Doing Businessin the Nordics
Nordics Market Insights
Made up of Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Finland and Iceland, the Nordic region is home to more than 27.5 million people and combined forms the 11th largest economy in the world.
Known as a region that is progressive, stable and open to innovation, in recent years the Nordic countries have also been recognised for their leadership in sustainability.
The Nordic markets not only offer a large variety of highly developed sectors, but also a great sense of cultural familiarity where English is widely and fluently spoken.
Region Overview
The Nordics is a region of huge diversity, opportunities for companies differ country to country and sector by sector. The region is home to innovative and forward-thinking people and companies that are at the forefront of trialling new solutions and technologies.
With exports of over €1.14bn to the Nordic markets, many Irish firms are already capitalizing on the ease of doing business with their Nordic neighbours and prospering in the region.
Download our Going Global guides for Sweden, Norway, Finland and Denmark
Sweden
Norway
Finland
Denmark
The Opportunity
Sweden is the largest market in the Nordics for Irish companies and for many is a gateway to the wider Nordic Region. Home to leading global companies like Ikea, Ericsson, Volvo, H&M and Vattenfall, Sweden’s unique focus on innovation, sustainability, co-creation and equality has created a highly dynamic economy with a wide range of opportunities.
Denmark continues to punch above its weight as a country and consistently ranks as a global innovation leader. Thanks to the country’s proactive digitalisation strategy and large investments in areas such as healthcare, infrastructure, energy and construction the country presents real opportunities for new and innovative Irish products and services.
Norway is a politically stable, modern and highly developed country with a very strong economy. The Norwegian economy is characterised by being open and mixed, with a combination of private and public ownership. The main opportunities exist across Energy, Maritime, Hi Tech Construction and Telecommunications.
Finland is a highly industrialised, largely free market economy and due to its northern location, it is very dependent on the export and import of a variety of goods. Finland has quickly expanded from traditional industries to a modern high-tech service society. Its vast natural resources include traditional paper and pulp, forestry, mechanical engineering and metal industries. The mix of industries and services offer a wide range of opportunities, not commonly found in a country of this size.
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Nordic society is characterised by values such as trust, equality and transparency, and these values are reflected in the business culture across the region. The Nordics are deal-focused, solution-orientated, punctual and informal. Being punctual to business meetings and online calls is imperative to building a positive business relationship in the region.
While negotiations can take some time, Nordic companies usually look for long-lasting partnerships. They are open to new ideas and partners especially if some added value can be provided and are willing to pay for solutions that they can see value in.
The region is easily accessed from Ireland with regular flights each week between Dublin and each of the capital cities. On the ground there are excellent public transportation networks and the roads are in good condition, even during winter.
Market Research Centre
Provides access to valuable business intelligence reports that detail relevant company, market and sector information. Learn more.
Market Discovery Fund
Helping companies to research new markets by providing funding to hire market consultants, determine barriers, assess competitive landscapes and develop viable and sustainable market entry strategies. Learn more.
Enterprise Ireland Market Advisors
The Market Advisors in our two Nordics offices have the local knowledge, connections and expertise to advise on growing your business. Contact us.
GradStart Subsidy for Language Graduates
Salary support for the recruitment of graduates with language fluency. Learn more.
Download our Going Global guides
The Nordics are serviced from offices in both Stockholm and Copenhagen.
Sweden
Hannah Fraser
Hannah.Fraser@enterprise-ireland.com
Enterprise Ireland Stockholm Office
Vastagan 28
111 20 Stockholm
Sweden
Denmark
Hannah Fraser
Hannah.Fraser@enterprise-ireland.com
Enterprise Ireland Copenhagen Office
KLP New Corporate Community
15 Arne Jacobsens Allé
Ørestad City
2300 København
Denmark
Key Statistics
2 Enterprise Ireland offices
27.5 million population
Over €1.14bn in exports by Enterprise Ireland supported companies (2020)
Over 450 Irish companies exporting to the region (2019)
Key Statistics
Over €1.14bn in exports (2020)
Over 450 Irish businesses exporting to the Nordics (2019)
Regulatory alignment
