Northern Future Forum 2012

The Northern Future Forum took place in Stockholm on 8 – 9 February. Nine Prime Ministers from the UK and the Nordic-Baltic countries and their delegations participated in the Summit to discuss “how to get more women to start their own businesses and take on leading positions in companies” and “how to make older people stay longer in the work force”.

The meeting was very much about substance and not process. Ideas were exchanged on how to broaden Europe’s growth base for the future. The fact that so many entrepreneurs were present proved very conducive to discussions. The British Prime Minister seems to have been rather attracted by the Norwegian pension system and the Swedish “rutavdrag”, where families can employ someone to work in their household (for services such as childcare, gardening, walking your dog) and get a tax deduction. The Swedish Prime Minister made a point of only having women in his delegation.