IKEM - Innovations- och kemiindustrierna i Sverige

What IKEM - Innovations- och kemiindustrierna i Sverige does

IKEM - Innovations- och kemiindustrierna i Sverige is the industry and employers' organization for Swedish innovation and chemical companies, representing approximately 1,200 member companies with a combined workforce of around 70,000 employees across the chemical, pharmaceutical, plastics & rubber, and refinery sectors. Member companies account for roughly one-fifth of Swedish industrial value added and nearly one-fifth of Swedish business research, with about 50% of member employees holding university or research-level education. IKEM is part of Svenskt Näringsliv (Confederation of Swedish Enterprise), Sweden's largest employers' federation, and maintains a Brussels public affairs office.

The organization generates revenue primarily through recurring membership dues scaled by company size, and delivers services including collective bargaining agreements (Kemiska fabriker, the I Agreement, white-collar contracts), an Employers' Guide (Arbetsgivarguiden) with templates and a dedicated employer helpline, the quarterly Industribarometern economic barometer authored by Chief Economist Carl Eckerdal, the policy report Obemannat on skills shortages, the Industrilöftet reform package, and an EU Agenda for industrial competitiveness. Additional offerings include the IKEM Skola educational program providing chemistry teaching materials for Swedish schools. Go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven through direct engagement, industry events, member referrals, and demonstrated advocacy value. IKEM is a private membership organization headquartered in Stockholm under CEO Jakob Tellgren, with specialized director-level leadership in industrial policy (Nils Hannerz), EU public affairs (Mikael Möller), labor negotiations, and energy policy.

Name

IKEM - Innovations- och kemiindustrierna i Sverige

Legal name

IKEM - Innovations- och kemiindustrierna i Sverige

Website

https://ikem.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1917

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IKEM is the Swedish industry and employers' organization for ~1,200 innovation and chemical companies (chemicals, pharma, plastics, refinery), delivering collective bargaining, employer advisory services, policy advocacy in Sweden and the EU, economic research, and educational outreach.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Association Services

NAICS

Human Resources Consulting Services (541612)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

HR Compliance & Policy Administration Outsourcing (incl. regulatory reporting) (BPACAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

HR Compliance, Policy, EEO & Labor Law (BPACAPAM)

Keywords

• Industry association
• Employers organization
• Collective bargaining
• Policy advocacy
• Chemical industry

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: IKEM generates revenue through membership fees from approximately 1,200 member companies. Membership provides access to collective bargaining agreements, employer guidance, policy advocacy, and industry networks.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

IKEM is a membership-based industry and employers' organization for Swedish innovation and chemical companies. It provides collective bargaining agreements, employer guidance on labor law, policy advocacy in Swedish and EU politics, economic research (quarterly Industribarometern), and educational outreach (IKEM Skola) to approximately 1,200 member companies employing around 70,000 people across chemicals, pharmaceuticals, plastics & rubber, and refinery sectors.

Product overview

IKEM (Innovations- och kemiindustrierna i Sverige) is the industry and employers' organization for Swedish innovation and chemical companies, representing approximately 1,200 member companies with around 70,000 employees. Member companies account for about one-fifth of Swedish industrial added value. IKEM's portfolio includes policy advocacy services, labor relations support (Arbetsgivarguiden and Kollektivavtal), economic research (Industribarometern), educational outreach (IKEM Skola with Bertas Experiment and school materials), and policy reports (Obemannat, EU Agenda, Industrilöftet). The organization does not offer software products or technical platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IKEM Skola: Educational initiative providing chemistry teaching materials for schools, including Berta's Experiments, chemistry lessons, and plastic knowledge resources.
• Industribarometern

