A new attendance record was broken when NKPG Tech Day opened its doors for the sixth year in a row, this time with 400 registered participants.
Academia, business and the public sector gathered in Värmekyrkan for a packed program on AI, resilience and sustainability in a time characterized by an increasingly uncertain world situation. But also at a time when Norrköping is emerging as a force to be reckoned with in research, innovation and tech.
AI that transforms entire organizations
The main program opened with a keynote by Ola Wassvik, co-founder of Lightbringer, entitled Revolution 4.0: The End of Work as We Know It – a forward-looking conversation about what AI really means for how we work and what we value in an increasingly technology-driven world.
The program then shifted focus to what it looks like in reality, here and now in a company in the middle of everyday life with customers, deliveries and full speed. Tobias Hammarstrand from Gaia System shared experiences from the company’s internal AI transformation, before a panel with representatives from Siemens Energy, SMHI and Kindship AI discussed what the shift means for competitiveness. Jonas Unger, Professor at Linköping University, then turned his attention to where the next wave is actually being created: what is happening on the research front in AI, and what will it take to ensure that more of those results don’t stay in the lab?
Innovation in a new business environment
After a break for networking and bubbly conversations, the afternoon started with a keynote by Per-Olof Marklund, Head of Technology and Innovation at Saab Aeronautics, on how a shakier world is setting new conditions for innovation work. A panel with representatives from LEAD, Sweden’s first accelerator for the civil-military innovation program, and the WASP Research Arena for Public Safety then took over and discussed civil-military innovation in practice.
Erik Telldén, CEO of Dubblett, talked about the company’s journey from urban planning and digital twins to security-critical tech. A concrete example of how civilian skills are finding new uses in a changing security policy landscape.
Sustainability as a business strategy
In a world where security, AI and geopolitics are on everyone’s lips, sustainability has become less and less important. During NKPG Tech Day 2026, the theme therefore got its own block, and the message was clear: it is easy to talk about sustainability as a vision, but in Norrköping there are several examples of companies that have turned sustainability into a business.
Jade Abir Bouledjouidja, founder of LEAD company Renasens, shared her story of recently raising SEK 100 million to transform the textile industry. This was followed by a conversation on climate focus as competitiveness with representatives from Westra Materials, Againity and Metamorfish. Three companies that are proof that sustainability and growth can go hand in hand.
DP Patterning won the Norrköping Tech Award
The program ended traditionally with the presentation of the Norrköping Tech Award, which celebrates companies and organizations that make a difference with the power of technology. This year’s award went to DP Patterning. Find out more about the award and this year’s winners here.
The day ended with an after work, where the conversations from the day could continue in a more relaxed format.
Text: Jessica Sandin
