The Nordic Council of Ministers announced today its intention to contribute five million Danish kroner annually between 2025 and 2027 for the establishment of a Nordic AI center. The funding is a crucial step towards realizing a center that will strengthen the Nordic region's position in artificial intelligence. AI Sweden is now leading the preparatory work.
In 2024, the Nordic Council of Ministers' organization, Nordic Innovation, commissioned AI Sweden, along with its partner organizations AI Finland and IKT-Norge, to create a Nordic AI center. This center will, among other things, increase AI adoption in the Nordic region, attract investment in ambitious AI projects, and contribute to greater political focus on AI in the Nordic and Baltic countries, particularly in relation to the EU.
"The Nordic and Baltic countries can create significant value by collaborating on the development and use of AI. Therefore, it is a very important signal that the Nordic countries, under the Swedish presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers, have now made this initial decision. Together, we can significantly strengthen our region's influence and prosperity," says Mikael Ljungblom, Head of Policy and International Relations at AI Sweden.
Mikael Ljungblom
Head of Policy and International Relations at AI Sweden
The center will be open to partnerships with relevant actors from across the Nordic and Baltic regions. The goal is to strengthen the region's international competitiveness and attractiveness.
Formal Decision from the Nordic Council of Ministers Pending
AI Sweden is now leading preparatory work with support from Nordic Innovation. In the next step, AI Sweden will present a report with a concrete financing proposal, after which the Nordic Council of Ministers will formally decide on funding.
"We are in the midst of a global AI revolution. The Nordic region has enormous potential in development and innovation. Capitalizing on this is crucial to strengthen the competitiveness of not only the Nordic region, but also Europe. Therefore, I am proud that under Sweden's presidency, we are stepping up Nordic cooperation on AI issues and taking leadership in Europe. Leading companies and actors should think AI when they think Nordic," says Jessica Rosencrantz, Minister for EU Affairs with responsibility for Nordic issues.
Jessica Rosencrantz
Minister for EU Affairs with responsibility for Nordic issues.
Photographer: Axel Adolfsson