It is too early to determine if the potential buyers of struggling Saab Automobile have met all the criteria for becoming a new owner, Sweden’s enterprise minister Maud Olofsson has said.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Discover B2B Marketing That Performs
Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.
Olofsson’s ministry has held talks with potential buyers and she told Reuters she had not seen a clear business plan from any. Among those understood to be interested are Fiat, Swedish specialist sportscar maker Koenigsegg, Geely Automobile and private equity investors.
Earlier this week Saab said the field had been narrowed to a few candidates with a final sale likely to be agreed during summer.
The company needs to find a buyer to secure financial aid from the European Investment Bank, which in turn requires guarantees from the Swedish government – the reason why Olofsson’s ministry is involved in Saab’s negotiations with potential owners.
Olofsson told Reuters: “There are potential candidates which are serious and which are trying to put together a business plan that is credible. We have an active role from the government side to try to convince potential buyers that we are committed to see new owners who have the muscle to invest and secure Saab’s future.”
