STOCKHOLM: Telia, KTH Royal Institute of Technology and Brookfield have signed a memorandum of understanding to form a strategic partnership aimed at developing sovereign AI services and applications in Sweden, the companies announced Monday.
The partnership builds on Telia’s and Brookfield’s previously announced AI collaboration and will leverage KTH’s position at the center of Sweden’s innovation ecosystem. The agreement supports Sweden’s and Europe’s ambitions for long-term technology leadership while expanding the partners’ ability to contribute to broader AI initiatives and industry collaborations.
Under the partnership, the three organizations aim to build scalable sovereign AI capabilities, including services based on large language models and KTH-developed software. The effort is designed to meet rapidly evolving technology needs of Swedish businesses and organizations in sectors such as health care, education, manufacturing and critical infrastructure.
The partners also plan to explore development of an AI test bed and activities to create AI ventures, hosted by KTH. Those initiatives could provide researchers with greater access to the latest AI technologies, help entrepreneurs and companies bring innovations to market faster, and serve as a platform to attract additional talent, investment and research to Sweden.
In March, Telia and Brookfield announced Sweden’s largest sovereign AI initiative, built on Brookfield’s stated plans to invest up to 95 billion Swedish kronor (approximately $10 billion) in Swedish AI infrastructure. Telia’s system integrator, Telia Cygate, is set to operate and deliver sovereign AI services on top of that infrastructure and will bring its capabilities and expertise to the KTH partnership.
“Building sovereign tech capabilities is a matter of urgency for Sweden and Europe, and smart partnerships are how we make it happen,” said Patrik Hofbauer, president and CEO of Telia Company. “Telia’s secure and resilient services make us a trusted partner for entire societies; KTH’s outstanding research is putting Swedish innovation on the global map; and Brookfield have announced major investments in Sweden’s AI infrastructure. Together, we intend to accelerate cutting-edge technologies that enable new value for customers and competitiveness for our region.”
Anders Söderholm, president of KTH, said the university is working across departments and research areas to influence the future of the AI revolution. “This makes us an ideal university partner in this transformative technology,” he said. “Our collaboration with Telia and Brookfield will help create a sovereign AI ecosystem that can strengthen both Sweden and Europe.”
Sikander Rashid, head of AI infrastructure for Brookfield, said the addition of KTH reinforces the partnership between Brookfield and Telia and marks another important step in supporting Sweden’s ambition to become an AI leader. “As demand for AI services continues to grow across Europe, success will depend on a strong ecosystem that brings together infrastructure, connectivity and innovation,” he said.
KTH is Sweden’s largest technical university and is ranked among the top 100 universities worldwide. The university conducts research in several fields including AI and works to translate scientific findings into practical applications, products and companies through initiatives such as KTH Innovation.
