The Government of the United States of America and the Government of Sweden (hereinafter referred to as the “Participants”),
Expressing their shared interest in leveraging science and technology capabilities and standards to usher in a new era of innovation, thereby enhancing freedom and prosperity for future generations,
Affirming the importance of bilateral collaborations in science and technology to improve the lives and economies of citizens in both nations and to elevate their cooperation to new heights,
Recognizing the significance of strengthening ties with strategic partners to boost stability, security, and competitiveness, and
Building on their long history of bilateral research and innovation partnerships, including the 2006 Agreement on Science and Technology Cooperation,
Have reached the following understandings:
I. Purpose
The aim of this Memorandum of Understanding (hereinafter “MOU”) is to foster collaboration on joint opportunities of mutual interest in key science and technology fields. This collaboration seeks to drive the next generation of artificial intelligence and global connectivity, accelerate biomedical research and innovation, enhance industrial competitiveness, secure leadership in energy, bolster space collaboration, advance a secure quantum ecosystem, and fortify security in research and industry.
II. Areas of Cooperation
The Participants plan to work together in various domains, including but not limited to the following:
Accelerating the Development and Diffusion of Trusted AI and Advanced Connectivity
Acknowledging the critical role of secure and trusted technology infrastructure in economic prosperity and national security, the Participants plan to enhance cooperation to advance next-generation AI and network technologies. They aim to collaborate on research and development, promote the growth and dissemination of trusted technology stacks, including AI and network technology, and coordinate on developing international telecommunications standards.
Key focus areas for collaboration include:
- Working together to promote the spread of trusted technology stacks, including, where appropriate, promoting exports and using tools such as export financing to accelerate adoption in third-party countries;
- Establishing a trusted, interoperable 5G supply chain and advocating for policies that accelerate the adoption of trusted connectivity infrastructure;
- Shaping telecommunications principles and standards in line with shared priorities through coordinated engagement in international bodies, including the International Telecommunication Union, the Global Coalition on Telecommunications, and industry partners at 3GPP;
- Strategically engaging with regional partners to support resolutions and align positions ahead of the 2027 World Radiocommunication Conference and the 2026 ITU Plenipotentiary;
- Collaborating to strengthen connectivity between North America, Northern Europe, and the Indo-Pacific region by supporting the establishment of subsea communication cables across the Arctic;
- Encouraging secure AI innovation across industry sectors and academia by exploring joint research on AI for advanced manufacturing, materials, and production technologies; industrial automation; and other applications;
- Expanding joint research and development on 5G/6G, including wireless networks, cloud, electronics, and security, while advancing strategic use cases in critical infrastructure, defense, mission-critical applications, and applied AI.
Accelerating Biomedical Research and Innovation
Understanding the importance of advancing biomedical research, including cancer and rare diseases, through artificial intelligence, and securing biotechnology and health supply chains, the Participants plan to intensify cooperation to accelerate biomedical innovation and strengthen resilience across the health ecosystem.
Key focus areas for collaboration include:
- Exploring pathways to develop cooperation opportunities in health data for biomedical research to speed up discovery and improve patient outcomes;
- Sharing experiences and exploring possible joint activities to combat antimicrobial resistance (AMR); and
- Advancing biomedical innovation to strengthen resilient supply chains, including identifying chokepoints and reducing reliance on adversary-linked supply chains.
Advancing Manufacturing and Industrial Competitiveness
Recognizing advanced manufacturing as a driver of economic competitiveness, resilience, and innovation, the Participants aim to enhance cooperation to accelerate the adoption of digital manufacturing, additive manufacturing, and next-generation production methods that strengthen supply chains and support high-quality job creation. They also aim to deepen collaboration across the full spectrum of advanced manufacturing technologies, including industrial automation, precision engineering, and robotics.
Key focus areas for collaboration include:
- Accelerating the adoption of digital manufacturing tools and AI-driven process optimization through collaboration on testbeds and pilot programs;
- Strengthening collaboration on advanced materials, potentially including high-performance alloys and composites, to support critical sectors such as defense and semiconductor supply chains; and
- Fostering cooperation on advanced manufacturing, including key technologies for vehicles, rare-earth-free materials, high-efficiency motors, and advanced batteries.
Unlocking Energy Innovation and Resilience
The Participants aim to strengthen cooperation to advance secure, resilient, and diversified energy systems. They intend to expand energy collaboration, including on nuclear energy and critical minerals technologies, to support innovation and the reliable deployment of next-generation energy infrastructure.
