As the Swedish National Museum of Science and Technology celebrates its 100th anniversary this year, it is doing so with the most comprehensive exhibition in the museum's history – Dreamland. It depicts how modern Swedens development over more than 150 years has been shaped by technology, innovation, entrepreneurship, openness to the outside world, and the importance of trade for this development.

Technology and industry have traditionally played a central role in the story of Sweden's growth – rooted in the refinement of natural resources, innovation, industrial production, and engineering. Sweden's modern history is in many ways a history of technology, but in this narrative of technological development, trade is a crucial perspective that is often missing. This may seem strange, since inventions need a market, domestic or foreign, in order to develop and succeed.

For a small, open, and export-dependent economy such as Sweden's, well-functioning trade, not least with other countries, plays a fundamental role in access to components, product sales and development, and knowledge building. Instead of focusing solely on individual innovations, the Swedish National Museum of Science and Technology's new exhibition places them in their social, economic, and political contexts.

A donation of 5 million SEK from the Torsten Söderberg Foundation to the National Museum of Science and Technology has made it possible to conduct research and explore in greater depth the significance of trade for technological development and the emergence of modern Sweden.

— During a pivotal period for the country, Sweden and representatives of the business community modernized the structures, systems, and institutions of trade. They also ensured that expertise in trade, exports, and investments was deepened and professionalized. This has benefited the business community and played a vital role in Sweden’s prosperity. “It is wonderful that the National Museum of Science and Technology, in its new exhibition ‘The Land of Dreams,’ captures the significance of trade—among other factors—for technological development and the emergence of modern Sweden,” says Maria Söderberg, chair of the Torsten Söderberg Foundation.

The new exhibition, Dreamland, focuses on the interaction between technology and social development over time – and also looks ahead to the future. Sweden's future is not predetermined but is influenced by the choices and investments made by individuals and society. The exhibition opens on April 29, 2026.

More about the exhibition at the National Museum of Science and Technology

More about the donation

Photo: Technical Museum