State visit from Canada – day 4

The state visit from Canada continued on Thursday 23 February. During the day, Governor General David Johnston, The King and Prince Carl Philip visited Lindholmen Science Park, Westport AB Sweden and the Volvo Truck Experience Centre. The state visit concluded with a departure ceremony at Landvetter Airport.

The day in Gothenburg began with a boat trip on the Göta River from Stenpiren to Ericsson's quay berth at Lindholmen. During the boat trip, the Governor General, The King and Prince Carl Philip heard about the rebuilding of the Port of Gothenburg.

At Ericsson's quay berth, the visitors were welcomed by Commissioner of Västra Götaland Region Council Johnny Magnusson and Chair of Gothenburg Municipal Executive Board Ann-Sofie Hermansson. 

At Ericsson's offices at Lindholmen Science Park, the Governor General, The King and Prince Carl Philip took part in a meeting on the development of Gothenburg. The City of Gothenburg, research bodies and private companies work together at Lindholmen. Lindholmen Science Park has undergone a transformation from an industrial complex and harbour to become a modern, innovative workplace and a residential area.

The programme then continued with a discussion titled Sustainable Shipping, the Future of Transportation and CETA. Around 11,000 vessels arrive at the Port of Gothenburg every year.

The morning concluded with a bus trip on line 55 from Lindholmen Science Park to lunch at the Gothenburg Opera.

The electric buses that run on line 55 are a concept vehicle developed by Volvo Buses to test and evaluate new environmentally friendly technology and various solutions that can make public transport more attractive. These buses are silent, exhaust fume-free and around 80 percent more energy-efficient than a conventional diesel bus. Line 55 runs between Lindholmen Science Park and Chalmers University of Technology.

During the morning, Sharon Johnston visited the Mother and Child Healthcare Team in Haga, where she was given a presentation of the unit's work and ongoing studies. The team is a resource unit that helps pregnant women in Gothenburg and southern Bohuslän to ensure that pregnancy and early infancy are drug-free and balanced, and assists with good parenting.

The afternoon's programme began with a visit to Westport AB Sweden in Torslanda. Westport is Volvo Cars' partner for biogas cars, including the Volvo V90 Bi-Fuel. The company has Canadian co-owners, and also works with Volvo Trucks.

The programme in Gothenburg concluded with a visit to the Volvo Truck Experience Center, where The King, The Governor General and Prince Carl Philip were welcomed by Martin Lundstedt, President and CEO of the Volvo Group. Discussions were then held on the topic 'Municipal Action on Climate Change: Sustainable Transportation'. Anders Karlsson, Editor-in-Chief of Transportnet, was the moderator.

The state visit from Canada concluded with a departure ceremony at Landvetter Airport.