H.K.H. Prins Daniels tal vid investerings­konferensen Join Sweden Summit

First and foremost, a warm welcome to Sweden and to Stockholm!

In times of crises, when dark clouds loom over our societies, it is important that we come together, engage in discussions about our common challenges and explore possible solutions.

Staying united and strong is more important than ever!

As a Prince of Sweden, one of my roles is to promote Sweden, so ladies and gentlemen, consider yourselves warned – I might do a bit of bragging. My apologies in advance.

For those of you who have not been to Sweden before or have not invested here, I would like to take this opportunity to give you a brief introduction to our country –where we come from, and what I believe has contributed to our success.

If we go back 200 years, Sweden was one of the poorest countries in Europe. We were, in fact, starving.

The combination of poverty and a desire for freedom drove over a million Swedes to cross the Atlantic during the latter half of the 19th century in search of a better life in America. Around 20 per cent of the population left the country.

I believe Swedish emigration was one of the key factors which led to a strong belief in free trade and an openness to the world and its opportunities.

Despite being far away from the centre of Europe, Sweden had several companies operating internationally at a very early stage.

Because of this – and because almost every family had a relative or friend who had emigrated to the US – we quickly became used to the idea of a global society.

And we realised that we would never thrive if we only relied on producing goods for the domestic market.

Some of these emigrants became prominent entrepreneurs in the New World, for example John Ericsson, the inventor of the propeller, whose statue stands in Battery Park, New York.

We have also had emigration to the east, where one of our most famous entrepreneurs, Alfred Nobel, built his fortune in Russia.

He invented dynamite and later established the world's most prestigious awards in science, peace and literature – the Nobel Prizes – which are presented here in Stockholm each year by the King of Sweden.

Perhaps it was this same desire for freedom and openness to the world that made Swedes early pioneers in telecommunications –first with Lars Magnus Ericsson and Ericsson, and later with Niclas Zennström and Skype.

The telephone helped break isolation bridging vast distances between people in our country – and between us and the rest of the world.

While discussing Sweden’s desire for freedom and openness to the world, we should not forget the thousands upon thousands of immigrants who, over the years, have chosen to make Sweden their home.

Traders from the German Hansa League in the Middle Ages, Walloons who helped us develop the metal industry in the 17th century, and British traders who, in the 18th century, found a new home in the port of Gothenburg. These are just a few examples of the many influences.

At the end of the 18th century, Sweden turned to France for cultural inspiration, which led to the immigration of various architects and artists. One notable Frenchman who found a new home in Sweden was a certain Jean Baptiste Bernadotte. He was one of Napoleon's marshals and achieved great success in the wars across Europe. When Sweden needed to find a crown prince, Jean Baptiste was invited, and just a few years later he was crowned as Karl XIV Johan.

Another key element of Swedish culture is trust. Sweden is one of the countries with the highest levels of trust.

Why is it that we in Sweden trust each other so much? There are many possible explanations, but I believe it has a lot to do with the fact that we once lived in small communities spread over our long and vast country.

You knew that if you broke confidence, the neighbours would hear about it, and someone who could not be trusted with a promise could not be relied on. As a result, keeping promises became a valuable quality for Swedes, who lived in geographically isolated communities, separated from one another.

Even today, a handshake means much more than a hundred-page contract. For those of you who have done business with Swedes before, this is nothing new.

Finally, I’d like to take you through a typical day in my life.

I close the door of my Volvo, hearing that solid thud, and fasten the Swedish three-point seatbelt. It clicks into place, just as it has for millions of drivers worldwide since Volvo decided that safety was more important than patents.

The engine hums to life, and Bluetooth, yet another Swedish innovation, instantly connects to my Ericsson phone, ok nowadays it is an iPhone. I open Spotify, letting the music fill the car. ABBA, to set the right mood. Then, Avicii, Roxette, Tove Lo and Zara Larsson. After that, I am listening to Max Martin’s 26 Billboard number ones? The world sings along to Swedish music, often without even realising it.

The sun is warm, so I pull down the zipper on my jacket – yet another Swedish invention that we all take for granted. Just like I am doing right now, not even thinking about the fact that both the pacemaker and the stomach medication Losec were invented in Sweden. Luckily, neither will be necessary for me today (I hope).

I cruise smoothly down the road, enjoying the ride. Ball bearings, silently doing their job beneath me, keep the wheels spinning effortlessly. I pause for a moment and send a thought to Sven Wingqvist, the man who made the world roll easier.

I pass a Volvo truck, then a Scania bus. They move with a sense of confidence, built to last. I am reminded that in Peru, people use “Volvo” as a term for truck – that is impact. Then, in the distance, I hear a low rumble. I look up just in time to see a Gripen fighter jet slicing through the sky.

I feel safe. Security on the ground and in the air.

Now I am home, I grab my phone. Time to relax. Minecraft? Maybe. Or perhaps a quick round of Candy Crush – fast, colourful, and fun.

I lean back in my comfortable IKEA armchair, dressed in my Acne jeans, a shirt from H&M and my wife’s scarf from Toteme. And I realise: Sweden is not just a country. It is an engine for innovation and creativity.

And the best part? We are just getting started.

So, for those of you looking to invest in the future – welcome to Sweden.

We are so happy to have you! Thank you so much for coming.