Leif Pagrotsky Dynamic Promoter of Swedish Creativity TEXT: LESLYVIET - JACOBSEN PHOTO: : PAWEL FLATO Meeting Leif Pagrotsky, Sweden’s Minister for Education, Research and Culture, is like a breath of fresh air. He is open, charismatic and has an unconventional habit of speaking his mind. We caught up with him at his office on Drottninggatan, central Stockholm, and asked him about what makes Swedish goods and services special and what he hopes to achieve through the 2005 Swedish Year of Design. Leif Pagrotsky, 54, exudes enthusiasm for ideas and innovation that is contagious. We are greeted with a huge smile and coffee in oval-shaped cups without handles – “Aren’t they wonderful?” he beams. Design and function – the essence of Swedish creativity – is one of Pagrotsky’s favourite subjects. Knowledge-based industry But, according to him, there is a third element in the appeal and success of Swedish industry: knowledge. Ranked by the OECD as one of the world’s most knowledge-based societies, Pagrotsky explains how the Swedes are concentrating on maintaining this position. “Basically we spend a larger proportion of our GDP on Research and Development than other countries and we are very skilled at applying new technology quickly.” As globalisation increases and manufacturing moves to lower wage countries, Sweden has remained at the cutting end of design and technology in crucial industries such as biotechnology, electronics, cars and telecommunications. Sweden’s reputation for quality and intelligence is a strong differentiator and Pagrotsky is confident that Swedes are “well placed to be winners in this age of globalisation and mass production”. The Key to Success beyond 2005 We asked Leif Pagrotsky about the characteristics that are key to maintaining this strong position beyond 2005. “Successful Swedes are modern, dynamic, curious, open and most significantly, internationally orientated. Our disadvantage is that we are a small population, but we have to be prepared to look beyond our borders and learn.” Asked about his concerns for the future of this small population, he conceded that not enough Swedes are learning languages besides English. He would like to see more of them learn Japanese, Chinese and Russian for example, in order to take full advantage of the boom in industry and trade opportunities in these rapidly evolving countries. Swedes are also renowned for playing down their abilities and not openly congratulating each other. “We have to be less Lutheran and more confident and generous with our praise!” he said. The Pagrotsky Effect Leif Pagrotsky’s experience and success as Minister for Industry and Trade, (2002 – 2004) has shaped him as a confident voice for Sweden on an international scale. He is a lover of life and this spills over into his politics, injecting energy and enthusiasm into those who work for him as well as for his initiatives. The Minister is also a strong and effective advocate of humanitarian causes and foreign aid. For example, one of his achievements as Minister for industry and Trade was to put in place mechanisms that allowed the 49 world’s poorest countries to trade with out tax with the European Union. He also worked hard to remove the political barriers that existed in Sweden between international aid and trade. Alongside the late Anna Lindh, he influenced the EU with regards to the expansion of the European Union by creating awareness and involvement in East European politics. As his press secretary says, “He is not afraid to speak his mind.” The 2005 Year of Design The Ministry of Education, Research and Culture has commissioned a whole year of events that celebrate and romote Swedish Design. The campaign is being organised by “Svensk Form”, the Swedish Society of Crafts and Design, in collaboration with SVID, the Swedish Industrial Design Foundation. It promises to be an exciting year. The 2005 Year of Design aims to show how design is present throughout our everyday lives, jobs and leisure time. Leif Pagrotsky stated that one of the principal objectives of the 2005 Year of Design is to make Swedes the “best design users in the world”. He is confident that this year will expose more talented designers and create more jobs in new product development as companies recognise the significance of innovative design. He also hopes that this focus will “increase awareness of the importance of design in everyday life, not just in luxury items”. He will be promoting and encouraging design in products, for example, for children, elderly people and the handicapped, in hospitals, day-care centres and the workplace. “This is what I mean by Democratic Design – design for everybody.” “Beautiful, functional products can enhance our lives and experiences. They should be available to everyone, not just the wealthy.” As a keen shopper at IKEA, I have to agree with him. “We have to be less Lutheran and more confident and generous with our praise!” © 2006, Swedish Bulletin. All rights reserved