Cyber attacks a growing threat to Swedish business

Much publicised cyber attacks and Russian displeasure at Sweden’s NATO application have brought the issue of cyber security to the fore. In the run-up to this autumn’s elections, several authorities have already noticed increased foreign influence activity. And the threat is growing not only towards the state, but also towards Swedish companies. Many are not well equipped, says cyber security expert and IVA Fellow Anne-Marie Eklund Löwinder.

IVA’s Gold Medal 2022: Peter Löthberg – the online rebel who connected the world

Peter Löthberg is a technology entrepreneur who, back in the mid 1980s, set out on a mission ‘to network the planet’. As an unstoppable force, he played a key role in the early emergence of the internet for many years, not least in the process of making Sweden one of the first countries in the world to become widely connected.

Insufficient EU support for Ukraine

One year on from Russia’s invasion, Ukraine is a country in need of huge support from the outside world, and not just in military form. It is already estimated that the costs of rebuilding the country will be many times higher than the value of the entire Ukrainian economy. And the help that the EU is currently providing is far from sufficient. So says Torbjörn Becker, Director of the Stockholm Institute of Transition Economics (SITE) at the Stockholm School of Economics, and Fellow of IVA.

Innovation the Swedish way

No other country has produced as many revolutionary innovations per capita as Sweden. In the book Innovation the Swedish way, produced at the initiative of IVA, authors Eva Krutmeijer and Henrik Berggren delve into the structures that created Sweden’s favourable innovation climate. Read four of the chapters here!

Cybersecurity for increased competitiveness

The Cybersecurity for Competitiveness project aims to contribute to a broad and nuanced discussion on the importance of a solid and coordinated effort to strengthen Sweden's cyber security. The project started in 2021 and runs until June 2023. This report is part of this work.

IVA Business Executives Council| Summer Session 2026

IVA's President: Some thoughts on Germany

IVA's President: Some thoughts on Technological Strength

If there is one thing that characterizes our time, it is how crucial technological strength has become to the success and prosperity, security, and influence of a country or region. Historically, it was natural resources or raw materials, but today almost everything revolves around technology.

IVAs President - Some thoughts on Surviving Chaos

2026 Hans Werthén Scholars

Eight young researchers and students resident in Sweden have been awarded this year's scholarships from the Hans Werthén Fund for study and research abroad. The scholarships are awarded with the aim of giving young academics the opportunity to develop in other countries and to return with new knowledge and experience that can benefit Sweden.

IVA's President: Some thoughts on Strategic Indispensability

What constitutes the EU's strategic capital and how can we leverage this in our new world? You don't have to be the biggest and strongest in the world to be influential or strategically relevant. It is enough to be strategic and smart.

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.

IVA's President: The Government as the Lead Customer

Public procurement accounts for nearly one-fifth of Sweden’s economy, amounting to approximately 1,200 billion Swedish kronor per year. EU-wide, the corresponding share is 14 percent. Given its scale and the nature of the purchases, public procurement could serve as a powerful driver of technological development, innovation, and, consequently, growth in Sweden and Europe.

Some thoughts on Economic Growth in Europe, or the Lack of It

Report: Advanced manufacturing

Every lorry that rolls out of Gothenburg. Every fighter aircraft that takes off from Linköping. Every industrial robot assembled in Västerås. Advanced manufacturing is today one of Sweden’s most important assets – a world-class sector that employs hundreds of thousands of people and accounts for a significant share of Sweden’s export revenues. But international competition is intensifying. A new report from Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences shows what Sweden needs to do to maintain its lead in an increasingly competitive world.

What Sweden Can Learn from Ukraine’s Drone Industry

Sweden needs to reform its public procurement regulations and innovation system to better foster innovation and address future crises, according to a new study produced on behalf of IVA. The review examines how Ukraine has rapidly developed a dynamic drone industry in the midst of ongoing war.

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 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.

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.