Hello CEO: Jenny Lindqvist, Ericsson

As one of the main priorities for the next mandate (2022-2026), Jenny Lindqvist wants a faster roll-out of 5G to enable a modern industry that can compete globally.

- We are export-dependent, so it is extremely important for our economy. Ericsson and other companies are ready to invest the equivalent of SEK 1 billion a year for at least ten years to accelerate the transition, but the state must also contribute and clear decisions must be made," says Jenny Lindqvist and continues:

- Right now, countries such as South Korea, Germany, Finland, France, the United Kingdom and the United States are planning and implementing major initiatives to digitize industry. In Sweden, similar initiatives have not yet started, which means that we risk falling behind.
Sweden needs to invest heavily in applied research and development. Not in all areas, but in those aspects of advanced digitization of industry that are important to Swedish companies. Here we need to be world leaders.

Jenny Lindqvist and Ericsson want to see clear instructions from the next government to public authorities on their responsibility to accelerate digitalization. Swedish multinationals such as Ericsson are digitizing their operations at a rapid pace, but many smaller companies need help and pressure. Demonstrators and testbeds are one way to support the transition. The weight of the public sector as a buyer or customer is another. LM Ericsson and Televerket, Asea and Vattenfall together drove the expansion of telephony and electricity in Sweden. This is a type of collaboration that Ericsson wants to see more of.

- An old issue that still haunts us is the supply of skills. For industrial companies to be able to operate in Sweden, an education system is needed that is able to cultivate a new generation of engineers. Statistics Sweden has forecast that by 2030 there will be a shortage of around 30 000 engineering graduates in Sweden. Girls who perform well in mathematics in upper secondary schools represent a major skills resource that we must take advantage of to fill the skills gap and at the same time make the tech industry more equal. We also need to be able to attract top talent from the global market to Sweden. This requires world-class education and job offers that attract the very best.

What are the key messages you want to send to our policy makers ahead of the autumn elections?

- The green transformation of society requires a digital transformation. Without digitalization, we will not be able to make the changes needed to make, for example, smart electricity grids, smart transport or smart construction or manufacturing industries sustainable. That they should see digitalization as a matter of destiny for Sweden and not as something that solves itself just because it has gone well in the past. It is a revolution that will determine Sweden's future.

What are your expectations for TechSverige before and after the elections?

- To continue the work of highlighting digitalization and 5G when you meet politicians, and generally highlight the value of the tech industry - what we contribute in terms of economy, green transition, jobs and innovation. I think TechSverige is a typical example of how we can work together on issues around digitalization. There is also a value for members to get help in analyzing what the parties want in relevant policy areas. What does their election manifesto say about digitalization or labour immigration rules, for example, and what would that mean? This is an analysis that can be difficult to do for individual businesses, but would be very useful.

In the report "A tech agenda for Sweden", TechSverige has gathered input for politics ahead of the election campaign and the next parliamentary term. Which of the ten areas identified in the report do you think is the most important for our decision-makers to focus on?

- As a trade organization, TechSverige has an important role in driving these issues and continuing the work on the Tech Agenda for Sweden. Two areas in the report appeal to me in particular:

- First, we have the need to increase the supply of skills in tech. As a world leader in communications technology, we are in a position where some of the brightest people are looking to us, both from Sweden and internationally. But we also know that more needs to be done to ensure that Sweden is not in the midst of a skills crisis. The expectation and hope for the future is that the government will increase its investment in Swedish research. There is also a need for science subjects to be given higher priority when education is designed. The change needs to permeate the entire education system, from preschool to universities and research education.

- Second, we have the need to invest in cutting-edge technologies. At Ericsson, we know the value that technologies like 5G, AI and IoT create for consumers, businesses and society at large because we have led these developments in other parts of the world. These technologies are also crucial for the competitiveness of more or less all of Sweden's industries. What we want to see, and also be part of, is investments in platforms and hubs where Swedish companies can quickly develop solutions based on the technologies of the future. On top of this, the 5G rollout must also go as fast as possible in Sweden.