At the end of July, SBT Sverige completed the underground construction work under Lake Mälaren and thus progressed with the construction of the Skärhlolmen motorway tunnel on the Stockholm bypass. This should reach a total length of 4 km. Despite some limitations associated with the current situation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the company is successfully continuing to implement a project commissioned by the Swedish state agency for road and railway construction Trafikverket. The value of this contract, which should be completed during 2022, is approximately CZK 4.6 billion.

In addition, Subterra has begun work on a prestigious contract to extend the blue metro line on the outskirts of Stockholm to Järfälla. The contract includes the construction of a four-kilometer section, including two stations, and was preceded by smaller contracts for the construction of access tunnels. The construction for almost CZK 5 billion is to be completed in 2023. “I consider it an extraordinary success for us that the Swedish investor chose us for such a large part of the metro expansion not only for our company, but also for the entire Metrostav Group and the Czech underground construction industry in general. Due to the scope and complexity of the project, we expect to involve the capacities of the parent company Metrostav and we believe that with the contribution of our Swedish partners, this collaboration will succeed,” said Ondřej Fuchs, General Director of Subterra.

The key to success in Sweden is a combination of several factors

The experience of the construction company Subterra shows that the success on the Swedish market is far from determined just by the price offered. Many other factors come into play, including quality, reliability and the ability to meet the high demands of Swedish clients. Important factors are also the high professionalism of Czech specialists and also the loyalty of employees to the company. These circumstances ensure honest and quality work. For example, the Swedish subsidiary SBT Sverige currently relies on the experience and know-how of almost ten Czech experts, while the company employs a total of 110 workers.

Swedish investment in transport infrastructure

The Swedish government has approved a "national transport system plan" (national transport infrastructure plan) for the period 2018-2029 with an allocation of SEK 622 billion (approximately CZK 1.6 trillion). The plan includes expenditures on the operation and maintenance of state railways SEK 125 billion (approx. CZK 320 billion), on the operation and maintenance of state roads SEK 164 billion (approx. CZK 420 billion) and on the development of the transport system SEK 333 billion (approx. CZK 853 billion).

Swedish construction companies are not able to fully cover this demand with their own capacities. Nevertheless, competition in the Swedish market is very strong. In addition to traditional companies from Scandinavia, it is necessary to be aware of direct competitors of new construction companies from Italy, Turkey, Spain and China.

Effective operation on the Swedish market can ideally be ensured through a local company or branch. The condition for their establishment is the registration with the Swedish Companies Register Office (Bolagsverket) and the Tax Office (Skatteverket). This process usually takes three to four weeks.