Digital policy

Vaccines and COVID-19 coordination were the main items on the agenda when Prime Minister Stefan Löfven met with other EU leaders at a video conference on 25 March. The single market and digital transformation were also on the agenda. The conference ended with a meeting with US President Joe Biden.

Coordination of the COVID-19 response is the main topic when Prime Minister Stefan Löfven meets his head of state and government colleagues during a two-day video conference on 25–26 March. On Thursday evening, the EU leaders will also have a meeting with US President Joe Biden. On Friday, they will discuss issues related to the single market and digital transformation, and hold a Euro Summit.

In light of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Government, the Centre Party and the Liberal Party are presenting new measures to strengthen digital infrastructure. Under the proposal in the additional amending budget, SEK 202.8 million will be provided to the Rural Development Programme for 2014–2020 to ensure that budget funds previously set aside to support broadband expansion can be paid.

Minister for Business, Industry and Innovation Ibrahim Baylan is travelling to Paris to meet with his French counterparts. The purpose of the visit is to take a further step under the Swedish-French partnership for innovation in the area of sustainable digital transformation and artificial intelligence (AI). The promotion of French investments in Sweden and discussions on the EU’s industrial policy will also be in focus during the visit.

When Prime Minister Stefan Löfven met French President Emmanuel Macron today in Paris, the countries’ strategic partnership for innovation, digital transformation and green solutions was updated and deepened. When Mr Löfven and Mr Macron entered into the partnership in November 2017, it was agreed that Sweden and France needed to work together in a number of strategic areas to better address digital transformation and climate adaptation.

The Swedish Government has identified the need to develop a national approach to AI in Sweden. The purpose of this document is to identify an overall direction for AI-related work in Sweden and lay the foundation for future priorities.

Migration, EU–US relations, and security and defence will be on the agenda when Prime Minister Stefan Löfven meets his European Council colleagues on 28–29 June.

Minister for Infrastructure Tomas Eneroth has invited the EU transport ministers to discuss connected and automated driving on the roads. The meeting will take place in Gothenburg on 18–19 June 2018.

Supplying skills to the labour market, and to society at large, has been a recurring issue since the Government’s National Innovation Council started meeting in 2015. When the Council met on 28 May at Harpsund, the meeting opened with the issue of lifelong learning in the workplace.

The Nordic and Baltic regions are to expand their cooperation to maintain their position as Europe’s leading region in the area of digital development. The countries decided today to reinforce their cooperation on artificial intelligence (AI). Sweden will lead this cooperation.