Swedish-Macedonian Chamber of Commerce

The Swedish-Macedonian Chamber of Commerce (SMCC) is a relatively young organization, but the idea behind it is simple and long-term: bring Swedish and Macedonian businesses closer together and make it easier for companies, entrepreneurs, and institutions to find partners, exchange knowledge, and develop business opportunities across borders.
Established in 2025, the Chamber has spent its first period building the foundations of a business community that connects Skopje and Stockholm. In 2026, that work has moved into a more active phase, with events, business forums, market-access initiatives, company visits, networking activities, and partnerships designed to turn relationships into practical opportunities.                   
Today, SMCC has offices in both Skopje and Stockholm and brings together companies and professionals with interests in both markets. It is a platform for trade, investment, and business collaboration between Sweden and North Macedonia, focused on helping companies navigate opportunities in the two markets. 

The two countries already have established links. Swedish companies operate in North Macedonia in sectors including automotive, telecommunications, medical equipment, textiles, cosmetics, and other areas, while Macedonian entrepreneurs and professionals have established businesses and careers in Sweden. More than 40 Swedish companies are operating in the Macedonian market, while more than 50 companies in Sweden have been founded or managed by Macedonian nationals.

The Chamber's role is to build on those existing connections and create more opportunities around them.

In practice, this means connecting companies that may have complementary interests, introducing entrepreneurs to relevant contacts, bringing institutions and businesses into the same room, providing information about market opportunities and creating occasions where new partnerships can begin. The ambition is not simply to organize networking events. It is to build a functioning business community in which relationships can develop over time.                           
A company considering a new market may need a local introduction. An entrepreneur may be looking for a distributor, supplier, or service provider. A Swedish company may want to understand the Macedonian business environment, while a Macedonian company may need help understanding Nordic standards, expectations, and business culture.
This is where a chamber can play a practical role.

Why become a member?

A business may join because it wants to enter Sweden. Another may be looking for opportunities in North Macedonia. A third may already operate in both markets and want to expand its network, meet potential partners, or increase its visibility.

SMCC is designed to accommodate all three.

Membership provides companies with a place in a growing Swedish-Macedonian business community. As the network expands, so does the range of potential connections, from established companies and professional-service firms to entrepreneurs, investors, institutions and members of the diaspora. By September 2026, the Chamber had brought together 55 members, 10 events and 655 participants during its first six months. Those figures provide an indication of how quickly the network has developed since the Chamber became operational. But the objective is not to build the largest possible membership list. It is to build a network that is useful. Members can take part in networking events and business forums, meet companies from the other market, and become part of conversations that extend beyond their own immediate sector. For smaller companies in particular, this can be valuable. A company that does not yet have an established international network can gain access to people and organizations that would otherwise require years of relationship-building. For Macedonian companies, Sweden and the wider Nordic market represent opportunities, but also markets where standards, customer expectations, and business culture can differ from what companies are accustomed to.           
This was the focus of the March 2026 event “Doing Business with the Nordics: Opportunities for Macedonian Producers,” organized by SMCC in cooperation with We Effect and funded by Sweden through Sida. 

The event addressed market access, Nordic requirements and standards, and opportunities for Macedonian producers.

Membership and Benefits

The Chamber offers three membership levels, Gold, Silver and Bronze, allowing companies to choose the level of engagement that best corresponds to their ambitions.

Gold Members receive the highest level of visibility and engagement, with stronger opportunities for company promotion, participation in Chamber initiatives, direct introductions and access to strategic networking and business-development opportunities.

Silver Members benefit from a solid presence within the Chamber’s network, including participation in events, networking opportunities, introductions to relevant companies, and increased visibility among the business community.

Bronze Members gain access to the Chamber’s core network and activities, providing an accessible starting point for companies that want to establish connections, attend events, and become part of the Swedish-Macedonian business community.

Regardless of membership level, the central benefit remains the same: being part of a trusted network where companies can meet potential partners, exchange knowledge, discover new opportunities, and build relationships that can develop into concrete business cooperation.

