AGP Executive Report

Defense Technology: Elbit Systems plans to open a Swedish laser-warning production and maintenance centre in 2027. Saab has also completed a large underwater drone demonstrator with the Swedish Armed Forces. Autonomous Driving: Volvo is expanding its Nvidia partnership for next-generation automated driving, targeting hands-free journeys. AI Infrastructure: Sweden’s Sferical One supercomputer is live with 1,152 Nvidia GPUs, while Nvidia plans a Stockholm hub for startups working on health and climate challenges. Battery & AgTech: Stockholm-based Holyvolt raised $45 million to develop battery materials, and Swedish crop-tech firm OlsAro secured €5 million for salt-tolerant wheat. Digital Finance: Sweden is pushing digital-krona legislation as the ECB prepares a 2027 digital-euro pilot. Health Research: A study involving Karolinska Institutet found that some early MS treatments reduced relapses and brain scarring, but showed no clear difference in disability after two years.

Digital Money: Sweden is advancing digital-krona legislation as the European Central Bank plans a 2027 euro pilot. Sovereign AI: Sferical One, a Stockholm supercomputer with 1,152 Nvidia GPUs, is now live. Backed by AstraZeneca, Ericsson, Saab, SEB and Wallenberg Investments, it is designed to keep sensitive industrial data in Sweden; Nvidia and Norrsken also plan a Stockholm AI hub for start-ups in 2027. Autonomous Driving: Volvo is expanding its Nvidia partnership, targeting hands-free point-to-point driving by 2030 with Nvidia’s next-generation platform. Climate-Resilient Farming: Gothenburg-based OlsAro raised €5 million to develop salt-tolerant wheat and other resilient cereal varieties, with field trials underway. Defence Engineering: Saab received a SEK 1.3 billion order to develop Gripen computers, while Saab, FMV and the Armed Forces launched a project for a large uncrewed underwater vehicle.

Carbon Science: Researchers at the University of Gothenburg, Chalmers and Stockholm University have made diamondiyne, a porous carbon material proposed decades ago. Its practical uses remain to be explored. AI Infrastructure: Sweden’s Sferical One supercomputer is now running with 1,152 Nvidia GPUs, while Nvidia and Norrsken plan a Stockholm AI lab for start-ups in 2027. Self-Driving Cars: Volvo is expanding its Nvidia partnership, targeting hands-free driving features before 2030 and more advanced automated driving over time. Telecoms: Ericsson reported 7% organic sales growth in the third quarter, driven by stronger demand for network equipment. Battery Innovation: Stockholm-based Holyvolt raised $45 million to develop battery materials and chemistries less dependent on China’s supply chain.

Telecom: Ericsson reported 7% organic sales growth in the third quarter, led by its Networks business, but profit fell and rising component costs are prompting new efficiency measures. CEO Per Narvinger is reshaping the executive team and operating structure. AI in Sweden: Norrsken and Nvidia plan to open a Stockholm AI lab for founders in 2027, while Scaleway is expanding its European AI infrastructure with AMD GPUs in Sweden. Health Tech: Swedish-founded Neko Health says its New York waitlist doubled to 50,000 in two weeks; a second Manhattan clinic is planned for January. Defence Technology: Elbit Systems Sweden is establishing a European production centre for laser warning systems, adding local manufacturing capacity for defence technology.

Quantum Computing: Stockholm-based FirstQFM says its AI model cut single-qubit gate times by 33% on a QuantWare processor, with results validated on hardware. AI in Space: Gothenburg’s Embedl and Space Cargo Unlimited demonstrated onboard AI that monitors protein-crystal experiments in orbit and flags problems between ground contacts. Cancer Research: A Karolinska Institutet-led Nordic study of more than 780,000 people found obesity surgery was linked to about 20% lower risk of obesity-related cancer, regardless of age or sex. New Materials: University of Gothenburg researchers created diamondiyne, a porous, diamond-like form of carbon previously proposed only in theory. AI Infrastructure: European cloud provider Scaleway plans an AMD-powered AI supercomputer in Sweden, adding to the country’s growing role in computing infrastructure.

