NordForsk sent questionnaires, had meetings with several national research and innovation funders and conducted desk research to build a picture of national investments in the Nordics.
Denmark
The Independent Research Fund Denmark has funded 28 research projects to a value of 90 MDKK in AI in open calls and one thematic call (called Digital technology) since 2019. Some examples of the funded projects include the use of AI in warfare, ethical aspects of AI in the judicial system, clinical use of AI and AI ethics. The fund primarily supports bottom-up research. The fund is currently in the process of updating its strategy for the period of 2024-2026. AI has been suggested as a possible theme for the new strategy and a future thematic call specifically in AI would need to be based on a political decision. The fund welcomes initiatives for exchanging experiences at the funder level in the Nordics. Internally, the fund will prioritise ideas that aim to harness AI for the effectivization of work processes as well as investigations into the ways that AI will influence funding processes, e.g. how applicants might be using AI in their grant applications and how the fund will be able to mitigate these effects appropriately.
Innovation Fund Denmark Innovation has funded app. 700 AI projects from 2019-2023 to a value of app. 1,2 billion DKK. The fund co-funded the Digital Research Center Denmark as part of the National Strategy for AI. In 2024, the fund has been tasked with allocating 100 million DKK specifically targeting the research and development of AI, the ethical use of it, the societal challenges and gains that might stem from it, as well as adoption of AI tools by private companies and public institutions. When the new Danish AI strategy is ready funds could be allocated for AI and some of those funds might be allocated through Innovation Fund Denmark. Regarding an upcoming Nordic initiative, the fund explains that ethical and responsible use of AI are major themes of Danish national interest, as are the possibilities of using AI to meet the challenge of shortage of qualified labour in the health care sector specifically and in the society broadly. Another priority is utilizing data, especially public databases in both an ethically responsible way as well as in a way that directly benefit private companies and the development of new products for both the public and private sector. Lastly, the fund seeks attracting talent (researchers and other specialists) within AI to the Nordics and Denmark. The fund would prioritize joint calls and agrees that there is a need for exchange of experiences at the funder level in the Nordics.
The Danish National Research Foundation has co-funded The Pioneer Center for Artificial Intelligence, 2021-2024.
Finland
The Research Council of Finland has funded AI research and research in the application areas of AI with an estimated 315 million euros in 2018−2022. The sum also includes funding granted by the Strategic Research Council. The funding includes flagships and research infrastructures strengthening the ecosystem on AI research in Finland. Most of the funding has been project funding and funding through career instruments strengthening the skills and competence in AI research and application areas. Two flagships focus on AI: Finnish Centre for Artificial Intelligence (FCAI) and 6G-Enabled Wireless Smart Society & Ecosystem. In 2024, the Finnish Center for Artificial Intelligence flagship was granted 100 new doctoral positions (25.5 million EUR) to the programme "Finnish Doctoral Program Network in Artificial Intelligence" from the Ministry of Education and Culture.
The Research Council of Finland and Business Finland jointly implemented the research, development and innovation programme ICT 2023 in 2014-2023. The aim of the programme has been to further improve Finland’s scientific expertise in computer science and to promote the broad-based application of ICT. In addition, the Council has had several program calls and international joint calls that have been more or less directly related to AI. The Research Council of Finland is, in its strategy, committed to facilitating day-to-day work performance by making use of digitalisation and the best possible tools. For an upcoming Nordic initiative, the Council would like to prioritise multidisciplinary research, and to focus on something unique for the Nordics, such as targeting early career researchers or thematically targeted calls, e.g. AI and the Nordic welfare state. The Council agrees that there is a need for exchange of experiences at the funder level in the Nordics and suggests a webinar series for experts in 2024.
Business Finland used 115 million euros between 2017 and 2021 for R&D&I funding in its AI Business program. Many companies were also funded by industry-vertical programs like Smart Energy, Smart Mobility, Smart Life and Sustainable Manufacturing. The program aimed to increase the Finnish international digital service business by creating a modern B2B platform economy that utilizes AI to create new value from data. The purpose was to provide attractive, low-threshold support for companies through e.g. AI Hubs, PoC-funding, and trainings on AI and platform economy. Business Finland believes that AI will be significant factor in the advancement of other strategic priorities, i.e. carbon neutrality, circular economy, health and wellbeing, and immersive digital life. Business Finland intends to allocate half of its funding to these strategy priority areas over the coming years. Business Finland does not foresee any specific AI calls in the near future, but AI continues to be one of the major factors in many of the applications they receive. For an upcoming Nordic initiative, Business Finland foresees that one of the major challenges is how AI can influence all digital information in the future and the issues of misinformation, fake content, and biased data. Any exchange of experiences at the funder level in the Nordics is most welcome, according to Business Finland.
Faroe Islands
The Research Council Faroe Islands does currently not have funding for AI research. The council has expressed interest in participating in Nordic cooperation in this field.
Greenland
Greenland Research Council does currently not have funding for AI research. The council has expressed interest in participating in Nordic cooperation in this field.
Iceland
The Icelandic Centre for Research- Rannís, has funded 28 research projects to a value of 155 million ISK in open calls. Rannís has a limited area of responsibility when it comes to determining the content of calls but would in principle be interested in research on the ethical use of AI as it can be related to management of grants. Rannís agrees that there is a need for exchange of experiences at the funder level in the Nordics.
