MARCH 2013 IN THIS ISSUE • Lidköping-Rockford Partnership May Expand to Skaraborg • Second Nurse Exchange Program Planned • Construction Student Exchange Continues in April • First Exchange Student Recruited for Rockford University • Lidköping Coordinator to Focus on How to Attract Young Tourists • Lidköping Forms New Business Group • Update on Lidköping-Rockford Partnership Lidköping-Rockford Partnership May Expand to Skaraborg Since many of the 15 municipalities in the Skaraborg Kommunalförbund County have benefited from the successful Lidköping-Rockford Industrial Partnership, officials hope to expand the partnership to include a larger region. Lidköping International Business Developer Linnea Bengtsson and Skaraborg Kommunalförbund Business Strategist Kristina Anderback met to discuss such a strategy. Included as member municipalities are Essunga, Falköping, Grästorp, Gullspång, Götene, Hjo, Karlsborg, Linnea Bengtsson, Lidköping, and Lidköping, Mariestad, Skara, Skövde, Tibro, Tidaholm, Töreboda Kristina Anderback, Skaraborg Kommunalförbund, discuss how and Vara. For more information, contact to possibly expand partnerships [email protected]. between Rockford, Illinois and Skaraborg. Second Nurse Exchange Program Planned The first Nurse/Health Care Exchange Team from Lidköping to Rockford in October, 2012 may lead to a second team in spring 2014. The next team will focus on study visits for students and professional nurses from Lidköping to learn more in-depth information from a variety of Rockford health facilities. For more information, contact [email protected]. Three nursing students from De la Gardie School of Lidköping were part of the first Nurse/Health Care Exchange Program. They visited SwedishAmerican Health System, Crusader Clinic and the Rockford College nursing program in Rockford, Illinois. Construction Student Exchange Continues in April Another group of construction students from De la Gardiegymnasiet/School in Lidköping will be in Rockford April 2-19 to continue working on the Swedish Standard house SwedishAmerican Foundation is the prime sponsor of the high energy-efficiency house that features special insulation and other energy qualities. The April group will consist of five students and four teachers. The energy-efficient house be- ing built to Swedish standards by young construction students from Lidköping’s De la Gardiegymnasiet and Rockford’s East High School. First Exchange Student Recruited for Rockford University University of Skövde has recruited the first exchange student who will attend Rockford College in the fall of 2013; it will be known as Rockford University effective July 1, 2013. Frida Lindgren, who is studying social psychology, will spend her third year (junior year) at Rockford College. Representatives from the two institutions have been “skyping” and developing a strong foundation for the student exchange program. Rockford has identified two students who are interested in attending the University of Skövde next year Frida Lindgren will be the first exchange student from the University of Skövde to Rockford University. Lidköping Coordinator to Focus on How to Attract Young Tourists The Lidköping School of Culture and Tourism will send a coordinator to Rockford to work for four weeks at the Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau. Frida Helgesson will focus on how to attract younger Scandinavian and European tourists to Rockford, maximizing the use of social media as well as other marketing strategies. Helgesson was selected after an interview process that included meeting Gail Orr, RACVB consultant; Linnea Bengtsson, international business developer; and Lisbeth Nyström, international strategist for the City of Lidköping. Helgesson will arrive on April 2. The tourism project was made possible through a grant from the State of Illinois Office of Tourism. RACVB Chief Executive Officer Frida Helgesson will work at the John Groh said, “We look forward to benefiting from Frida’s insights Rockford Area Convention & Visitors Bureau in April, focusing and expertise in how social media can play a role in persuading on youth tourism. young people from Europe and Scandinavia to add the Rockford and Chicago areas to their travel plans.” Lidköping Forms New Business Group A new economic development group has been formed to be the link between the business community and the municipality of Lidköping. Peter M. Larsson is the chief executive officer of Tillväxt Lidköping AB. It will be a one-stop service for businesses that need assistance. The board of the new organization includes Thomas Fröjd, Carsten Klausen, Lena Ekberg and Stefan Eriksson from industry, and Kenth Lindström, Mayor Kjell Hedvall and Deputy Mayor Bertil Jonsson from municipality of Lidköping. For more information, please contact Peter Larsson at [email protected]. Peter M. Larsson, new CEO of Tillväxt Lidköping AB. Update on Lidköping-Rockford Partnership International Business Developer Linnea Bengtsson continues to work on the Industrial Partnership agreement between the two cities. The cities signed an updated three-year agreement in 2011, so she is on the last year of her contract. She pursues opportunities to create job growth and community wealth through business and educational collaborations through seven action plans. Bengtsson will be in Rockford from mid-February to May 13 and will return to Rockford in September for the remainder of the year. For more information, contact Bengtsson at [email protected] and visit her blog at www.lidkoping.se/linneasblogg..