What do Swedish companies really expect from nearshore partners in Central Europe? Is cost still the priority, or is something else driving cooperation today? In this episode Sebastian speaks with Staffan Strand, President at Nexer Group, responsible for international markets including the Nordics. 

They discuss Scandinavian business culture, transparency, and the shift from traditional outsourcing to expert-driven delivery. Staffan also explains why Central Europe – and Poland in particular – has become such a strategic region for digital talent, AI, cybersecurity, and high-competence engineering. 

 This episode covers:

• How the Scandinavian consulting market is changing after difficult years 
• Why cost efficiency matters – but never at the expense of quality 
• What Swedish customers value most: honesty, craftsmanship, domain expertise 
• How Central Europe evolved from cheap labour to strategic delivery hubs 
• What risks companies face in nearshoring and how to mitigate them 
• Why culture, trust, and face-to-face contact still matter in remote delivery 
• Why “daring to specialise” is the only long-term competitive strategy 

⏱ Timestamps: 

 00:00 – Introduction
 01:00 – The Scandinavian perspective on nearshoring
 03:10 – Cost efficiency versus quality and transparency
 09:46 – Central Europe’s shift from low cost delivery to full service ownership
 19:55 – Why specialisation matters more than competing on price 

🎙 Guest: 

Staffan Strand President at Nexer Group 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/staffanstrand/ 

🎙Host:
Sebastian Dzieniak, Client Relationship Manager
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sebastian-dzieniak/