Meeting the Rising Global Competition in Sweden: OECD's Science, Technology, and Innovation Outlook

How is global competition evolving, and what measures can Sweden adopt to address challenges in order to enhance competitiveness and growth? The seminar will feature a presentation of OECD's Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) Outlook 2023, showcasing a significantly heightened global emphasis on strengthening countries' research and innovation systems. The seminar will feature discussions with Minister of Education Mats Persson, Minister of Energy and Enterprise Ebba Busch (to be confirmed), OECD's Director for STI Jerry Sheehan, Professor Sara Mazur from KAW, as well as Sweden's appointed representatives from various countries' Innovation and Research Councils.

What can Sweden learn from California's innovation system?

California is one of the world's leading regions for innovation and entrepreneurship and has contributed to many of the world's most successful technology companies in recent decades. What makes California's innovation system successful, and how can Sweden learn from their innovation system?

IVA's Annual Meeting 2023

Projects and programmes

IVA believes in humanity’s capacity to contribute positively to society through the engineering and economic sciences. We run a number of projects and programmes, both short and long-term, with the ambition of promoting social development through knowledge and common sense.

IVA’s Great Gold Medal 2026: Staffan Truvé

Staffan Truvé has been awarded IVA's Great Gold Medal 2026 for his ability to turn research into application. As an entrepreneur, technology leader and bridge-builder between academia and industry, he has left his mark on technological development both in Sweden and internationally.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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 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.

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.

“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.

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.

Cable breaks in the Baltic Sea part of a bigger challenge

Protecting internet cables is just one piece of the much larger challenge of building more resilient solutions for the entire digital infrastructure that our society depends on. Achieving a solution requires many efforts, according to cybersecurity expert Johan Malmliden and IVA Fellow Daniel Akenine, both involved in IVA's Resilient Digital Infrastructure project.