Mikael Ljungblom, currently Director of Public Policy & International Relations at AI Sweden, and Iida Lähdemäki, COO at AI Finland, have been appointed as interim Managing Directors for the new Nordic-Baltic AI center, New Nordics AI.
Mikael Ljungblom and Iida Lähdemäki, interim Managing Directors
“In a challenging geopolitical climate, the Nordic and Baltic countries have a unique opportunity to collaborate more closely, faster and more powerfully, on one of the great shifts of our time. To build our own capabilities and prosperity with the help of AI, we must be both hungry and bold. New Nordics AI is a manifestation of that,” says Mikael Ljungblom, interim Managing Director of New Nordics AI.
As interim directors, their mission is to establish an initial organization, secure further funding, and launch the first projects.
“By collaborating across borders—between governments, organizations, and companies—we can build stronger structures and a shared voice in the AI field, which is crucial for solving major societal challenges and maintaining our competitiveness,” says Iida Lähdemäki, interim Managing Director of New Nordics AI.
New Nordics AI, which has received initial support of 30 million Danish kroner from the Nordic Council of Ministers, will accelerate innovation, policy development, and the responsible use of AI in the region. The center’s secretariat will be located in Stockholm, and staff will be placed in each participating Nordic-Baltic country.
The center will be officially launched on October 22 in Helsinki, coinciding with Finland’s presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers.
The recruitment of a permanent Managing Director is currently underway.
The initiative is a collaboration between five of the Nordic region’s leading organizations in artificial intelligence: AI Sweden, AI Finland, Digital Dogme (Denmark), TEK Norge and Almannarómur (Iceland). In addition to the secretariat in Sweden, staff will be hired in all participating countries. The formal launch of the center will take place on October 22 in Helsinki. The center will serve as a cross-sectoral hub for governments, companies, and organizations, to consolidate strategic leadership and expertise. The ambition is to include organizations from the Baltic countries as well.
The center is funded in part by the Nordic Council of Ministers.
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