Blog | 26 January 2026
What the government's digital priorities for 2026 mean in practice
The Solutions for the Public Sector conference brought together decision-makers, authorities, and suppliers to discuss some of the most crucial digital issues of our time. When Minister for Public Administration Erik Slottner presented the government's priorities for 2026, we were there to listen, reflect, and take responsibility in the conversation about how public digitisation can create real social benefits.
With a new digitalisation strategy and an aggressive budget for 2026, Slottner pointed to a shift that many in the public sector have long been calling for. Here are our key reflections.
Civilminister Erik Slottner
AI workshop: from individual initiatives to collective strength
One of the most concrete announcements was the investment in a government AI workshop for the public sector. With long-term funding and a clear mandate for the Swedish Tax Agency and the Swedish Social Insurance Agency, the government is signaling a clear change of course.
The message is simple: by building on joint initiatives, the public sector can create benefits more quickly. When AI is developed together, tested jointly, and shared widely, quality, scalability, and accountability are all strengthened.
Interoperability is the foundation that must work
For AI to work, data is required. And for data to be usable, interoperability is required (a difficult word, we know). This means the ability for systems to communicate with each other in a structured and secure manner.
Notable initiatives include:
- SCB in the role of Data Steward
- The National Library of Sweden, which trains language models on Swedish data
This reminds us that digitalisation is not just about visible services, but about the technical and organisational foundation on which everything rests.
A new structure for digital governance
The government's planned merger of Digg and the Swedish Post and Telecom Authority aims to create a more unified force for Sweden's digital development.
An authority responsible for both infrastructure and digital administration reflects an important insight: digitisation can no longer be driven in silos. The whole needs to be in control.
2026 is the year when the direction will be set
Slottner also pointed to 2026 as a decisive year for several long-standing issues:
- Government e-identification – crucial for both security and inclusion
- National cloud policy – to create clarity around data storage and responsibility
- A comprehensive AI strategy – to complement the broader digitalisation strategy
Common to all three is the need for balance between innovation and security, flexibility and control.
When regulations meet reality
To enable innovation without compromising responsibility, the government wants to introduce regulatory sandboxes. These are controlled environments where new solutions can be tested under supervision, but with greater scope for action.
This is a recognition that regulations sometimes need to be tested in practice to work in reality.
Our reflection
The most interesting thing about Slottner's lecture was not individual initiatives, but the big picture. A digitalisation that is more clearly linked to social benefits, responsibility, and long-term sustainability.
For us as a provider of digital solutions, communication, and user experiences, the message is clear: the public digitalisation of the future will be built together, with shared structures, shared responsibility, and a focus on people.