Last Friday, Minister of Enterprise and Innovation Mikael Damberg visited eXpression Umeå and Sliperiet, to get a closer look at Umeå's creative development environments. The Minister showed great interest in all the young designers and entrepreneurs in the incubator, and was particularly curious about their business models.

The Minister's visit to Umeå began with a guided tour of Sliperiet, Umeå University's research and innovation centre and open innovation environment, including an exhibition on the 3D-printed home. The tour then went up to the eXpression Umeå incubator, where the entrepreneurs talked about their work. Mikael Damberg also got to see and touch the products from the 2017 Summer eXpression, which were exhibited at Formex in Stockholm as well as in Tokyo and are now also sold via Designtorget, among other places.

The Minister was particularly curious about entrepreneurs' business models, and how they protect their intellectual property, such as music, trademarks and designs. Digitalisation is bringing new business models and a shift in emphasis from tangible to intangible assets. Industries such as fashion, design, music and film build their products and services almost exclusively on these assets. The government, headed by Mikael Damberg, is committed to ensuring that Swedish companies make even better use of intangible assets.

- The rights discussions are important, and we are monitoring them closely. It's about protecting and getting paid for your products and services," Damberg said during his visit to Umeå.

Creative and cultural industries are highlighted by the government as a strongly growing export industry that contributes to a positive image of Sweden.

- We are now running a major campaign on Sweden as a country of design, to broaden the image. This will strengthen our brand and benefit both exports and the visitor industry," said the Minister for Economic Affairs.