Chester Carlson Research Award

The Chester Carlson Award is managed by IVA’s Foundation for Research in Information Science and is awarded to people, institutions or organisations for innovative research or development work in the field of information science.

The Academy’s Gold Medals

For more than a century, IVA has celebrated excellence in technology, economics, business and society by awarding Gold Medals to people who, through their outstanding achievements, have helped to create a better society.

Resource Effectiveness and the Circular Economy

This project focused on resource effectiveness and the circular economy, crucial matters for a future with greater global prosperity. A number of initiatives and projects around the country are examining how resource efficiency and circularity can be introduced in various sectors. But there is no unifying arena where industries and perspectives can meet. A platform is needed for resource efficiency and a circular society where industry, research and policy-makers can work together.

R2B Summit 2023

The full-day event R2B Summit 2023 took place at 7A Posthuset in Stockholm on 4 October. The R2B Summit is a unique meeting place with opportunities for researchers and the business community to find each other and exchange experiences and perspectives, with a view to creating innovations and business opportunities together. The programme is aimed at those who hold a leading position or are responsible for innovation, research and development at a company or an organisation. And at researchers on IVA’s 100 List 2023.

IVA's Smart Industry

Through IVA’s Smart industry project the Academy wanted to stimulate digital transformation in small and medium-sized enterprises by, for example, highlighting and sharing good examples. The project originates from Smart industry – a new industrialisation strategy for Sweden (Ministry of Enterprise, Energy and Communications 2015) and mainly operated through the Smart Industry competition.

Commercial R&D investment

The project publishes an annual R&D barometer that highlights how companies view the R&D investment climate in Sweden and makes the development of investments over time visible. IVA's R&D barometer aims to improve the understanding of this development and provide a basis for proposals that can help increase Sweden's attractiveness for R&D investments.

Research2Business

Through targeted activities and initiatives for knowledge transfer, new successful research collaborations are promoted. Among other things, the project has produced IVA’s 100 List during 2019–2024 and hosted the R2B Summit meeting arena.

Smart Industry competition

The Smart Industry Business Competition recognises and rewards companies that take advantage of the opportunities offered by digitalisation in a smart and innovative way with clear results. The aim is to stimulate the digital and sustainable transformation of SMEs by highlighting best practice. The business competition has been held annually by IVA since 2016.

Hans Werthén Foundation

Each year, the Hans Werthén Foundation awards a number of scholarships for one year of scientific work at the postdoctoral or doctoral level, MBA or LL.M. studies in a qualified international environment. Next application period: January 8-March 7, 2027.

IVA’s memorial tributes

Each year the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) produces a booklet commemorating a person whose scientific, engineering, economic or industrial achievements were of significant benefit to the society of his or her day.

Global Outlook: Asia #2

Technology has now globally gained a prominent place in national economic policymaking. Innovation is something to protect; access to technologies such as high-end chips is something to contest.

IVA's President: some thoughts on Infrastructure Investments

One year from now, voters will go to the polls in Sweden. I look forward to the election campaign, and as a representative of the world's first academy of engineering sciences, I have a message for the political parties: think big! Think beyond a single term of office. What we need now are big ideas to build Sweden for the future.

IVA’s Gold Medal 2025: Daniel Stenberg

From Huddinge to the Moon. Through his work with open-source software, Daniel Stenberg has built a technological foundation that quite literally reaches into space. With curl, he has created a tool that has become an indispensable part of digital communication – not only on Earth, but also between our planet and other celestial bodies.

IVA's President: some thoughts on Sweden's Innovation Status

Two rankings recently confirmed Sweden’s distinction as an innovative country. Last week, the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) published its Global Innovation Index 2025. In this ranking, Sweden stood fast in second place, maintaining the position it has held in recent years.

IVA's 106th Annual Meeting Festivities

Many thanks to all fellows and friends of IVA who contributed to the festivities during this year's Annual Meeting - an evening to celebrate the art of engineering sciences!

Opinion piece: EU’s peace project threatened by outdated research policy

Current research policy within the EU peace project excludes funding for technologies that can be used both for civilian and military purposes. However, the framework program was developed before the war in Ukraine and the rise of AI. Today’s technologies are cross-sectoral. Therefore, the expert group Esir proposes in a new report that the European Commission should change course, writes Sylvia Schwaag Serger, President of IVA and lead author of the report, in DN Debatt on July 6, 2025.

Global Outlook: Asia #5

A university student in China today might find himself or herself taking a “golden course” that blends practical and academic training. The student earns degree credit while gaining direct exposure to industry. The course might even be sponsored by Alibaba, the online retail giant, or another large firm.

Global Outlook: Asia #4

In subverting the choice between accommodating the global AI industry and building AI independence, South Korea offers examples of creative possibilities in technology policy.

Europe's role in the "Age of Electricity"

Fresh figures show that global electricity demand is accelerating, and that the world is standing on the threshold of "the age of electricity". This presents Europe with an opportunity to reclaim its leadership in the green transition and to secure its future — a chance we cannot afford to miss. That was the message from Fatih Birol, Executive Director of the International Energy Agency (IEA), during a fully booked seminar at IVA.

IVA's President: Some thoughts on the Self-confident China