Key focus areas for collaboration include:
- Enhancing civil nuclear energy cooperation by facilitating commercial partnerships and identifying and addressing market barriers to accelerate the deployment of nuclear power reactors, including advanced reactors, small modular reactors (SMRs), and fusion technologies;
- Expanding collaboration on nuclear lifecycle innovation and waste management through scientific exchanges on repository engineering, co-location of repositories, encapsulation of nuclear fuel, and geologic modeling; and
- Promoting innovation in critical minerals technologies, including sensing, characterization, exploration, extraction, processing, and recovery of critical minerals and advanced materials essential to energy systems.
Strengthening Space Collaboration
Recognizing the mutual benefits of bilateral cooperation in space for both nations’ national interests, the Participants plan to intensify cooperation and engage in dialogue on space security, exploration, and technology research, development, and commercialization.
Key focus areas for collaboration include:
- Continuing the strong partnership in space science and human exploration, including potential collaboration on future Artemis lunar surface exploration missions and beyond;
- Facilitating cooperation between commercial actors from the United States and Sweden, supporting the growth of space companies from both countries, and building on complementary strengths;
- Facilitating commercial and civil space cooperation by addressing regulatory burdens on commercial space activities and advocating for policies that adapt to technical development, business innovation, and market demands; and
- Leveraging our geostrategic locations as space-faring nations to promote Arctic security and prosperity.
Advancing Defense Innovation
Recognizing the importance of enhancing efforts to research, develop, and commercialize new and emerging defense technologies, the Participants plan to establish a dialogue on regulatory and policy matters affecting defense technology cooperation, including technology transfer and reducing regulatory friction where possible, to support the economic and security interests of both parties and strengthen transatlantic defense industrial collaboration.
Advancing a Secure Quantum Ecosystem
Recognizing the transformative role of quantum technology for future industrial development and shared security, the Participants plan to strengthen their cooperation through the Quantum Development Group to establish a trusted quantum ecosystem and secure and open standards. They also intend to explore additional opportunities to enhance research, development, and commercialization of quantum technology, potentially including quantum sensing in the medical and health domain.
Strengthening Security in Research and Industry
Recognizing the importance of enhanced research integrity and security across critical and emerging technology research and development, the Participants aim to strengthen continued collaboration to protect a trustworthy research ecosystem, their technologies, their critical supply chains, and their people. They intend to collaborate on research integrity and security while enhancing awareness and capacity to mitigate and, where appropriate, prevent risks, in accordance with relevant national legislation.
Key focus areas for collaboration include:
- Enhancing security in research and industry through intellectual property security, investment screening, partnerships, and talent integrity safeguards related to entities of shared security concerns;
- Building trusted science and innovation ecosystems by mitigating risks and, where appropriate, preventing high-risk entities in sensitive science and technology research and development activities;
- Strengthening safeguards for government-funded research and talent programs by enhancing disclosure of foreign funding and affiliations to mitigate and address security risks and, where appropriate, prevent partnerships with entities of shared security concerns;
- Establishing a bilateral research security dialogue and information exchange on threats, cases, risk assessments, mitigation efforts, and entities of security concern;
- Collaborating with allies and partners to adopt enhanced research security practices to facilitate a trusted innovation ecosystem; and
- Applying shared research integrity and security principles across workstreams to guide collaboration, protect sensitive research and development activities, and inform future research security programming.
III. Operation and Discontinuation
This MOU becomes operative on the date of the last signature. The Participants may modify this MOU by written mutual decision.
Either Participant may discontinue this MOU at any time by providing written notice of discontinuation to the other Participant. The discontinuation is expected to commence 180 days after the date on which notice of discontinuation is delivered.
The Participants intend to advance the implementation of the MOU through the Joint Committee Meeting mechanism. The modalities of the Joint Committee, including its composition, meeting frequency, and working procedures, are expected to be established by mutual decision of the Participants following this MOU becoming operative.
This MOU does not constitute or create and is not intended to constitute or create any legally binding obligations. Nothing in this MOU is intended to alter or affect any existing agreements between the Participants. Cooperation under this MOU is intended to take place within the framework of applicable national legislation and international obligations, including, for Sweden, applicable current and future European Union coordination, laws, and regulations, with a view to promoting collaboration without prejudice to respective regulatory processes. Nothing in this MOU commits the Participants to the expenditure of funds.
Activities involving personal data are to be conducted in compliance with applicable data protection frameworks. This MOU does not authorize any transfer of classified, controlled, or proprietary information. Any intellectual property matters are expected to be addressed in separate implementing arrangements or project-specific agreements, as appropriate.
The foregoing represents the understanding reached between the Participants on the matters referred to in this MOU.
