In the national infrastructure plan for 2026–2037, the Swedish government is investing hundreds of billions of kronor in overdue maintenance and new investments in roads and railways. At the same time, funding for research and innovation in the transport sector is being almost halved. This is raising concern within the maritime sector, which risks losing both competitiveness and momentum in the transition toward fossil‑free operations.

“This is a historically large investment in infrastructure,” said Minister for Infrastructure Andreas Carlson (Christian Democrats) when the government presented its national infrastructure plan for 2026–2037 at the end of April.

The plan totals nearly SEK 1,200 billion, an increase of SEK 203 billion compared with the previous plan. Almost half of the budget is earmarked for upgrading existing roads and railways, with the aim of eliminating the maintenance backlog in Sweden’s national road network by 2037. Funding is also allocated to new icebreakers and to the country’s most important airports and ports. This includes investments such as a railway connection to Landvetter Airport and a four‑track expansion between Gothenburg and Alingsås, strengthening the Port of Gothenburg as the Nordic region’s largest logistics hub.

However, the record investment also requires savings in other areas—and research is one of the losers. In the Swedish Transport Administration’s proposal for the 2026 infrastructure plan, SEK 7.6 billion was allocated to research and innovation to at least maintain current levels. In the government’s final plan, that already modest proposal has been cut in half to SEK 4 billion. According to Magnus Blinge, head of research and innovation at the Swedish Transport Administration, the effects will be noticeable.

“We are now analyzing how the allocated funds should be distributed across areas and over time, and our hope is that we won’t have to terminate any ongoing projects.
In practical terms, we have decided to cancel the usual autumn call for proposals, as we see no room for new projects in 2026 or 2027. We encourage maritime researchers to seek funding elsewhere, such as from private or other public financiers, including the EU, where R&I investments are increasing significantly,” he says.

Shipping is facing major transitions related to climate requirements, digitalization, and increasing geopolitical uncertainty. This means the need for new knowledge is growing, while resources for research and development are being sharply reduced. The gap between ambitions and funding is therefore becoming increasingly clear—a trend that risks, in the long run, undermining the competitiveness of the Swedish shipping industry.

“It is very serious that funding for maritime research is being cut. We are in the middle of a historic climate transition, while a new generation is entering the industry. In addition, shipping capacity is absolutely critical in a more challenging geopolitical environment,” says Martin Carlsson of Stena, who is also Chairman of the Board at Lighthouse.

He continues:

“A lot of developments in shipping are positive right now, but there remains enormous potential for both business and societal value. We cannot afford to lose momentum—we should instead intensify research and innovation efforts.”

Johan Woxenius, professor of transport economics and logistics at the University of Gothenburg, considers it short‑sighted to cut back on research and innovation. Halving the funding will mean that much research must be deprioritized.

“We cannot assess the future based on outdated knowledge. I see this as the government trying to fix the mistake of postponed maintenance by repeating another mistake—postponing knowledge development,” he says.

But it is not only the funding cuts that are problematic. Johan Woxenius also views the government’s detailed steering of the remaining funds as equally serious. By specifying which research should be prioritized, the government risks, in his view, undermining both quality and relevance. For research to be effective, the academic community itself must be involved in defining the questions. It is in problem formulation that deep understanding is required, he argues.

“As I understand it, the research is now meant to support the core operations of the Swedish Transport Administration—that is, road and rail infrastructure. But the agency also has a responsibility for the long-term development of the sector,” he says.

Johan Woxenius is also concerned about how university education will be affected. Strong educational programs are built on what academia calls complete academic environments—where fundamental research, aimed at other researchers, forms the foundation and is complemented by applied sectoral research funded through competitive grants. It is in the interaction between these elements that quality emerges, ultimately shaping universities’ most important output: students who carry knowledge into society. These environments are fragile—they take decades to build but can be dismantled in just a few years.

“Carrying out all these infrastructure projects requires high levels of expertise, and we need to develop and retain that in Sweden. For our education to remain strong and attractive, universities must also conduct sectoral research and bring up‑to‑date domain knowledge into the classroom.”