Gothenburg City

Gothenburg is a city that has always been "open to the world". Throughout our history, we have welcomed people and influences from outside, and the city has evolved throughout the ages with ideas and knowledge from around the world.

Gothenburg began to be laid out in 1619 at the initiative of Gustaf II Adolf and received its city privileges in 1621. The city was built and organized by Dutch and Germans and developed during the 18th century into a thriving shipping and trading city, among other things through the Swedish East Indian Company. The first ship sailed from the Port of Gothenburg in 1732 and the last arrived in 1806.

The industrial city then developed during the 19th and 20th centuries with technology and skills from England and Scotland, and the economy expanded through labor immigration from Italy, Greece, the former Yugoslavia and Finland, among others.

During the second half of the 20th century, the shipyard crisis hit Gothenburg hard. From having been one of the largest employers, the shipyards were gradually dismantled.

Today, Gothenburg has gone from an industrial to an innovation city with several multinational companies. Advanced manufacturing industry and cooperation between business, politics and academia, provides high competence and room for innovation, research and development.