The Business Link Between Hong Kong and the Nordics

When trade between Asia and the Nordics began to surge in the early 2010s, Cloudberry became a strategic partner to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). For more than ten years as the organisation’s official Nordic representative, we built bridges between two distinct business cultures and opened new opportunities for both Nordic and Asian companies.

A highlight came in 2014 when Sweden was the partner country for Hong Kong’s prestigious BODW design week. In our role as HKTDC’s official Nordic representative, we coordinated this major initiative alongside the Swedish Consulate General, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, Svensk Form, and others. More than 200 Swedish companies, from Volvo and Electrolux, to leading design studios and the city of Malmö, have established strategic partnerships in the Asian market.

Cloudberry’s efforts to promote Swedish brands in Hong Kong took many forms. A pop-up store in the city’s design district gave Swedish fashion and jewellery designers a direct gateway to Asian consumers. When designer Lars Wallin presented his autumn collection at Hong Kong Fashion Week in 2015, it was a success that opened doors for more Nordic creators. The exchange went both ways – through Fashion Hong Kong at Copenhagen Fashion Week, Asian designers gained exposure to the Nordic market.

When Hong Kong’s Chief Executive CY Leung visited Sweden, Cloudberry hosted a business dinner that brought together Swedish design and cultural leaders with top industrial executives. The event marked the start of deeper collaboration, laying the foundation for the strong interest Swedish companies enjoy in Hong Kong today. Over a decade of representation, Cloudberry built a platform for continuous exchange that has allowed both Nordic and Asian companies to turn opportunities into real business results.