Ministers from the UK and Sweden have pledged to push new innovations into the hands of consumers quicker and share best practices by joining forces on key research areas like AI, fusion energy and advanced connectivity.
The promise was made as part of Sweden’s Research Minister Maria Nilsson’s visit to London. Nilsson and UK Science Minister Lord Vallance will sign an agreement committing to bringing its scientific communities closer together through shared research, policy and diplomacy expertise.
It is hoped the extended collaboration will unlock new growth opportunities for both countries and offer a boost to economies.
“Sweden is one of the world’s most innovative nations,” said Vallance. “It is home to digital giants such as Spotify, has pioneering fossil-free energy solutions in every sector and we have strong collaboration on health research.
“Working together, our researchers can unlock the technologies that take on global climate challenges and revolutionise public services to improve people’s lives on both sides of the North Sea.”
The AD-RIDDLE project, funded by EU’s Horizon Europe programme, is an existing success story of UK and Swedish collaboration, helping to spot signs of Alzheimer’s earlier and prevent the disease in the first place. It is hoped the results of the project will help transform healthcare systems and improve the quality of life for many patients who are susceptible to dementia.
As part of the agreement, UK and Swedish embassies will team up to support joint initiatives between research groups, universities and organisations, spanning from workshops to new projects.
