THE Swedish government has expressed interest in collaborating with the Philippines in mining, healthcare, transportation, digitalization, and defense, the Board of Investments (BoI) said.
In a statement on Tuesday, the BoI said that Trade Undersecretary and BoI Managing Head Ceferino S. Rodolfo recently met with Håkan Jevrell, Sweden’s State Secretary to the Minister for International Development Cooperation and Foreign Trade.
“The two officials discussed priority areas in trade and investments with the aim of establishing a platform for the two economies to discuss and exchange information on mutually identified priority areas through a Joint Economic Commission,” the BoI said.
During the meeting, Mr. Jevrell expressed interest in possible ventures in mining, defense, healthcare, transportation, and digitalization, citing the need for such tieups to involve sustainable practices.
“Sweden is advanced in terms of technology transfer through partnering with the local ecosystem. A Swedish company, Ericsson, is the leading innovator for connectivity,” Mr. Jevrell said.
He said the Philippines has a well-developed mining industry, but “at this stage, the relationship with the Philippines (will center on how) to do sustainable mining with appropriate solutions. Swedish companies are ready to be part of the mining journey with less impact on the environment.”
In healthcare, Mr. Jevrell cited specific interest in supporting the Philippines’ efforts in cancer care.
Mr. Rodolfo said that “the Philippines aims to have an active pharmaceutical industry.”
Meanwhile, Mr. Jevrell said that Sweden is also open to supporting the Philippines in introducing renewables into the grid.
“Companies like ABB have strong interest in working more with the Philippines in this area,” he added. — Justine Irish D. Tabile