Four areas that need to be prioritised in order to strengthen Swedish research

Research is entirely crucial for developing new knowledge, for the development of society and welfare, and also for allowing us to address those challenges that we cannot yet imagine. In the report ”Stärkt svensk forskningskvalitet till nytta för samhället” (Increased Swedish research quality to benefit society), the Swedish Research Council highlights four areas that need to be prioritised in order for Swedish research to become even more pioneering, competitive and useful:

• Long-term funding of researcher-initiated research and strong research environments
• Freedom of research, trust in research, and good research culture
• Long-term approach to prioritising and funding research infrastructure
• Good conditions for the best researchers to conduct research of the highest quality
  

The importance of interaction and dialogue between all the actors in research is one of the factors highlighted in the report.

“The work on increasing Swedish research quality is a joint concern for higher education institutions, research funding bodies, the business sector and many other actors. From the Swedish Research Council’s viewpoint, we are now looking forward to future discussions and measures based on this report,” says Katarina Bjelke, Director General of the Swedish Research Council.

The report is based on a large number of analyses, investigations and reports conducted both by ourselves and also by others.

“When we publish our input to the Government’s next research policy bill, this report will be an important starting point,” says Johan Lindell, Research Policy Director at the Swedish Research Council.