Creative Industries

Sweden has experienced a creative revolution over the past decades that has attracted worldwide attention and produced substantial new export income. Today, Sweden is an international leader in fashion, gaming, and music.
FASHION AND DESIGN
Sustainability and tech are driving change in the fashion and design industries. Sweden is widely known for its fashion industry—with brands such as Acne Studios, Filippa K, House of Dagmar, Rodebjer, J. Lindeberg, COS, Nudie, and H&M—which invests considerably in research and strives toward more sustainable production. The aim is to transition from linear production to circular, whereby materials are not discarded but instead recycled or reused to minimize waste.
Woman looking a dressesWoman looking a dresses
Photo: Margareta Bloom Sandebäck/imagebank.sweden.se
GAMING
Sweden has become a hotbed for the video-game industry. One person out of every eight in the world has played a game developed in Sweden, ranging from Candy Crush Saga (King) to Battlefield. Candy Crush Saga, created by Sebastian Knutsson, was downloaded almost 3 billion times in its first five years, while Minecraft (Mojang), created by Markus “Notch” Persson, has more than 120 million active players around the world.
People in modern office space talkingPeople in modern office space talking
The office space of Mojang, the indie game developer in Stockholm responsible for games such as Minecraft and Caller’s Bane (formerly Scrolls). Swedish cultural and creative entrepreneurs excel by combining creativity and partisanship with commercially viable products that appeal to global consumer demand.
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​​​​​​​Photo: Melker Dahlstrand/imagebank.sweden.se
MUSIC
Many of your favorite songs on the Billboard top 10 were created by Swedish artists and producers. Sweden is a leading exporter of music, and many Swedes have created popular songs for the American music industry, thereby generating revenue and jobs on this side of the Atlantic. The same is true of groundbreaking music distribution platforms, such as SoundCloud.
SWEDISH MUSIC GIANTS
  • Songwriters and producers: Shellback (Usher, Adam Lambert, and Pink), Max Martin (Katy Perry, Taylor Swift, Ariana Grande, Maroon 5, and the Weeknd), RedOne (Nicki Minaj, Pitbull, Lady Gaga, and One Direction), and Max Martin together with Denniz PoP (Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, and NSYNC).
  • Bands: ABBA, Roxette, Ace of Base, First Aid Kit, Peter Bjorn and John, the Hives, Icona Pop, and the Knife.
  • Singers: Zara Larsson, Tove Lo, Lykke Li, The Tallest Man on Earth, José González, and Robyn.
  • House giants: Swedish House Mafia, Eric Prydz, and Avicii.
  • Music video directors: Jonas Åkerlund (Madonna, Lady Gaga, Moby, Christina Aguilera, Pink, and U2).