Ericsson said in a statement on Monday that it is partnering with Telia and some other stakeholders to launch the Digital Arena Sweden, a national test centre for 5G, 6G and AI technologies.

Ericsson’s chief technology officer, Erik Ekudden, said the initiative would help Sweden maintain technological leadership and support future innovation.

According to him, the centre represents one of the world’s earliest test environments combining 5G, 6G and artificial intelligence technologies before commercial deployment.

“By creating one of the world’s first test environments for the combination of 5G, 6G and AI, we are ensuring Swedish industry remains at the forefront,” he said.

Mr Ekudden added that the platform would support the development and validation of AI agents, robotics and autonomous systems for future connected societies.

He said the initiative, known as Digital Arena Sweden, would attract investments exceeding SEK300 million.

According to him, the project aims at strengthening the Swedish industry by providing early access to advanced digital solutions in connectivity and artificial intelligence.

Mr Ekudden said the collaboration was supported by Sweden’s innovation agency, Vinnova, through the Avancerad Digitalising Innovation Programme.

He noted that their partners included Telia, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, AstaZero, Future by Lund and other stakeholders.

He said it would lead to the establishment of a unique pre-commercial 6G test environment in collaboration with Lund University and KTH Royal Institute of Technology.

According to him, the facility will help industries, including mining, transport, defence, and medtech, explore emerging connectivity technologies and AI applications.

Mr Ekudden said findings from the initiative would also contribute to the global 6G standardisation process.

Commenting, Telia’s Sweden chief executive officer, Anders Olsson, said the centre would enable more organisations to access advanced connectivity and AI technologies.

“Through the new test centre, we are opening up for more companies to take part in the latest 5G technology and AI,” he said.

Mr Olsson said the initiative would strengthen digital security, improve competitiveness and support innovation across critical sectors of Sweden’s economy.

Ericsson added that Digital Arena Sweden would build on the existing NorthStar innovation programme, which provided access to advanced 5G capabilities.

(NAN)