Sweden can help shape a future of sustainable prosperity

Change is often unsettling. In these turbulent times, rocked by geopolitical tensions, overlapping crises, accelerating climate change and transformative technological advances, one pressing question recurs: Is there hope?

Moore’s Law – the key to a sustainable Sweden?

A vision of art, design and the humanities as the Nordic region’s next competitive advantage. Essay written for IVA as part of Swedish Futures - a vision for Sweden as a country of technology and innovation by 2035 - by IVA Fellows Martin Nilsson Jacobi and Anna Valtonen.

Swedish Futures

“Swedish Futures” aims to develop an overarching vision for Sweden as a world-leading country of technology and innovation by 2035, with a focus on competitiveness, sustainability, and security.

Meet IVA's President

Gain insights from Professor Sylvia Schwaag Serger’s perspectives on current issues shaping our future, along with the President’s contributions to recent publications and other engagements.

Steering Committee and Funding Providers

IVA´s project “Swedish Futures” aims to develop an overarching vision for Sweden as a world-leading country of technology and innovation by 2035, with a focus on competitiveness, sustainability, and security. The project is made possible thanks to the commitment and financial support of a large number of actors.

The Future of Industry

Swedish industry has long been a cornerstone of the country’s prosperity and capacity for innovation. However, in the face of rapid technological development, increasing geopolitical uncertainty and intensifying global competition, the sector is now confronting new and complex challenges.

Global outlook

Sweden is an open economy that is dependent on the outside world in every sense. Global competition is fierce, not least in terms of technological development. As part of the vision project Swedish Futures, IVA now offers quarterly thematic status reports on Asia, authored by expert researchers with extensive regional experience, under the title 'Global Outlook: Asia'.

Contact us

Would you like to get in touch with someone at the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA)? Here you’ll find all staff members at IVA’s office in Stockholm, along with current address, billing, and contact details.

In-depth Studies

Within the vision project Swedish Futures, IVA is initiating some 20 in-depth analyses of various themes, which may highlight energy supply, entrepreneurship, infrastructure, climate, new technologies, government finances, security and other important issues for Sweden.

Government Infrastructure Investments

A thematic deep dive within the Swedish Futures vision project, exploring models for government investment in areas such as physical and digital infrastructure, as well as total defence.

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.

Addressing global challenges and building sound international partnership

Science diplomacy, the intersection of science and diplomacy in addressing global challenges, has gained prominence on the international stage. While Sweden boasts a long-standing tradition of scientific excellence and international collaboration, it is yet to fully embrace the discourse of Science Diplomacy within its institutional landscape. Join us as we explore the emerging field of science diplomacy and delve into its relevance within the Swedish Science, Technology, and Innovation (STI) ecosystem, and whether Sweden measures up to compared to the development in other countries.

IVA's Annual Meeting 2023

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.

Cybersecurity for Increased Competitiveness

Antagonistic cyber threats impact all parts of Swedish society. The project under the heading “Cybersecurity for Increased Competitiveness” is focusing on how organisations in the private and public sectors can improve their ability to deal with cyber threats. The project is also looking at which political initiatives and decisions are necessary to strengthen cybersecurity in Sweden.

Mentor4Innovation

Mentor4Innovation is an annual mentoring programme offered to Wallenberg Academy Fellows as the largest private initiative for young researchers in Sweden. The purpose of Mentor4Innovation is to increase the ability of Swedish research to innovate over the long term, by giving this group of leading young researchers a hand-picked mentor.