Chairman of the Board of SWERIG. He has a long experience in technical design as well as marketing and management of comp – anies supplying products as well as services to the railway sector and to other industrial sectors on the international market.
