Welcome H.E Ambassador Fonseka
On 13th June Sri Lankas new ambassador to Sweden presented his credentials to His Majesty the King.
Secretary General Leif I Ohlson 14th June met H E Ambassador Kapila Fonseka at the Embassy of Sri Lanka in Stockholm, Sweden.
Secretary General Ohlson extended a warm welcome to ambassador Fonseka, on behalf of the council, to Sweden.
During the meeting, the Ambassador was informed about
and discussed our business council’s activities and initiatives. The recent delegation with the Swedish Embassy in New Dehli, Business Sweden Swedish companies, and the council to Colombo was also informed about.
The discussions were fruitful, and we believe that this meeting will foster stronger relations between us.
Delegation to Colombo June 2024
The king has already eaten their sea salad – now Nordic Seafarm is increasing by 76 percent
The researchers believe in filling stomachs with crops from the sea. And seaweed and sea lettuce will soon be in a grocery bag on its way to your home, if the foodtech company Nordic Seafarm gets to decide.
Breakit has read the latest financial statement. That’s how it goes for the company that is backed by the Stena owner.
Nordic Seafarm was founded by six researchers back in 2016 to investigate the possibilities of cultivating climate-smart alternatives in the oceans. It’s about seaweed and the green plant called sea lettuce.
Last year we wrote that the company made common cause with the then newly formed investment company Ocean Collective. The idea with the company, which is half-owned by the two companies, is to develop several new food concepts where marine ingredients should be prominent.
”Seaweed is a completely renewable crop that can reduce the demand for traditional agricultural products while helping to save the oceans by absorbing carbon dioxide and strengthening biodiversity,” said Simon Johansson, CEO and founder of Nordic Seafarm, at the time.
Now the fresh financial statements have arrived from Nordic Seafarm. And it is moving forward. Turnover increased by 76 percent and landed at SEK 2.2 million.
The company has harvested around 50 tons of seaweed and sea lettuce on its eight-hectare rigs. These have been sold to 108 direct paying customers, of which 94 were in the food segment.
King Carl XVI Gustaf and Queen Silvia have already tasted. It is the case that last year Nordic Seafarm’s products were delivered to the Nobel dinner for the second year in a row.
It’s a big device to farm at sea and it shows. Operating profit landed at minus 12.4 million kroner, an increase in the loss from minus 10.2 million in 2022.
Nordic Seafarm has taken in around SEK 30 million in capital. The largest owner is Dan Sten Olsson, principal owner and CEO of the Stena Group, and his wife Jane Olsson Thorburn. They own 10.35 percent each, according to the data service Eivora.
Arctic Business: Sveriges nordligaste inkubator för hållbara startups
Norra Sverige har länge varit en ekonomisk drivkraft för den svenska industrin och i den pågående gröna omställningen fortsätter området att utvecklas. Med fokus på de många affärsmöjligheter som finns i norr, hjälper inkubatorn Arctic Business hållbara startups att ta sina första viktiga steg mot framgång.
Läs mer https://www.nyteknik.se/sponsrad/arctic-business-sveriges-nordligaste-inkubator-for-hallbara-startups/4251472?utm_source=rule&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=tech-v%C3%A4rldens%20%E2%80%9Dhuvudstad%E2%80%9D%20styr%20sp%C3%A5rvagnar%20%E2%80%93%20med%20disketter%20%E2%80%A2%20Bolaget%20vill%20bygga%20fem%20minireaktorer%20%E2%80%93%20har%20k%C3%B6pt%20mark&utm_custom%5Brm%5D=221873172
The India Factor in Sri Lanka’s Renewable Energy Sector – The Diplomat
Interesting article.
A recent India-Sri Lanka agreement for constructing renewable energy systems in three islands off the Jaffna coast reaffirms India’s domination of the sector.
On March 1, the Sri Lanka Sustainable Energy Authority, the Government of Sri Lanka, and U-Solar Clean Energy Solutions from India signed an agreement for the construction of hybrid renewable energy systems on Nainativu, Delft (Neduntheevu), and Analaitivu islands situated in the Palk Bay. The three facilities which will have a combined renewable energy capacity of 2,230 kilowatts will be funded by a $11 million grant from the Indian government.
https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/the-india-factor-in-sri-lankas-renewable-energy-sector/
Tal av utrikesminister Sabry
Nyheter inom energi
Sri Lanka awards $1.7 billion solar project to Australian fi ..
Construction of hybrid renewable energy systems in Jaffna
Solar power project to be installed on the surface of Poonakari reservoir
Student from Sri Lanka who studied in Sweden – interview
”Social entrepreneurship and innovative startups can have an important role to play in solving societal challenges”
We met the scholarship holder Eric Deoul Raj, who, after studying leadership for sustainability for a year in Malmö, reflects on his experiences in Sweden and the changes he strives to achieve in Sri Lanka.
Hi Eric! A year has passed and you will soon graduate from the Leadership for Sustainability program at Malmö University. Looking back, what was the reason you applied to Sweden and SI’s scholarship for global professionals?
- I have a passion for sustainability, social entrepreneurship and community development. I was part of a variety of value chain and destination mapping projects in Sri Lanka, China, Papua New Guinea and East Timor. The search for innovative solutions for my region led me to Sweden and the SI scholarship. I saw that with the help of it I could improve my organizational skills and establish myself as a ’change agent’ in businesses that focus on social sustainability and storytelling for the climate. I hope that my intentions will lead to better results and thereby give others the best conditions to improve their lives.
Was your idea of Sweden as you imagined?
- As an advocate for sustainability, it was heartening to see Sweden’s commitment to sustainability and environmental protection, that private individuals and companies actively embrace sustainable methods and take responsibility for minimizing their environmental impact. I was lucky enough to gain practical experience of the circular economy by working for a Swedish startup that fights food waste. By coming into contact with a variety of like-minded people, I have really been exposed to different cultures and ideas. I now have a network that spans borders.
What is your most important lesson? Something you take with you in your work to support sustainable development and improve Sri Lanka?
- The most empowering thing that happened to me recently was the knowledge I gained through my Master’s program. Malmö University helped me gain knowledge about sustainable project management and design at the intersection between social innovations and entrepreneurship. I got a grip on my own ability to face complex issues and come up with design solutions for them.
- In order to challenge the status quo, it is of the utmost importance to involve several different stakeholders and facilitate knowledge sharing, resource gathering and collective problem solving. The startup community at Scania gave me the opportunity to make connections with co-founders and industry experts from different parts of the world who all strive to change their communities.
Where do you hope to be in 10 years?
- I believe that there is great potential for social entrepreneurship and innovation in startups and that they will play a decisive role in addressing societal challenges and creating a more sustainable and fair world. To that end, I want to use my personal story of change in the world to achieve small disruptions that can in turn contribute to large-scale change. My goal is to create measurable social and environmental change by creating a common platform and network that will connect social entrepreneurs, investors and mentors, enabling learning and collaboration on a global scale.
Text in Swedish
Student från Sri Lanka uppmärksammas
“Socialt entreprenörskap och innovativa startups kan ha en viktig roll att spela för att lösa samhällsutmaningar”