The city of Västerås is 100 km from Stockholm; it is the capital of Västmanland County. Västerås is a historical city populated since the Viking Age before 1000 AD. Beginning of the 11th century, it was the second largest city in Sweden.
In the spirit of innovation and reform, Västerås is the first city in Sweden. By the 12th century, the first Swedish bishop was pointed and established in Västerås. The first Swedish king, Gustav Vasa, gathered the parliament in Västerås in 1527 to announce Sweden into a protestant state and remove the power of the Catholic Church. In 1623, the first high school in Sweden, Rudbeckianska Gymnasiet, is founded in Västerås. The Swedish clothes brand H&M opened its first store in Västerås 1947. First open-access fiber city network in Europe was installed in Västerås for modern internet communication infrastructure.
Västerås and its region are rich in copper and other metal, industry with high level of automation was early developed in order to generate electricity. Swedish ASEA was founded in Västerås and later became headquarter of the Swedish ABB. In the 21 century, Mälardalen University offers innovative programs for its 16,000 students, and the Automation Center is created to present and develop world-class industry robots.
High speed train from Bombardier is developed here. With its international airport and convenient land and water transport, Västerås is ideal for modern logistics. The national food chain ICA has one of its main distribution centers in Västerås.
350 km long biking road provides a sustainable society; public bus in Västerås is driven with biogas produced by its citizen. Meanwhile the city holds once a year the largest classic car show in the world, Power Meet which had 11,000 classic cars participated in year 2004.
Västerås represent a modern Swedish society, which has the largest lakeside commercial and recreational port in Scandinavia. Huge sport center is the support behind VSK Bandy’s 18 Swedish Championship, women soccer world cup 1995 and AC Milan junior training during summer.
Lake Mälaren became “Meilanhu” in Chinese, Västerås and the Swedish model has been rebuilt in Shanghai. While sitting at Sky bar, highest cocktail bar in Sweden, Mikael Genberg, who created “underwater-hotel” and “hotel-on-tree” in central park of Västerås, is thinking about how to let his red Swedish house land on the moon…