The Swedish government has produced Sweden's first national intelligence strategy. The strategy covers the period 2026-2030 and identifies technological development, international cooperation, and closer links between the intelligence community, total defence, and industry as priority areas.
In a press release from the Government Offices of Sweden, the government states that the deteriorating security situation, Sweden's NATO membership, and rapid technological development are placing greater demands on the country's overall intelligence capability.
"With this strategy, we make clear why Swedish intelligence activities are important. I want to extend my thanks to all the employees in the Swedish intelligence community who work every day for Sweden's security and Swedish interests, often out of sight. Intelligence activities help strengthen Sweden's national independence and Sweden's ability to make independent decisions," says Prime Minister Ulf Kristersson in the press release.
In the strategy, the government describes Russia as a long-term and strategic threat to Swedish and European security. China's significance for Swedish interests and Iran's security-threatening activities are also addressed. At the same time, the government points to how state actors can use, among other things, criminal networks as proxies for security-threatening activities.
One of the priorities up to 2030 is to strengthen the use of new technology. The intelligence community is to develop its capabilities in AI, among other things, achieve more common and interoperable digital solutions, and be able to adopt new technology more quickly. The government also wants to strengthen cooperation with Swedish companies, the start-up environment, and the venture capital sector, as well as improve opportunities for joint procurement.
The strategy also means that intelligence is to play a larger role in the broader total defence framework. According to the government, more intelligence users within total defence need to gain the competence, authorisation, and technical capacity to request and receive intelligence. Intelligence information and assessments should also be adapted to a greater extent to recipients' needs, including by lowering the classification level of information. At the same time, total defence actors are to contribute information, such as incident reporting, that can be used by the intelligence agencies.
Internationally, Sweden is to deepen intelligence cooperation, particularly with relevant countries in the Nordic region, the EU, and NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization), and contribute to the development of EU and NATO intelligence activities. The strategy also introduces the concept of "intelligence diplomacy", whereby intelligence information and intelligence relationships can be used to promote Swedish interests. At the same time, it states that Sweden should strive for its own autonomy and avoid overly extensive or one-sided dependencies.
The strategy is part of the ongoing reform of Swedish intelligence activities. On 1 January 2027, Sweden's foreign intelligence service, UND, will begin operations. In parallel, a restructuring of the Swedish Armed Forces' military intelligence and security service is under way. The government has also commissioned an inquiry into the Swedish Security Service's (Säpo) mandate as the national security service.