Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, is the country’s most populous city, with 1.4 million inhabitants in the urban area, rising to 2.2 million in the wider metropolitan area. The city lies on the south-east coast and is spread across 14 islands. It is one of the cleanest capitals in the world and was granted the European Green Capital Award by the European Union in 2010.

Stockholm has long been the country’s cultural and economic centre and is the seat of the government. It prides itself on having an open culture with the ability to bring together corporates and academia and is known for being one of the most knowledge-intensive and innovative regions of the world, particularly in the life science and ICT sectors. The majority of the workforce is employed in the service sector, with the high-tech sector of particular importance, especially during the past decade. Companies such as Ericsson, IMB and Electrolux all have a presence in Kista, in north Stockholm.