AI Infrastructure: Scaleway is expanding its European computing network with an AMD-powered AI supercomputer in Sweden, adding local capacity as demand grows for Europe-based cloud and AI services. Clean Power: A new report warns Sweden’s north–south grid divide could undermine the value of its clean electricity, highlighting the need to move power to where it is needed. Biotech: Swedish company Elicera says its CAR-T treatment cleared detectable lymphoma in eight patients, an encouraging early result for cancer research. Food Technology: OlsAro raised €5 million to commercialise salt-tolerant wheat and develop crops suited to drought and lower nitrogen use. Electric Vehicles: Volvo’s new EX60 SUV is facing limited availability in the US until early 2027 as the automaker works through production challenges.

AI Infrastructure: Scaleway plans to build its first supercomputer outside France in Sweden, using AMD’s MI355X chips and open-source ROCm software to expand European access to AI computing. Telecoms: Ericsson says AI could improve 5G network performance by up to 30%, pointing to a growing role for machine learning in mobile networks. Aerospace: Thailand is prioritising a new phase of Gripen fighter purchases for 2027–28, building on its agreement to buy four Swedish-made jets. Health Research: Swedish registry data linked HPV vaccination before a first pregnancy to 15% lower odds of very premature birth. Automotive: Volvo is reworking suspension to make it lighter, stronger and easier to service.

AI Infrastructure: Scaleway says it will build an AMD-powered AI supercomputer in Sweden, expanding computing capacity for European businesses that want their AI workloads hosted under EU law. Alzheimer’s Research: A real-world Swedish study of more than 1,300 patients found family doctors diagnosed Alzheimer’s correctly 93% of the time after reviewing blood-test results, up from 65% before testing. Battery Technology: Chalmers researchers found that a reconfigurable EV battery design could extend battery life by more than 20% in some applications by bypassing weaker cells; that figure is a theoretical upper limit, not a commercial forecast. Women’s Health: Swedish registry research linked HPV vaccination before a first pregnancy to 15% lower odds of very preterm birth.

Nobel in Stockholm: The Royal Swedish Academy awarded the 2026 economics prize to Robert Hall and Michael Woodford for models that help governments and central banks respond to economic shocks. Their work links household and business decisions to wider economic swings. Youth and Screen Use: A study of nearly 22,000 Swedish twins found links between recreational screen habits and later anxiety or depression diagnoses. The links weakened in twin comparisons, pointing to shared family factors and underscoring that screen time alone may not explain mental health outcomes. HPV and Pregnancy: Swedish registry research found HPV vaccination before a first pregnancy was associated with 15% lower odds of very premature birth.

Nobel in Stockholm: American economists Robert Hall and Michael Woodford won the 2026 economics prize for models that help governments and central banks manage shocks. Neuroscience: Karolinska Institutet’s StratNeuro will fund two clinical research projects, including work on tramadol addiction and improving bipolar disorder diagnosis. Data-centre heat: Plans in Stockholm aim to use server heat to warm 30,000 homes. Swedish health research: Registry research links HPV vaccination before pregnancy with a lower risk of very premature birth. Telecoms: Telia plans to cut 900 jobs across its Nordic and Baltic markets, including 260 in Sweden, as it targets annual savings of one billion kronor.

Space Technology: Uppsala University researchers are helping develop tiny devices to harvest infrared sunlight and stray radio waves, potentially giving satellites extra power without bulky equipment. Medical Research: A Nordic study using health records from Sweden, Denmark and Norway found no link between semaglutide use and pancreatic cancer among more than 97,000 patients. Nobel Science: This year’s physics prize recognized IceCube neutrino research, while the chemistry prize honored discoveries explaining how reactions favor one mirror-image form of a molecule—a finding with implications for drug development. Safer Cars: Volvo says decades of real-world crash research have cut injury risk for women drivers by 88%, bringing their protection closer to men’s. Archaeology: New research on 12 people found signs of violence among Iron Age and Viking Age remains buried in unusual domestic settings, revealing lives missed by cemetery-focused studies.

