Initiatives that strengthen the entire Swedish resilience and inspire Europe

Published: 15 December 2025

In 2025, Sweden's major innovation initiative Impact Innovation has stepped up. With 206 powerful initiatives, the programs show the way to a sustainable and continued competitive Sweden. Together, the state and the program actors are investing 1.4 billion SEK.

This web page has been machine translated. If there are any uncertainties, please refer to the Swedish text.

Impact Innovation strengthens the entire Swedish economy through the diversity and breadth of its efforts – from a fossil-free and circular industry, to solutions for sustainable water management, recycling in the construction of the future, smart mobility and a public sector that promotes everyone's health and well-being.

Great interest in Impact Innovation in Europe

I Europa is very interested in how the programs within Impact Innovation collaborate in an actor-driven manner and achieve results.

– We receive many interested questions from the outside world! Europe needs to take the lead in the sustainable transition and Impact Innovation's stakeholder-driven collaborations are inspiring. Our efforts are followed with curiosity by the OECD, mission initiatives in the EU and other parts of the world, Jenny Engström, Teamledare Impact Accelerator, Vinnova.

Scaling up solutions that are useful in people's everyday lives

The world is currently experiencing major technological leaps that can contribute to a sustainable transition. Impact Innovation works to ensure that society can receive and scale up groundbreaking solutions, through changed systems, norms and behaviors, and benefit people's everyday lives.

– Sweden is now strengthening its ability to implement rapid changes. Through technical leadership combined with innovations that are put into use in society, real benefit is created. Impact innovation is a programme that makes this possible, says Darja Isaksson, director general, Vinnova.

In 2026, Impact Innovation will continue to scale up efforts towards the programs' transformation goals. An important deliverable will be performance reports from the first two years of work.

Examples from the programs' efforts

54 initiatives for a sustainable manufacturing industry – Net Zero Industry

Among other things, for:

A reduced climate and environmental footprint on the way to net zero emissions in discrete manufacturing.
Increased competence in the manufacturing industry, to achieve sustainability goals, improve resilience and strengthen the competitiveness of companies.
Minskade CO₂-utsläpp, increased circularity and resource efficiency in the Swedish foundry industry.
Reduced material use, energy consumption, lead time and logistics in large industrial systems.
Developed regulations and instruments that influence and promote the conditions for industrial sustainable transition.

More about the efforts on Net Zero Industrys's website

58 initiatives for secure access to metals and minerals – Swedish Metals and Minerals

Among other things, for:

An efficient and profitable introduction of digital product passports throughout the value chain within the Swedish metal industry.
An established sustainable and economically viable recycling process for LFP batteries, industrial implementation in Sweden and Europe.
A roadmap for transitioning to lead-free brass, and a circular, robust and competitive Nordic brass industry.
Brain-friendly work environments in an increasingly cognitively demanding mining industry, reduced stress, and reduced risk of mistakes and poor decisions.
A technical solution to restore reindeer lichens in landscapes with mining, protect ecosystems, societal needs and support a Sami lifestyle.

More about the efforts on Swedish Metals and Minerals website

31 initiatives for a renewed welfare that includes everyone – SustainGov

Among other things, for:

Mission-driven knowledge in the public sector, increased innovative capacity, well-founded decisions and an equal transformation of society.
Citizen-driven welfare models in rural areas and the archipelago to organize service, care and social welfare in local communities.
A cohesive and person-centered care and welfare system for individuals with complex needs, for increased security and resource efficiency.
System change that breaks the information exclusion for many foreign-born the elderly, which strengthens social inclusion and trust.
Gathering forces for good and equal upbringing conditions, with a special focus on children and young people at risk, to prevent social exclusion.

More about the efforts on the SustainGov website

31 initiatives for attractive and accessible living environments for all – ShiftSweden

Among other things, for:

A concept for health-promoting urban neighborhoods and mobility, utilization of the city's "in-between spaces" and empty properties, and sustainable travel.
Legislative processes for a market model for recycling, with a focus on demolition and construction, and a circular urban development sector.
To future-proof the large-scale apartment buildings of the 60s and 70s, for energy efficiency, social sustainability and economic viability.
Innovative guidelines that show the way to more inclusive construction, humane and future-ready cities, that work for more people.
Prerequisites for expanded public transport with new solutions, business models and concepts to reach more people and reach further.

More about the efforts on ShiftSweden's website

32 initiatives sustainable water for all – Water Wise Societies

Among other things, for:

To scale up new ideas and solutions, increase knowledge about the value of water, change attitudes and increase engagement in water issues.
Sustainable water conversion of dry agricultural landscapes, collaborations for learning from other countries, with Gotland as an innovation area.
Solutions for water management in crisis and war to strengthen Sweden's ability to secure its water supply in major crises.
Transition to smart water management in a national transition lab for data-driven system transition.
Water in balance, for a resilient and sustainable water supply in climate change that affects access to and quality of water.

More about the efforts on Water Wise Societies website

About Impact Innovation

The programs within Impact Innovation bring together a diversity of actors from different sectors to drive change and build their programme around specific missions – from a fossil-free and circular industry, to solutions for sustainable water management, recycling in the construction of the future, smart mobility and a public sector that promotes everyone's health and well-being.
The goal is to redesign today's systems to meet future needs and create sustainable development and competitiveness.

Impact Innovation is a joint effort between the Swedish Energy Agency, Formas and Vinnova. The initiative is based on Agenda 2030, the EU's mission and social policy objective.

More about Impact Innovation