New guidelines for how Swedish organisations should take responsibility in international collaborations

The guidelines are primarily aimed at university and government management and are intended to serve as a basis for higher education institutions to develop their own, operationally adapted guidelines for responsible internationalisation.

The work has been carried out in close dialogue with universities and relevant authorities. A reference group consisting of, among others, the Swedish Security Service (Säpo), the Armed Forces, the Swedish Institute for International Affairs and several representatives from academia has participated.

Internationalisation is crucial – but requires conscious choices

– It is extremely important that we continue to work internationally with research and innovation, regardless of the world situation. At the same time, it is crucial that we do it in a responsible way – that we choose what we do and who we do it with, says Darja Isaksson, director general of Vinnova.

As public authority and financier of innovation projects, Vinnova has an important role and influences the Swedish innovation system. This applies to both funding of research and innovation and Vinnova's own international collaborations, for example in information sharing, procurement and travel.

Next step: guidelines for different parts of the innovation system

The established guidelines are part of a larger effort with responsible internationalisation. Universities and university colleges have long worked with security issues linked to internationalisation, but other actors also need support.

Vinnova will develop guidelines that address different parts of the innovation system. This applies, for example, to companies, industry and civil society organizations and other actors

Important to provide support to startups

The Swedish innovation system largely consists of startups and small and medium-sized enterprises, which often have limited resources for administration and security work. Here Vinnova has a particularly important role:

– We also want startups and small and medium-sized companies to receive support to work internationally in a safe and responsible way. Therefore, they need to have clear guidelines to rely on, adapted to their reality, says Ann-Mari Fineman, Chief Analyst, strategic analysis at Vinnova.

One of Vinnova's focuses in its work is therefore that the entire ecosystem should have adapted support, including startups and small and medium-sized enterprises.

The ambition is to have guidelines adapted for companies in place by 2026, and at the same time establish a more long-term working method internally at Vinnova.

The Swedish Research Council and Vinnova will continue their collaboration on the guidelines in the future.

Read the report Responsible internationalisation – Guiding national guidelines 2026

What is responsible internationalisation?

The guiding national guidelines for responsible internationalisation in higher education, research and innovation aim to ensure that international activities are carried out in a way that takes into account research safety, academic freedom, research integrity, safety for staff and students and the security of Sweden, while strengthening quality and contributing to sustainable development. Responsible internationalisation should contribute to increased prosperity and growth, safeguard democratic and ethical principles and strengthen global relations through, among other things, science and innovation diplomacy.

From proposals to established guidelines

The previous guidelines, published in December 2024, were developed as a proposal and sent out for consultation. The new guidelines are now finalized and are based on the views received during the consultation round. The work has resulted in more focused and operational support for organisations working internationally.

Among the changes are a clearer target group, more concise content and a more rigorous description of the security aspects of international cooperation.