How can Sweden become one of the world’s leading AI nations? And what role can Dalarna play in that development? That was the starting point when Dalarna Science Park organized Dalarna Talks in Almedalen for the fifth year in a row.
This year’s forum focused on AI as a driver of regional growth and brought together representatives from the business community, the public sector, academia, and politics to discuss how national AI ambitions can be put into practice.
The discussion took its cue from the government’s new AI strategy, which aims to make Sweden one of the world’s top ten AI nations. However, several participants pointed out that achieving this goal requires more than just visions.
From Strategy to Implementation
The discussion began with Susanne Ackum, Vice President for Academic Affairs at Linnaeus University and former Secretary-General of the government’s AI Commission. She welcomed Sweden’s new AI strategy but called for a clearer link between its goals and their implementation.
“It’s good that there’s an AI strategy, but it needs to be refined.” “There are ambitious goals for Sweden to be among the top ten countries in the world in the field of AI. But there isn’t really a clear plan for how we’re going to get there,” said Susanne Ackum, former executive secretary of the government’s AI Commission.
Susanne also emphasized the importance of a holistic approach in which computing power, energy, data, and expertise are developed together.
With regard to Dalarna, she highlighted the major investments in data centers as an important opportunity, but noted that the real benefits arise when these initiatives are linked to research, education, and entrepreneurship.
– We need a strategy to ensure that this can be something that builds Sweden, and that we’re not just providing cheap computing power to other countries.
This served as a natural starting point for the ongoing discussion on how Dalarna can help put Sweden’s AI ambitions into practice.
Dalarna at the Center of the New AI Economy
During the discussion, several speakers repeatedly mentioned the major investments currently being made in Dalarna in the areas of data centers, energy, and digital infrastructure. New facilities from companies such as Google and EcoDataCenter, along with clients like Mistral AI, NVIDIA, and CoreWeave, have put the region on the map as a key hub for the future of AI development.
John Wernvik of EcoDataCenter described how the Swedish ecosystem is a decisive factor when international AI companies choose to set up operations in Dalarna.
“If you visit Mistral’s recruitment page today, you’ll see London, Amsterdam, New York, and Borlänge. That says something about how these deals are made within ecosystems,” he said.
At the same time, he called for a national strategy for data centers and digital infrastructure so that Sweden can fully capitalize on the growth potential that exists.
Christina Ramm Eriksson of TechSverige also highlighted a positive trend in Dalarna.
“If you look at the pace of growth and the tech industry’s contribution to GDP, Dalarna has seen very strong growth in recent years. Previously, the industry was heavily concentrated in Stockholm, Gothenburg, and Malmö, but if you look at the actual pace of growth and the tech industry’s contribution to GDP, Dalarna is now actually one of the leading regions,” she noted.
Skills Determine the Future
One issue that united all participants was the need for expertise. Representatives from Teknikföretagen, TechSverige, the Swedish Transport Administration, and Vinnova emphasized the importance of strengthening both cutting-edge expertise and a broad understanding of digital technology throughout the entire education system. At the same time, they highlighted the need to attract talent to Sweden and to regions outside the major cities.
Maria Rosendahl of Teknikföretagen pointed out that many small and medium-sized enterprises are still in the early stages of their AI journey and need support to get started.
"But I'll tell young talents that if they want to work with AI, Dalarna is the place to be," says Maria.
AI Hub Will Bring Together the Strength of Dalarna
During the meeting, plans for a regional AI Hub in Dalarna were also presented. The initiative aims to bring together businesses, the public sector, and academia to strengthen the region’s capacity to develop and use AI.
"Take the initiative to collaborate in every possible way, across all sectors. Whether we're talking about the public or private sectors, we do this together. There is so much expertise in Dalarna, which creates excellent conditions," urged Niclas Lamberg, Chief Information Officer at the Swedish Transport Administration.
Remy Kolessar of Vinnova saw great potential in this type of regional initiative.
“Dalarna has a fantastic opportunity to build this from a systemic perspective. This regional collaboration can contribute to both national and European competitiveness,” he said.
Several participants also emphasized the importance of pace.
AI is developing rapidly, and success comes not only through strategies, but by starting to test, collaborate, and put ideas into practice. Dalarna’s unique opportunity was emphasized time and again, and what we took home with us was more positive than we could have imagined. Not only was the investment in the AI hub reaffirmed, but we also received confirmation that others besides us recognize the potential that exists in Dalarna: energy, infrastructure, industry, an engaged public sector, academia, a growing tech sector, and many innovative startups. All of this is outlined in the national AI strategy. Dalarna can truly serve as a test bed here and represent Sweden in miniature.
Watch the full Dalarna Talks from Almedalen
Here you can watch the entire Dalarna Talks session on how Dalarna can help make Sweden a leading AI nation.