Norway
The Research Council of Norway has funded 470 ongoing projects within AI to a value of 2,2 billion NOK. The council has had thematic calls: “Data and services everywhere AI” and “Robotics and autonomous systems” and has funded AI research in open calls with the instruments researcher projects, research driven innovation projects, research centres and collaboration projects. The research covers basic research, industry and innovation, life sciences, health, social security, energy, food, ocean, culture, climate and education. The council has been tasked a government commission to fund research and innovation to a value of 1 billion NOK for 5 years focusing on societal aspects of AI, technology on its own terms and innovation by AI. In addition, the council has ICT-research programs with funding for 200 million NOK/year and plans for investments among other areas in maritime, culture and media. The council would like to priorities research on implementation of AI laws and regulation, ethics of data protection and individual rights, Nordic models of trustworthy AI, effects and consequences of AI, health, digital security and trustworthy and non-discriminating social services in an upcoming Nordic initiative. The council suggests starting the initiative with a call for research networks, followed by a call on the societal aspects of the use of AI. A Nordic activity should mobilise partnerships and build on ongoing activities nationally and in the EU. The same goes for the proposed exchange of experiences at the funder level in the Nordics, these activities need to build on the work of Science Europe and the global research community such as OECD.
Sweden
The Swedish Research Council has funded approximately 50 research projects that are developing AI or using AI-technology to a value of 250 MSEK through open calls. The council has currently no strategy for funding AI research but has guidelines for how AI can be used in applications. There have been no specific calls featuring AI and no thematic AI calls are currently planned. The Swedish Research Council agrees that there is a need for exchange of experiences at the funder level in the Nordics.
The Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare, Forte, has funded 40 research projects within AI, machine learning and algorithmic decision making to a value of 163 MSEK. Some examples of funded projects include prediction of health and illness, AI as decision support in diagnostics and treatment, algorithmic leadership and ethics surrounding use of AI. Forte prefers using the broader concept of digitalisation rather than AI. The council has currently no strategy for funding AI research and have had no specific calls featuring AI but is engaged in a JPI MYBL call featuring amongst other things AI. The council is also discussing developing a call on welfare technology in aged care including digitalisation and AI. Forte sees that there is need for Nordic calls on digitalisation within its areas of responsibility. Forte also agrees that there is a need for exchange of experiences at the funder level in the Nordics, but the working groups need to have a clear purpose and goals to be reported on.
One of Vinnova’s goals is to accelerate the use of AI in Sweden. Vinnova funds applied research to advance the use AI in selected domains such as health care, climate change, public sector and NGO’s. The majority of the funded research has been funded in open calls, where AI is used as part of the innovation, and Vinnova has funded 800 projects in AI to a total value of almost 2 billion SEK since 2008. Vinnova has also funded short term staff mobility, both to and from Sweden, data-labs, and provides basic funding for the establishment of the national AI platform “AI Sweden”. Plans for future calls include AI for advanced digitisation, with the observation that AI is today part of most calls, no matter the topic of the call. Vinnova would like to see regulation issues that affects the adoption and use of AI including intellectual property (IP), misinformation, cybersecurity and fraud issues, original work (education, examination, research papers) as well as gender and equality as priorities in a Nordic initiative. Natural language processing and large language models focusing on Swedish and Nordic languages is a responsibility of the Nordic countries. Vinnova agrees that there is a need for exchange of experiences at the funder level in the Nordics.“
Formas increasingly includes AI and other supporting technologies in strategies for its various areas of responsibility and in calls. As a joint venture with the Swedish Energy Agency and Vinnova, Formas contributed to the call “AI in the service of climate”. The call is part of the national research program on Climate and had a total budget of 106 MSEK and funded 17 research projects. The strategic innovation programme Smart Built Environment that Formas hosts has had several investments in the area of digitalisation. Formas has funded research projects in open calls and thematic calls with AI relevance even though the calls have not had an explicit AI focus, and the proportion of applications using AI has increased in recent years. Formas suggests using the broader concept of digitalisation that includes AI and argues that it could make it easier to formulate Nordic added value. Draft suggestions for a Nordic call include AI and climate or other sustainability issues. AI has the potential to contribute to the improvements of various types of knowledge-based planning and decision processes in many areas. Another draft suggestion is “Responsible AI”, developing and using AI with ethical considerations, transparency, responsibility, and human well-being. Societal consequences of the implementation of the EU AI Act could be included as well as profiting from the benefits of AI whilst minimising risks, such as integrity, availability, workers’ rights and sustainability. Formas also thinks that it would be valuable to exchange experiences at the funder level in the Nordics, for example share knowledge on how to promote data sharing in society as well as between countries.
The Wallenberg foundation has committed significant funds to AI research. The WASP programme has funding of 6.2 billion SEK to basic research, education and faculty recruitment in AI, autonomous systems and software. The programme has a capacity building element, with clear ambitions to support doctoral and post-doctoral careers. The WASP-HS programme aims at fostering interdisciplinary knowledge about how AI impacts humanity and society.
Summary
This overview shows that there are extensive investments in AI research and innovation in the Nordic countries. The majority of funding to date appears to be streamed through open calls though there are plenty examples of more targeted schemes. This means that researchers and innovators have mobilised independently of the funders and have identified AI as important areas for their work. Ongoing national policy developments in research and innovation as well as AI specific policy might provide funds for future investments. There appears to be strong support for an upcoming Nordic initiative and funders have identified some themes of special interest, these are reflected in the chapter “Two scenarios for Nordic research and innovation collaboration”. There is also strong support for joint Nordic work on developing funding processes considering AI.