Brussels, 6 February 2023
The Nordea Bank Abp will benefit from European Investment Fund (EIF) guarantees worth €115 million – backed by the InvestEU programme – to improve access to finance for Finnish and Swedish small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for activities in two categories: innovation and digitalisation, and sustainability.
Thanks to an InvestEU Innovation and Digitalisation Guarantee worth €55 million, Nordea will be able to keep supporting firms driving innovation and digitalisation. It will improve access to finance for research and innovation-intensive companies, support the up-take of digital technologies among businesses, and promote their digital transformation. In addition, an InvestEU Sustainability Guarantee worth €60 million will allow Nordea to further promote the transition to a green and sustainable economy. It will support environmentally friendly, green and inclusive investments in areas like decarbonisation, renewable energy and energy efficiency. For Nordea’s small and mid-sized corporate customers, this will mean access to funding at reduced interest rates.
Commissioner for the Economy, Paolo Gentiloni, said:
“Securing Europe’s green and digital transitions must remain among our top priorities. I am delighted that, with agreements like this, InvestEU is providing Finnish and Swedish businesses with the finance they need to fully embrace the green and digital transitions.”
The InvestEU programme provides the EU with long-term funding by leveraging private and public funds in support of EU policy priorities, such as the European Green Deal and the digital transition. The InvestEU Fund is implemented through financial partners who will invest in projects using the EU budget guarantee and thus mobilising at least €372 billion in additional investment.
A press release is available online.
Source – EU Commission