Anna Valtonen, Vice-Chancellor of Konstfack, and Martin Nilsson Jacobi, President of Chalmers, argue that technology, art, and design need to intersect more so that development leads to a future we actually want to live in.
Konstfacks rektor Anna Valtonen och Chalmers rektor Martin Nilsson Jacobi
What does STEAM mean?
Anna Valtonen and Martin Nilsson Jacobi argue that society's focus on STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) should shift toward STEAM. This means supplementing the STEM disciplines—science, technology, engineering, and mathematics—with an "A" (Arts), representing the arts, design, and the humanities.
The two university presidents—both members of the national STEM delegation—have raised this topic in an essay, an op-ed, and at the Almedalen Week. This has led to the development of an open discussion series and a joint course for students from both institutions.
Possible Futures – series of talks
Konstfack and Chalmers invite you to an open series of talks centered on unexpected encounters. Two guests from different fields of knowledge engage in a dialogue about how we can address the challenges of the future. Each guest presents five images and offers commentary on the other's selections.
Our society is at a critical turning point, characterized by accelerating climate change, rapid and disruptive technological development, and complex geopolitics. What is required to meet the challenges of the future?
Upcoming talks
16 December 2026, Konstfack, Stockholm
28 January 2027, Chalmers, Göteborg
Previous talks
17 September 2026, Konstfack – with Pia Sandvik and Bettina Schwalm
20 August 2026, Konstfack – with Jamer Hunt and Darja Isaksson – video is here
6 November 2026, Chalmers – with Stefan Löfven and Nils Björling (in Swedish)
Joint course
Possible Futures also includes a joint course, scheduled to begin in 2027. The course is offered partly in collaboration with a design course at Konstfack. Students will explore technological megatrends and their implications for people and society.
Possible Futures: A Critical and Constructive View on Technology and Society
Essays and opinion pieces
Anna Valtonen and Martin Nilsson Jacobi are both members of the government's STEM delegation and participate in the public discourse on STEAM across various forums. Here are some of their co-authored texts.
"Tekniskt kunnande är en ödesfråga" (Svenska Dagbladet 6 Nov 2026)
Rector Anna Valtonen contributes to an op-ed in SvD, emphasizing that a broader STEAM perspective—where the 'A' stands for Arts—must permeate both education and research.
The Two As in STEAM
Essay in IVA's Svenska framtider (Swedish Futures), March 2026: Art, design, and the humanities could become the Nordic region's next competitive advantage. The university presidents describe two roles for the A: understanding the people for whom technology is intended, and imagining futures that do not yet exist.
"Ensidigt fokus på teknik hotar innovation" ("A one-sided focus on technology threatens innovation")
Opinion piece in Ny Teknik, May 2026: More engineers will not solve everything. University rectors are calling for a national vision and meeting places where academia, the business sector, art, and design can come together at an early stage.
STEAM – imagining what does not yet exist
1 April 2026: Sweden as a nation of innovation is not solely about engineering; it is about a distinct culture built on a foundation that is both human and technical.
Open dialogue at Almedalen 2026
During Almedalen Week 2026, university rectors brought together around seventy participants from the political, academic, and business sectors for a series of open, parallel roundtable discussions. The central question was whether Sweden needs a more clearly defined STEAM policy.
The discussions resulted in eight key considerations for education, research, and innovation policy—including the recommendation that interactions between diverse perspectives must be embedded into the very structure of the system, rather than left to rely on individual goodwill.
See the talks here:: Från STEM till STEAM – därför behöver Sverige Arts i innovationspolitiken
Eight considerations following the Chalmers and Konstfack Almedalen seminar "From STEM to STEAM" 2026 (in Swedish)
Korsbefruktning mellan konst och ingenjörsvetenskap är en språngbräda för svensk innovation.pdf