Nordic Texas Initiative
Connecting Texas and Sweden through Innvation and Knowledge Exchange! The Initiative is a long-term bridge between Texas and West Sweden that supports institutional partnerships and produces sustained economic, academic, and societal impact.
The Nordic Texas initiative is a unified effort by leading members of Gothenburg U-GOT KIES, Swedish-American Chamber of Commerce (SACC) Texas, and the Honorary Consulate Dallas. The initiators and driving forces of the initiative are Helene Honeybone, Honorary Consul of Sweden in Dallas and Board Member SACC Texas, and Maureen McKelvey, Professor of Industrial Management, University of Gothenburg and Director of the Gothenburg U-GOT KIES centre.
We firmly believe in the potential for synergies between Texas and Sweden, and especially between the Dallas-Fort Worth area and the Gothenburg-West Sweden region.
The Nordic Texas Initiative provides opportunities and develops activities for students, business people & companies, policy-makers, and researchers to learn about, better understand each other as well as analyze innovation and entrepreneurship in Texas and Sweden, as well as connections between the two.
Why Texas?
Texas is among the fastest growing and most dynamic innovation economies in the United States, with leading sectors in technology, life science, energy (including renewables), advanced manufacturing, aerospace, transportation, semiconductors and telecommunications.
Texas has a strong presence of Swedish and Nordic companies (e.g., Ericsson, ABB, AstraZeneca, Volvo), and deep academic links with Texas universities and research institutions.
Swedish companies and entrepreneurs are increasingly active in Texas markets, drawn by the robust business climate and entrepreneurial culture.
Why Gothenburg and West Sweden?
Gothenburg is a globally connected innovation hub with world-class strengths in life sciences, advanced engineering, transport systems, sustainable city solutions and technology.
The region is home to major innovation clusters and science parks, and benefits from well-established university-industry collaborations.
- Life sciences through e.g. AstraZeneca Pharmaceuticals, AstraZeneca’s Bio Venture Hub and GoCo Health Innovation City
- Advanced engineering in communication, AI and transportation through e.g. Ericsson, Volvo, Volvo Cars, SKF, AI Sweden, Lindholmen Science Park
- Space, radar and aviation through e.g. Saab Technologies Research, Frontgrade
- The largest port in the Nordic countries, encouraging advancements in logistics and supply chain management
Moreover, in 2021, Gothenburg was recognized as the most sustainable city stay, and the city is developing the Gothenburg Green City Zone, a zero-emission transportation system.
Catalyzing Transatlantic Innovation
The Nordic Texas Initiative is a strategic collaboration between the University of Gothenburg, the Honorary Consulate of Sweden in Dallas, the Consulate General of Sweden in Houston, and SACC Texas. Launched in 2024, the Initiative was created to build deep, sustained exchanges in research, entrepreneurship and innovation between Texas and Gothenburg-West Sweden bringing together academic leaders, advanced students, entrepreneurs, economic development representatives, and city and business stakeholders to build direct relationships, gain firsthand insight into each region’s innovation culture, and forge new cross-border partnerships.
During 2024-2026, six delegations rotate between Texas and Sweden — with a Texas delegation traveling to Gothenburg each September and a Swedish delegation to Texas in late October or early November — bringing participants together for structured visits, workshops, networking and ecosystem showcases. Activities include direct engagements with entrepreneurs and scale-up companies, roundtables with universities and economic development agencies, collaborative ecosystem presentations, and thematic panels designed to spark dialogue, strengthen professional networks, and accelerate new partnerships.
Delegations
The purpose of these Delegations are to:
- Facilitate contacts between partners in technology, business, education, entrepreneurship including Master’s students in Knowledge-based Entrepreneurship
- Stimulate meeting points to create connections between Sweden and USA
- Showcase strengths of the respective innovation & entrepreneurial ecosystems
Why the connection matters
Texas and West Sweden share complementary innovation ecosystems: both regions combine strong industrial foundations with cutting-edge research, global companies, and entrepreneurial growth. Their shared focus on innovation creates natural opportunities for joint research, commercialization and business expansion. Rooted in the Nordic tradition of cross-border collaboration, we also draw on established networks while expanding engagement with partners across the broader Nordic region aligned with our objectives. By connecting these ecosystems, the Initiative turns knowledge exchange into sustained collaboration, facilitating formal and informal partnerships across technology, business, education and entrepreneurship while highlighting the strengths of both regions.