Ericsson, Telia and leading Swedish research organizations have unveiled Digital Arena Sweden, a national test center backed by investments exceeding SEK 300 million, aimed at advancing 5G, 6G and artificial intelligence technologies while strengthening Sweden’s digital competitiveness.
Announced during Almedalen 2026, the initiative brings together Ericsson, Telia, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, AstaZero, Future by Lund, Lund University, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, and Sweden’s innovation agency Vinnova through its Avancerad Digitalisering program.
Digital Arena Sweden will provide enterprises, researchers and public-sector organizations with early access to next-generation digital technologies, enabling faster development and validation of innovative solutions before commercial deployment.
A key component of the initiative is Ericsson’s leadership in establishing one of the world’s first pre-commercial 6G test environments, developed in collaboration with Lund University and KTH Royal Institute of Technology. The platform will combine advanced connectivity, AI, robotics, autonomous systems and physical AI technologies several years ahead of commercial 6G availability.
Ericsson CTO Erik Ekudden said the project will help Sweden maintain its position as a global technology leader by creating an environment where future connected society applications can be developed, tested and validated. The initiative will support innovations involving AI agents, autonomous machines and advanced industrial automation.
Telia Sweden CEO Anders Olsson highlighted the importance of secure and sovereign digital infrastructure, noting that the new test center will allow more companies to access the latest 5G and AI capabilities while meeting strict security requirements. He said advanced connectivity will help organizations improve operational efficiency, customer value and societal benefits while strengthening Sweden’s digital security and competitiveness.
The test center is designed to support multiple industries, including mining, transportation, defense and medical technology, helping them evaluate and deploy future 6G-enabled applications. Insights generated through the platform are expected to contribute to the global 6G standardization process.
Digital Arena Sweden also builds on the existing NorthStar innovation program developed by Ericsson and Telia, which provides enterprises access to advanced 5G capabilities. Through a shared digital portal and standardized testing framework, the new center aims to make cutting-edge connectivity and AI technologies more accessible across Sweden’s innovation ecosystem.
By combining 5G, future 6G networks and AI technologies in a single collaborative environment, Digital Arena Sweden seeks to shorten the path from research and innovation to market-ready products and services, positioning Sweden at the forefront of next-generation digital transformation.
SHAFANA FAZAL