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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.

Words from the President
Published: 09 September 2025Last Updated: 09 September 2025
crossing roads from above

IVA's President: Some thoughts on Uncertainty

The World Uncertainty Index (WUI) has remained steady at an average of 30,000 over the past 17 years, with a temporary peak of 50,000 during the pandemic years. The latest index from October shows the remarkable figure of 122,000. The responsibility to take ownership of our own future is particularly important in times of great uncertainty.

Words from the President
Published: 18 November 2025Last Updated: 18 November 2025
globe

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.

Articles
Published: 21 October 2025Last Updated: 21 October 2025
Daniel Stenberg

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.

Words from the President
Published: 23 September 2025Last Updated: 23 September 2025
Swedish flag

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!

Articles
Published: 29 October 2025Last Updated: 30 October 2025
IVA logo projected on wall in City Hall

Opinion piece: EU’s peace project threatened by outdated research policy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

Published: 04 August 2025Last Updated: 04 August 2025
debate drone

“Lessons of history are almost completely useless!”

Joel Mokyr received the Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel in Stockholm on Wednesday – but visited IVA beforehand. Watch the film where Joel Mokyr and IVA’s President Sylvia Schwaag Serger, both professors of economic history, meet for a conversation about technology and growth.

Articles
Published: 15 December 2025Last Updated: 15 December 2025
people on stage

IVA's President: some thoughts on dual use

Europe is ramping up its defense investments. This is, of course, a response to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and the radically altered geopolitical stance of the White House. Europe can no longer rely on the United States to guarantee its security.

Words from the President
Published: 03 June 2025Last Updated: 23 June 2025
flying drone

Sweden a potential front-runner in AI

AI is fundamentally transforming how we work, produce and create value. However, while the technology is advancing at an exponential pace, changes in productivity and societal structures are occurring much more slowly. In this shift, Stanford professor Erik Brynjolfsson sees Sweden as a potential front-runner.

Published: 13 June 2025Last Updated: 25 June 2025
Close-up: Erik Brynjolfsson in stage light

IVA's President: some thoughts on Greenhushing

At this time last year, the U.S. election campaign was in full swing. Joe Biden had stepped aside to make way for Kamala Harris as the Democratic candidate. Donald Trump had survived an assassination attempt and was now dominating the agenda. Trump was—and is—a force the whole world must reckon with.

Words from the President
Published: 26 August 2025Last Updated: 26 August 2025
icebergs

IVA's President: some thoughts on the new, long-term EU budget

IVA’s President Sylvia Schwaag Serger reflects on the European Commission’s EUR 2 trillion budget proposal for 2028-2034 and its priorities in security, competitiveness, and innovation, as well as Sweden’s strength in rapid technology adoption.

Words from the President
Published: 12 August 2025Last Updated: 12 August 2025
pile of euro bills

IVA's President: some thoughts on international perspectives

In the mid-1940s, Edy Velander, IVA’s legendary President, initiated global monitoring of technical  developments. Velander appointed a “liaison officer” in New York tasked with spotting trends and reporting back on technological progress and innovation. The world’s first “technology attaché” had been introduced. 

Words from the President
Published: 17 June 2025Last Updated: 19 June 2025
world map

IVA's President: Some thoughts on the times we’re in

It is never easy to analyze the present or to put events into context and perspective. But New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman recently proffered the idea that we are now living in the “Polycene” era – a time in which the world can no longer be understood in binary terms, but is shaped by many closely interlinked forces.

Words from the President
Published: 07 January 2026Last Updated: 08 January 2026
wind turbines and palm trees

The John and Margaretha Aspegren Scholarship

In 2004, the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) established the John and Margaretha Aspegren Memorial Foundation to promote a better understanding between engineering sciences and the humanities.

Published: 01 October 2024Last Updated: 01 October 2024
Scholarship award ceremony at the City Hall

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.

Published: 27 June 2023Last Updated: 27 June 2023

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.

Publications
Published: 27 June 2023Last Updated: 27 June 2023

IVA’s 100 List 2024: Sweden’s Most Promising Research Projects

A simple hair test for early cancer detection, a healthy sugar substitute, and a rapid test for tuberculosis. These are some of the research projects selected for this year’s 100 List, focusing on innovation through interdisciplinary research, compiled by IVA. All research projects are considered to have great potential to benefit society.

Published: 12 November 2024Last Updated: 22 November 2024
Person Crossing Laser Beams Into Sky

Third Swede in space important door opener

IVA member Anna Rathsman is present when Marcus Wandt takes off from the Kennedy Space Centre in Florida on Wednesday to become Sweden's third astronaut in space. In her role as Director General of the Swedish National Space Agency, Anna Rathsman has been the spider in the web to make everything work. The mission could be a door opener for tomorrow's engineers and space researchers.

Spotlight articles
Published: 16 January 2024Last Updated: 27 November 2024
Anna Rathsman on the left satellite in space on the right

Anne L'Huillier, Gerteric Lindquist, Bo Normark and Xiaodong Zou are awarded IVA's Gold Medals 2024

The Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA) awards this year's gold medals to Anne L'Huillier, Gerteric Lindquist, Bo Normark and Xiaodong Zou. They receive the award for their outstanding contributions to technology, economics, business and society. IVA's Gold Medal has been awarded since 1921.

Articles
Published: 10 September 2024Last Updated: 11 September 2024

Report: Challenges for meeting increased demand for metals and minerals

Observations about conditions and challenges, as well as measures required to ensure access to metals and minerals to cope with the transition to a fossil-free society. One conclusion is that the demand for metals and minerals will increase sharply, and that Sweden and the Swedish mining cluster play an important role in meeting the needs.

Published: 12 February 2024Last Updated: 05 July 2024