A complement to Gothenburg and Oslo

“Our location brings benefits that the large cities can’t offer. Position West is an important complement to the bigger cities,” says Martin Carling, Chairman of the Fyrbodal association of local municipal authorities, which is the responsible authority behind Position West.

Rather than competition, Position West should be seen as a complement to the nearby bigger cities, according to Carling. For some companies, the location of Position West is more beneficial, and the overall ambition is to strengthen the Gothenburg-Position West-Oslo region as a whole.

Developing businesses in Position West

The member municipalities of Position West all strive to help develop businesses within the region. This joint ambition is the foundation for their cooperation within Position West.

The Center Party (Centerpartiet) politician Carling is the of Dals-Ed, a Swedish municipality with a highly-ranked business climate: “but the mind-set is the same in all Position West municipalities, and our common offer as a region is much stronger than the single municipalities’,” he says.

Great logistic solutions

Position West offers several attractive locations, many of which are close to large roads like E6, E45, E20 and 44. From there, one can easily reach ports and railways.

“Companies looking for smart logistic solutions will soon notice that we’re very well equipped,” says Carling, “for instance, there are obvious benefits for Norwegian companies to establish within the EU-market.”

Importantly for international companies, there are two international airports close to Position West: Gothenburg Landvetter Airport and Oslo Airport in Norway.

Accessible transports

The easily accessible roads, where traffic jams are a rare occurrence, are a tangible strength of the Position West-region.

“Neither cities, nor companies have anything to gain from adding more traffic to already full city roads. Our roads are some of our resources that can most benefit the whole Gothenburg-Position West-Oslo region.”

For maritime transport, the deep sea ports of Uddevalla and Lysekil are good alternatives to the large port in Gothenburg.

A region rich in competence

Another important factor for investments and business establishment is the access to competence in the region.

“To help companies in the Position West region grow, we need to make sure there are competent people to hire. That’s why we have an open dialogue between the business sector and the public sector, so that we can educate to match hiring needs,” says Carling.

In small regions like Position West, people tend to be more loyal to their employers, which makes for higher stability and lower labor costs.

Lower costs for office spaces and warehouses

Just like everywhere else, the prices of land and buildings are on the rise in Position West. But the price point is still much lower than in the cities. One of Scandinavia’s leading retail companies, Varner, built a new logistic center for northern Europe in Vänersborg for a fraction of the price for similar facilities in Gothenburg.

A smooth commute

New roads, railroads and extended public transport in parts of Position West have made commuting within, to, and from the region much easier. Now, companies can recruit from larger areas than before. Carling concludes:

“Finding your dream home for a reasonable price is still possible in Position West. It’s possible to live next to the sea, or close to a forest without a long commute to work. That often brings a calmer rhythm of life and healthier environments for kids to grow up in.”