The Tech Forward Podcast

What if clean energy became so abundant and affordable that it transformed entire industries? From fusion energy and next-generation renewables to AI-powered breakthroughs in energy storage, new technologies could fundamentally change how we produce, distribute and use energy. But what new opportunities and challenges would that create for industry?

In the first episode of Framtidig industri, a series from the Tech Forward Podcast, tech investor and author Judith Wolst explores a future where the clean energy transition moves faster than expected. What could this mean for industrial innovation, business models and competitiveness - and what will it take to get there? To explore these questions, Judith is joined by Tue Johannessen from Alfa Laval, Catharina Belfrage Sahlstrand from CorPower Ocean and Marcus Weiland from Savantic. 

In Lösningspodden, a new series within the Tech Forward Podcast, we put Swedish business leaders in the policymakers’ seat, challenging them to move beyond problems and propose real solutions. Sweden is home to world-class innovation and industrial expertise. But turning new ideas into successful businesses takes more than great technology. It takes capital willing to take risks.

In this first episode, we visit Swedish bicycle manufacturer Skeppshultcykeln and bring together two business leaders facing very different investment challenges: Magnus Andersson, owner of Skeppshultcykeln, and Christer Bergquist, CEO of battery technology company Altris.

Together, they explore what’s holding back investment in Swedish industry and what needs to change. From unlocking pension capital and sharing risks in industrial scale-up to strengthening local banking relationships and creating demand through customer commitments, the conversation focuses on practical solutions to help Swedish companies innovate, grow and compete.

What happens when AI stops waiting for instructions? Together with Tomas Seo, we explore the rise of always-on AI agents; systems that know us, remember what we do and increasingly act on our behalf. Who are they really loyal to, how much of our lives are we willing to share, and what happens when individuals adopt AI faster than companies can keep up?

A podcast series with Tomas Seo, innovation strategist at Phorecast, where he shares events, discoveries, and new technologies that make him exclaim: This changes everything!

The Nordics are among the world’s most competitive and innovative economies. But is that position beginning to weaken?

A new Nordic Council of Ministers report, Analysis of Competitiveness in a Nordic Perspective, takes a closer look at the region’s strengths and the challenges that could threaten its position. Productivity growth is lagging behind the US, promising companies struggle to scale, and access to skills, capital and energy is becoming increasingly critical.

In this episode, Maria Rosendahl, Director of policy at Technology Industries of Sweden, joins us to discuss what the report tells us about the future of Nordic competitiveness. Why are we struggling to turn strong research and innovation into global technology companies? What does growing geopolitical uncertainty mean for small, open economies like Sweden? And what needs to change if the Nordics are to maintain their competitive edge?

What happens when technology starts adapting to us, rather than the other way around? We explore how faster, more personalized AI could reshape the tools we use, how we share ideas and knowledge, and the way organizations work.

A podcast series with Tomas Seo, innovation strategist at Phorecast, where he shares events, discoveries, and new technologies that make him exclaim: This changes everything!

A podcast series with Tomas Seo, innovation strategist at Phorecast, where he shares events, discoveries, and new technologies that make him exclaim: This changes everything!

AI is moving beyond prompting. Today, people without coding experience can increasingly build their own apps, tools and automations to solve everyday problems at work.

This episode explores where to start, what makes a good first project, and what this shift could mean for the way we work – from more personalized tools and automation to questions around GDPR, security and the role of IT. 

What is driving the speed and competitiveness of Chinese industry and what does it mean for Sweden? Technology Industries of Sweden’s Chief Economist Erik Spector shares insights from his recent trip to China and discusses what Swedish companies need to do to stay competitive.

A podcast series with Tomas Seo, innovation strategist at Phorecast, where he shares events, discoveries, and new technologies that make him exclaim: This changes everything! 

This time, Rebecca brings a topic to Tomas: Are companies the new AI problem? Inspired by a concept recently featured in Y Combinator's Request for Startups, they explore the idea of the Company Brain and discuss why organizational knowledge, data, and internal processes may be the biggest obstacles to realizing AI’s full potential. 

About global collaboration, innovation and the next innovation mindset

Helena Samsioe, founder and CEO of Globhe. Globhe enables better decisions through drone data and are currently cover 150 countries. 

Joakim Skog - Head of Emerging Futures and Technologies, Vinnova – Nordic Innovation House Palo Alto

About this podcast serie

Together with leaders, experts, and entrepreneurs, we discuss how new ways of working can accelerate innovation and how advanced digitalisation is driving tomorrow’s impact.

Advanced Focus Talks hosted by Paulina Modlitba

The EU is introducing a new simplification package that could ease the regulatory load for companies working with AI and advanced tech. In this short conversation, Sweden’s Minister for EU Affairs, Jessica Rosencrantz, breaks down why parts of the AI Act may be paused, why GDPR is back on the table, and what these shifts could mean for Europe’s competitiveness — and for the innovators building the future.

Originally recorded as a webinar at Tech Forward.