KTH Royal Institute of Technology has long been an important place for prospective engineers to study, and interest in engineering programmes remains stable. This year’s applications also show an increase: more than 4,700 people have chosen an engineering programme at KTH as their first choice, which is 18 percent more than two years ago.

Of all first-choice applicants to engineering programmes in Sweden, 28.8 percent apply to KTH – an impressive market share.

But we are facing a challenge – the government’s decision to reduce the ceiling for many universities, including KTH, in the coming years will affect the opportunities for many students to start their academic journey.  At the same time, the Swedish labour market has a great need for engineers. In areas such as sustainability, digitalization, AI development and infrastructure, technical skills are important. It is therefore natural that KTH’s engineering programmes have a high number of applicants, as the education lays the foundation for future job opportunities.

However, we now have to decide how to distribute the reduced admission numbers among the different programmes. This will not only affect those currently hoping to study engineering, but may also have consequences for society as a whole. A smaller supply of trained engineers can obviously have a long-term impact on technology-intensive industries and their development.

Many argue that Sweden should invest more in engineering education, especially in areas where technological innovation is central. Instead of reducing education places, we should discuss how we can strengthen the supply of skills and support Swedish industry.

Regardless of future political decisions, interest in studying at KTH remains high, and we look forward to welcoming the new students in August.