Deadline: January 13, 2026
The Swedish Innovation Agency, Vinnova, invites consortia consisting of at least two participants including at least one industrial company to submit research and innovation project proposals aimed at developing new applied AI solutions for Swedish industry between 2026 and 2028, focusing on advanced digitalisation to address industrial needs for better real-time applications and AI-based decision support.
The project proposals must address one of the two thematic areas: “Intelligent Edge – AI for real-time application in the sensor chain” and “AI-based decision support.” The projects should promote innovation within and be relevant to these specific themes, aiming to contribute to the next generation of advanced, powerful, and secure digital solutions developed in Sweden, strengthen Sweden’s attractiveness for research and innovation investments, and support sustainable system transformation with attention to gender equality and climate change, based on the UN’s 2030 Agenda goals.
The Advanced digitalisation program facilitated by Vinnova seeks to finance collaborative research and innovation projects that actively involve at least two actors, including an industrial company, addressing pressing industrial challenges through applied AI. The projects are intended to last from 12 to 24 months, with funding available from 2 to 10 million SEK per project, covering up to 50 percent of eligible costs.
In the Intelligent Edge focus, the emphasis is on real-time AI applications in the sensor chain, enabling faster decision-making right at the data source with systems that have high requirements for latency, reliability, and confidentiality. This includes developments in embedded systems, secure AI agents, hardware-software platforms for real-time AI inferencing, and advanced sensor fusion to build autonomous, secure, and resource-efficient industrial solutions.
In the AI-based decision support area, the program targets development of reliable, explainable, robust AI systems that function in critical environments to enhance operational and strategic decisions. This involves integrating historical and expert data, independent and trustable AI agents, scenario simulations, digital twins, and enhanced user interfaces for human-AI collaboration. The goal is to produce user-friendly AI training tools, automated recommendations, and interactive decision-support systems that elevate quality, efficiency, security, and resilience in industrial processes.
Vinnova emphasizes the importance of projects contributing to sustainable growth and system transformation, integrating gender equality and climate change perspectives into project composition and outcomes. Projects are also expected to make scientific publications openly accessible to foster broader societal benefits and help raise competence and implementation capacity within Swedish business sectors to increase competitiveness.
Applicants must demonstrate clear industrial needs driving the project, ensure at least one Swedish company is involved, and comply with eligibility, financial, and reporting requirements. The program also functions as a collaboration platform and knowledge hub to synergize with other Swedish digitalisation initiatives.
For more information, visit Vinnova.