Products and services

• Kollektivavtal (Collective Bargaining Agreements) Collective bargaining agreements tailored to IKEM member industries, covering white-collar employees (Tjänstemannaavtalet), the I Agreement, and Chemical Plants (Kemiska fabriker). Used by member companies to establish employment terms with unions.
• Arbetsgivarguiden (Employers' Guide) Comprehensive guide providing factual information, templates, and forms about Swedish labor law and employer obligations, accessible to IKEM members as a standalone reference resource.
• Arbetsgivarjouren (Employer Helpline) Free advisory service for member companies on employer issues, labor law questions, and HR matters, delivered via phone and email by IKEM's experts and negotiators.
• Industribarometern Quarterly economic barometer published by IKEM's chief economist providing economic development analysis and forecasts for member industries including chemicals, pharmaceuticals, plastics, rubber, and refineries. Distributed to subscribers.
• IKEM Skola Educational outreach program providing chemistry teaching materials for schools, including Bertas Experiment (dragon-themed science experiments for ages 4-8), Kemilektioner för grundskolan (12 themed chemistry lessons for grades 4-6), and Plastkunskap (plastic knowledge modules).
• Obemannat Report Policy report presenting reform proposals for education, workforce development, and international recruitment to address skills shortages in Swedish industry.
• EU Agenda IKEM's EU agenda addressing competitiveness and green transition, outlining four prioritized perspectives and proposed measures for European industry policy.

Quantifiable outcome

• One-fifth of Swedish industry's value added represented
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Svenskt Näringsliv (Confederation of Swedish Enterprise)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerIKEM is part of Svenskt Näringsliv, Sweden's largest employers' organization. This affiliation provides IKEM members with broader representation in Swedish labor market policy and access to the Confederation's resources and networks.
• Navet Science CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on educational program 'Grön i labbet' (Green in the Lab) - a YouTube series for children aged 4-8 featuring chemistry experiments. IKEM Skola initiative aims to inspire young people to chemistry and science careers.
• Fossil-free Sweden InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIKEM participates in the Fossil-free Sweden roadmap for climate-neutral competitiveness, working with industry and government to achieve climate goals while maintaining industrial competitiveness.
• TeknikcollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with municipalities, educational providers and industry to develop vocational training programs that lead to employment and provide good foundations for continued studies.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Svenskt Näringsliv: The Confederation of Swedish Enterprise — IKEM's own parent organization and the overarching Swedish employer federation providing umbrella representation; it competes for member mindshare on cross-cutting policy issues.
• CEFIC – European Chemical Industry Council: The pan-European chemical industry umbrella organization headquartered in Brussels; IKEM's Brussels office and EU advocacy work directly interface with CEFIC, making it a strategic-level comparably positioned industry body.
• American Chemistry Council: The US trade association for the chemistry industry, providing advocacy, research, and member services comparable to IKEM's mix of policy influence, economic barometer, and regulatory engagement in the chemical sector.
• Chemical Industries Association (UK): The UK's trade association for chemical and pharmaceutical businesses, operating a comparable employer representation, policy advocacy, and sustainability advisory model for chemistry-sector members.
• Verband der Chemischen Industrie (VCI): Germany's central chemical industry association, the largest European national counterpart to IKEM with a substantially broader membership scale but identical mandate around chemical industry advocacy, collective bargaining, and sustainability policy.

Direct peers

• Almega: Sweden's service-sector employers' association, part of Svenskt Näringsliv, using the same membership-based collective bargaining and policy advocacy model that IKEM employs for industrial employers.
• Teknikföretagen: The Swedish technology industry's employers' association, a fellow member of Svenskt Näringsliv running an identical collective bargaining, policy advocacy, and employer-services model for industrial/technology employers — the closest structural parallel to IKEM within Sweden.
• LIF – Läkemedelsindustriföreningen: The Swedish pharmaceutical industry association, comparable to IKEM in business model (membership dues, advocacy, sector intelligence) and overlapping in member base across pharmaceutical companies such as AstraZeneca and Pfizer Sweden.
• Industriarbetsgivarna: Sweden's industrial employers' association covering process and manufacturing industries, providing collective agreements and labor-law services that directly overlap with IKEM's mandate to chemical, pharma, plastics and refinery employers.
• Innovationsföretagen: Association of Swedish innovation-intensive companies within the Svenskt Näringsliv confederation, sharing IKEM's positioning around R&D-intensive firms and operating a similar collective bargaining + policy advocacy model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ikem---innovations--och-kemiindustrierna

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about IKEM - Innovations- och kemiindustrierna i Sverige