The Swedish Municipalities of Gävle and Sandviken sell 130 Hectares of Land to Microsoft

UPPSALA, Sweden, Dec. 11, 2018 /PRNewswire/ --

The municipalities of Gävle and Sandviken confirmed today they have agreed to sell several properties in the region to Microsoft, in total 130 hectares. The decision was approved today by the executive boards of the two municipalities.

The announcement demonstrates and reconfirms that Sweden is an attractive and competitive country for international companies to expand and grow. Microsoft has been active in Sweden since the early 1980's and is a recognised leader and innovator in the technology sector.

"We are very pleased that Microsoft, one of the world's most well-known and leading technology brands, is interested in acquiring land in Gävle and Sandviken", says Tomas Sokolnicki, Investment Advisor at Business Sweden. "Our role is to identify opportunities for international companies to invest and expand in Sweden, and this decision is a strong confirmation of the hard work done by various parties in Sweden, not least the municipalities, that Microsoft now takes these important steps on the journey towards what we hope will be an expansion in this region."

Sweden has a long tradition at the cross-roads of design, sustainability and innovation. At the core lies a long history of base industry around paper and pulp, steel, forestry and manufacturing – industries where the need for stable and reliable infrastructure has been crucial. Infrastructure in Sweden has developed over time, making the country attractive in a way that few other countries can match. Sweden is in a strong position to attract foreign investors overall, foreign direct investment stock in Sweden amounted to USD 335 billion in 2017, which equals 62 per cent of Swedish GDP.

"We have several regions in Sweden with excellent conditions for industrial-scale establishments, where the region of Gävle and Sandviken is one example. Foreign investors are attracted to our infrastructure, our competence base and not least the business climate, Microsoft has been a valued part of our tech ecosystem in Sweden for 35 years and we look forward to continuing and building on that relationship", adds Sokolnicki.

Sweden's central location in the Nordics, combined with its large base of multinational companies, a thriving start-up sector and a large public sector all driving a digital transformation, provides an attractive growth platform for technology-driven companies and makes the country one of Europe's most ideal locations for international companies to invest in or expand their operations.

Efforts to support and facilitate the site selection process and acquisition of land in Gävle and Sandviken has been a close collaboration between Business Sweden, Invest Stockholm and Invest in Gävleborg as well as local partners in Gävle and Sandviken.

For additional information please contact:

Elisabeth Somp, Head of Media relations, Business Sweden

Mobile: +46-72-540-93-38 E-mail: [email protected]

About Business Sweden

Business Sweden's purpose is to help Swedish companies grow global sales and international companies invest and expand in Sweden. Business Sweden is owned by the Swedish Government and the industry, a partnership that offers access to contacts and networks at all levels.

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SOURCE Business Sweden