By Bengt O. Hallberg

My Take on a Politician's Proposal for a Nonpartisan Government CTO in Sweden.

On Friday, September 11, 2026, I read an article written by a Swedish politician in one of the morning newspapers. It was about a new approach to engineering in STEM fields.

In my fifty years in photonics, there has been rather lukewarm interest in STEM among Swedish politicians and in the media. We have also not been particularly successful in attracting public attention.

This may seem strange, given that our prosperity stems from a time when our scientists and engineering expertise were highly valued—the 1950s and 1960s. However, attitudes changed in the 1970s. Those of us who conducted science at universities and collaborated with businesses became cautious about mentioning it.

The Swedish election on September 13, 2026, has ended, and the race was close between the two blocs. In light of the Russian threat to Sweden, the EU, and NATO, the situation is critical.

Regardless of the new government's composition, I hope it will be stable and inspire confidence in the international community over the next four years. Hopefully, STEM, particularly engineering, will benefit.

The proposal is politically neutral and calls for the creation of a nonpatisan position within the government offices: chief technology officer (CTO). Is it well-founded or just a whim?

The idea is that the Chief Technology Officer (CTO) should play a leading role in fostering relationships between the private and public sectors. The goal is to catch up amid rapid technological advancements, work with future technologies, and attract investors.

I will continue to work on the plan I mentioned in my September 15, 2026, blog post. However, a more positive long term view of STEM professionals and their accomplishments from the incoming government would certainly be welcome.

Next Blog

The next blog post will be published on Tuesday, October 13. The topic has not yet been determined.