With 27 hotshots stranded in Amsterdam

After 16 hour on a bus from Amsterdam we reached Ulricehamn again yesterday. The volcano outburst on Iceland has caused chaos all over northern Europe and a group of 27 people from Ulrichamn got stranded in Amsterdam. Luckily Jochem used his positive persuasive manners and found us a bus in a city with ten thousands of stranded people (something our travelling agency could not do!)

I have spent the last 3 days in the Netherlands with 15 companies from Ulricehamn and a few members from the municipality (including the chief executive) and the association of local businesses showing them different development projects in Amsterdam and Almere. We have also looked at how the city of Almere is working to grow with 60 000 new inhabitants and 100 000 new jobs to 2030. It was a very interesting trip where we were very well taken care of by the World Trade Centre in Amsterdam and Almere, by the City of Almere, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce and all the other 9 organisations who participated. All in all I think many of us felt inspired and impressed with what we heard, experienced and the saw. We also had some time to get to know each other better (not only during our bus trip home). I am impressed with the many hard working, inspiring and creative company leaders that we have here in Ulricehamn. A trip like this is about learning more about other places, getting new ideas and contacts but also about connecting our local businesses to learn more about each other. It is vital that the municipality work closely together with the local businesses in order to develop the municipality further and during this trip we talked a lot about different possibilities.

Today Jochem and Nils headed off by car to the Netherlands. The airports are still closed and the last time the volcano on Iceland had an outburst it lasted for 2 years. As long as it is active no airplane can fly. Imagine what effects this can have on the economy of northern Europe? Jochem, who commutes between Sweden, the Netherlands and Italy will not be able to go to work (but can obviously work from home) and transportation of people and goods will have to go by boat, train, bus or car instead. Well, it is no use to worry about this yet but to take one day at a time. In the last few days we have seen many innovative ideas and visions and maybe the impossibility of using our airspace will lead to new innovative means of transportation?

I will spend the weekend with my two girls and enjoy Ulricehamn and the surrounding area. Amsterdam and Almere are fantastic places to visit but being here I feel just like the folder I handed out to our colleagues in the Netherlands – small and proud!

PS: The title is stolen from our local newspaper Ulricehamns Tidning!