Excellence Clusters for Groundbreaking Technologies

Excellence Clusters for Groundbreaking Technologies

Funds university-led Swedish technology clusters building cross-disciplinary research teams for frontier innovation.

Excellence Clusters for Groundbreaking Technologies is a flagship co-funded initiative between Vetenskapsrådet (VR) and Vinnova designed to establish internationally leading research clusters in Sweden. The programme targets groundbreaking technologies broadly, with fundamental artificial intelligence identified as the particular priority area for the 2026 call. Applications opened 1 April 2026 and the deadline is 10 June 2026 at 14:00 CET. Between 5 and 15 clusters are expected to be funded, with decisions by the end of November 2026.

Grants range from SEK 40 million to SEK 100 million per year over an initial five-year period beginning January 2027, with the possibility of renewal for an additional five years following a separate review. The applicant must be a Swedish higher education institution approved as an administrating organisation — individual researchers cannot apply directly. The project leader must hold a doctoral degree and be employed by the applying institution. The research team must include between 5 and 15 participating researchers. Given co-funding by Vinnova, successful applicants will face dual reporting obligations to both VR and Vinnova throughout the grant period.

This is among the largest research grants available in Sweden. Institutions competing for these awards should demonstrate international leadership credentials, a clear strategy for how the cluster will strengthen Sweden's long-term technological competitiveness, and established collaborative networks. The AI priority makes this especially relevant for institutions with strong machine learning, AI foundations, or AI-enabled engineering science programmes. Contact for queries: excellenskluster@vr.se or +46 (0)8-546 44 103.