The Nordic countries are happy to welcome ECOC back to Scandinavia, a high-tech innovation hub that successfully merges information and optical technologies within a creative business and scientific context. Gothenburg, Sweden, is in the heart of Scandinavia, with a characteristic maritime scenery at the waterfront and the special Nordic light which has inspired artists for centuries.

The Nordic countries consistently rank as one of the most competitive, productive and globalised regions in the world. The region is a global leader of innovation with a highly skilled and multinational labor force, sophisticated consumers, smooth business procedures, openness to international ownership and stable economies.

Industry and academia can benefit from the region’s advantages in many ways. One way is to tap into the skills and technologies in industry clusters and research institutions. Of special note are the information and communication technology as well as cleantech, ICT, life sciences, automotive and materials science industries. These are all areas where Nordic companies excel and compete at the highest international level.