Ozonetech in panel discussion in Almedalen

“Do not lump together all refugees and immigrants, they are all unique individuals, says Behrang Gilanpour from Ozonetech.”

Behrang Gilanpour from Ozonetech, winner of Swedish Pioneer 2015 prize, participates in panel discussion on Integration within the Business Sector, in Almedalen on 6th of July

Ozonetech is a fast-growing cleantech company founded 1993 lead by brothers Behrooz and Behrang Gilanpour. The company is a pioneer within air and water treatment with ozone technology and received the Swedish Pioneer prize in 2015 from HM King Carl XVI Gustaf. As an international Center of Excellence, Ozonetech also participates in standardizations for air and water treatment globally. Today the company has its solutions on six continents.

– It is exciting to get the opportunity and debate this hot topic. I and my brother came to Sweden 1987 when we were eight and nine years old. Our family fled during the Iran/Iraq war and we see ourselves as Swedes with an Iranian background. We come from an entrepreneurial family and having our own business felt natural and necessary. It is hard to get a job if you do not speak the language or understand the culture it, even if you have a university degree, says Behrang Gilanpour CTO at Ozonetech.

– I don’t believe in lumping together all refugees and immigrants. They are all unique individuals with different backgrounds, cultures, education, level of ambition and economic prerequisites. We understand that in the beginning it may be easier to recruit coworkers from the same country and culture – regardless if you are a Swede hiring Swedes or Iraninan hiring Iranians. But in long-term, we believe that a company should hire coworkers based on their qualities and competence. This is however a complex question and we are looking forward to the panel discussion in Almedalen.

Behrang Gilanpour, CTO Ozonetech

Contact information: Behrang Gilanpour, 070-259 58 58 , bg@ozonetech.com

Countrymen who integrate countrymen – How does it work in Sweden?
Organizer: Grant Thornton
When: Wednesday, July 6th, 10.30 – 11.30 am
Where: Strandvägen, H525, Wisby Strand

How important is foreign-led companies hiring within their own ethnic group for the integration? We discuss if the system works well enough in Sweden and what we can learn from other countries.

Participants:
Maroun Aoun, Moderator, IFS
Ablahad Afram, Aksab Kemi
Behrang Gilanpour, Ozonetech
Wadih El-Achkar, Start-Up Stockholm
Maria Masoomi, Entreprenör, debattör
Ajla Timbrant, Egen företagare