Telecom: Ericsson says AI software could lift 5G network performance by 25–30% on existing equipment, offering operators a way to improve service without waiting for 6G. Textile Technology: Swedish firms are expanding facilities and developing automation, recycling and resource-efficient manufacturing ahead of ITMA Asia. Health Research: Swedish registry data link HPV vaccination before a first pregnancy to 15% lower odds of very preterm birth. Shipping: Wallenius Marine is moving ahead with a new research project on wind-powered shipping. Digital Infrastructure: Midgard is planning a subsea cable connecting Sweden and Finland.

Battery Research: Chalmers researchers tested a smart battery design that can bypass worn-out cells, potentially extending EV battery life and reducing waste. Health Research: A Swedish registry study linked HPV vaccination before pregnancy to 15% lower odds of very preterm birth, though it does not prove the vaccine caused the difference. Defence Technology: Sweden will send a Patriot unit to Poland in December, its first deployment of the system on a NATO operation, to help protect a key supply hub for Ukraine. Telecoms: Ericsson says AI software could improve existing 5G network performance by 25–30% without new hardware, offering operators a potential upgrade path toward 6G.

Battery Manufacturing: Swedish firm Statetron has secured land in Qatar for a planned 10-hectare battery campus, designed to scale toward multi-gigawatt production and integrate automation, testing and R&D. Health Research: A Swedish registry study of more than 624,000 births found HPV vaccination before a first pregnancy was linked to 15% lower odds of very preterm birth, though it does not prove the vaccine caused the reduction. EU Research Funding: Ireland’s proposed 2028–34 budget cuts would reduce funding for competitiveness, research and defence by about 13%; Sweden is among countries seeking deeper cuts, with its EU affairs minister calling the proposed budget unaffordable. Wildlife Research: A Lund University-led study suggests hunting, low genetic diversity and habitat loss together drove the early disappearance of aurochs in Scandinavia. Air Defence: Sweden plans to deploy a Patriot unit to Poland in December to protect the NATO logistics hub at Rzeszów, its first Patriot deployment on a NATO operation.

Wind-Powered Shipping: Wallenius Marine, KTH, RISE and AlfaWall Oceanbird have launched a Swedish Energy Agency-backed project to redesign ships around wind propulsion, aiming to improve the performance of sails and cut emissions. Research Workforce: International recruits make up just under 60% of STEM doctorate recipients in Sweden, according to a Nordic analysis; Sweden’s overall share of foreign doctoral graduates has dipped slightly since the pandemic. Digital Infrastructure: Midgard Infra plans a 200-kilometre subsea cable linking Sweden and Finland, with 144 fibre pairs and a route designed to avoid shared infrastructure failure points. Swedish Health Research: A study of 239 patients at a Swedish rheumatology centre found that elevated inflammation markers and MRI findings helped predict which patients with spondyloarthritis later received biologic treatment.

AI in Health: Researchers at Sweden’s Blekinge Institute of Technology helped develop a stroke-detection model that signals how uncertain it is, giving clinicians more context than a simple prediction. Aviation Engineering: Saab and GKN are expanding their Gripen E/F engine partnership, strengthening a key Swedish defence-technology programme. Driver Assistance: Tesla has renamed its “Full Self-Driving” software “Assisted Driving” across Europe after regulators challenged the claim; Swedish authorities had also raised concerns about how the feature was described. Startup Scene: Sweden’s startups are forecast to raise $5 billion in 2026, with a recent report pointing to the country’s long-built foundations as a competitive edge. Telecom Resilience: Telia has been selected as the primary partner for Sweden’s Civil Defence Agency emergency network, underlining the role of secure communications in national preparedness.