Expansion in Norrland: New recruitments and projects

With new recruitments and several major multi-million kronor projects, the Swedish National Road and Transport Research Institute’s (VTI’s) investment in northern Sweden is well and truly up and running. The expansion is continuing with new collaborations and further research into a number of vital sectors of society, including emergency preparedness and dual-use technology.

Analyst Pia Kristiansson joined VTI in March last year to take up the newly instituted post with responsibility for developing VTI’s operations in northern Sweden. Barely a year later, she has been joined at VTI’s new Skellefteå office by a further three employees.

In collaboration with colleagues at other VTI offices, they are currently implementing some 15 R&D projects with a total budget of almost SEK 200 million. Support from financiers such as Vinnova and the Swedish Energy Agency totals just over SEK 100 million.

“VTI is a national actor with operations throughout Sweden. The Skellefteå office brings us closer to Norrland and makes it easier to develop our work here,” says VTI’s Research Director Magnus Berglund, who is responsible for establishing VTI in Norrland. ”Norrland is also undergoing rapid industrial and societal development in a region where the cold and dark creates specific conditions for research and development.”

VTI’s operations are conducted in close collaboration with other organisations such as the Arctic Center of Energy (ACE), Luleå University of Technology and Umeå University. The office, which is situated in Skellefteå Science City on Campus Skellefteå, conducts a broad range of activities that cover most of VTI’s varied remit, from behavioural science and economics to civil engineering and electrification.

Already green-lit projects are studying automation and dual-use goods (technology with dual civil and military applications). These include developing and testing autonomous transportation solutions, drones and mobile drone ports.

“This has dual benefits, as we are simultaneously developing civil society and reinforcing Swedish defence capabilities. Dual-use means that military needs also drive civil development,” says Pia Kristiansson.

The ambition for the coming years is to continue developing the organisation by taking on more projects, broadening operations and entering into new and deeper collaborations. VTI will be at Society Expo 2026 in Skellefteå from 27 May to 9 June, where among other things we will be exhibiting an autonomous delivery robot.

Translation: CBG