Our Network and Cooperation

The wider membership includes businesses from different sectors. Among the Chamber's Gold Members are MAMA'S Food, STSh Legal, Better Solutions Group and Synergi, representing food production and exports, legal services, technology consulting and IT and innovation.

The Chamber's board and wider community include people connected to companies and organizations such as Transcom, Diaverum, Språkservice Sverige, Kral Group, BML Entreprenad, Stockholm Chamber of Commerce, Vattenfall, Najdovski Invest, Epiroc and Volvo Trucks. 

A particularly important partnership has been established with Macedonia2025. The two organizations signed a Memorandum of Understanding aimed at strengthening bilateral business relations, supporting investment opportunities and deepening connections between companies, entrepreneurs and professionals in Sweden and North Macedonia. 

Activities and Achievements during 2026

On 13 March, SMCC organized an event in Skopje focused on opportunities for Macedonian producers in the Nordic region.

The programme looked at market access, Nordic standards and expectations, and the practical challenges companies face when seeking to export to Nordic markets. The event was organized together with We Effect and supported through Swedish development cooperation.                  
The importance of such initiatives is that they move the conversation beyond the general idea that “the Nordic market is attractive”. Companies need to understand what the market actually requires, from standards and documentation to business culture and customer expectations. 

SMCC also worked with Invest North Macedonia on a dedicated webinar for companies interested in the Macedonian market.

The March session covered investment opportunities, priority sectors, government support measures, and incentives available to international companies. It also included an interactive discussion where participants could raise questions directly with representatives involved in investment promotion. 

Perhaps the most visible initiative of 2026 was the first Swedish-Macedonian Business Forum, held in Stockholm on 21 May and jointly organized by SMCC and Macedonia2025.

The forum brought together Macedonian and Swedish companies, investors, institutions and members of the Macedonian diaspora. The programme included business presentations, discussions and networking designed to create opportunities for cooperation, investment and trade.

In May, SMCC participated in a series of Swedish-Macedonian cooperation activities in Bitola and the Pelagonija region. The Chamber met with the Regional Chamber within the Economic Chamber of North Macedonia to discuss investment opportunities, business connections and partnerships between the two business communities. 

Another example of the Chamber's practical work came through the visit of Swedish company Compacta AB to Skopje.

Representatives of Compacta were hosted by Diaverum and STSh Legal, with discussions focusing on healthcare innovation, medical technology and opportunities for cooperation between Swedish and Macedonian stakeholders.

This is perhaps the clearest example of the type of activity that can sit between networking and business development: bringing people from different organisations together around a specific sector and a specific opportunity.

Future Plans

One of the Chamber’s longer-term ambitions is to expand its role beyond the Swedish-Macedonian relationship and develop into a broader Nordic-Macedonian business platform. Building on the strong foundation created through its work with Swedish companies, institutions and partners, the Chamber sees an opportunity to gradually bring Denmark, Finland, Iceland and Norway closer to the Macedonian business community as well.

The vision is to create a Nordic Chamber that can serve as a wider gateway between North Macedonia and the Nordic markets, connecting companies, investors, entrepreneurs and institutions across the region. Such an expansion would allow the Chamber to offer members access to a broader network, more business opportunities, and greater exposure to Nordic expertise, investment, and innovation, while also positioning North Macedonia as an increasingly relevant partner for Nordic companies looking to explore the Western Balkans. The next phase for SMCC is about deepening what has already been built. The objective is not simply to have more events. It is to develop a stronger network around concrete business needs. That means expanding the membership base, increasing the number of companies actively involved in cross-border cooperation, and creating more opportunities for direct B2B meetings.

It also means strengthening the Chamber's presence in Sweden. The Stockholm base provides an important platform for engaging Swedish companies, investors, business organizations, and the Macedonian diaspora, while the Skopje office remains close to the Macedonian business community and local institutions.