National investment capacity and direction

Sweden has many strong initiatives and instruments, but responsibility is spread across different policy areas, authorities and budgets. To strengthen Sweden's long-term investment capacity, Vinnova proposes national investment targets and a national technology council.

The goals should be included in a comprehensive ten-year national investment plan to create a long-term perspective, mobilize private investments and attract international capital.

Long-term investments

Research and development

The state's investments amounts to at least 1 percent of GDP in 2030 and 1.2 percent in 2035.

Objective:Swedish investments for research and development should total at least 4 and 4.5 percent of GDP, respectively.

Industrial and societal upscaling

Corresponding government objective, while total investments should reach at least 4 percent of GDP by 2030 and 5 percent by 2035. Government investments should mobilize significantly greater investments from business, the EU and other international actors.

Objective: At least 1 percent of GDP in 2030 and 1.2 percent in 2035.

A national technology council

Vinnova proposes a national technology council with strong analytical capacity and a clear connection to the government's decision-making, budget and governance processes. It should involve expertise from business, academia, institutes, authorities and other relevant actors.

The Council will strengthen Sweden's ability to prioritize and coordinate across policy areas and authority boundaries, monitor international developments and identify systemic obstacles. The EU and internationalisation will be integrated into the work.

The Council should work on, among other things:

• policy coordination and stakeholder mobilization
• strategic implementation support and identification of system obstacles
• EU and internationalisation
• AI coordination
• system, innovation and strategic analysis
• budget, governance and portfolio analysis
• follow-up, indicators and learning

Budget: At least 50 million SEK per year from 2028 for the office, analyses, follow-up, mobilization and EU work.