The company, based in Science Park Skövde, has secured a substantial investment of SEK 27 million and is now setting its sights on competing with both Elon Musk and Jeff Bezos.

-"We strongly believe in what we do," says the company's CEO Tobias Forsell.

For over a decade, Forsway Scandinavia has focused on developing innovative communication technologies. From their office in Skövde Science Park, they have worked on solutions that can provide internet connectivity via mobile networks to everything from developing countries to military operations.

- "We are not targeting the mass market but larger players who can use this as their own system," explains Tobias Forsell.

After many years of development, Forsway has now received its largest investment to date - and it is of a particularly significant nature.

ESA invests SEK 27 million

The Swedish National Space Board and the European Space Agency (ESA) have jointly contributed SEK 27 million to support the further development of the Forsway satellite communication system.

- "We have been working on this for a long time and it is fantastic to get this support. We have collaborated with both the Swedish National Space Board and ESA in the past, and that has led to this initiative," says Tobias Forsell.

At first glance, Forsway's solutions may seem similar to Elon Musk's Starlink - both aim to provide internet connectivity worldwide. But what is the real difference?

-Starlink relies solely on its own satellites. Our system, on the other hand, is satellite independent, and users have full control over their data. We are based on 5G technology and can use both satellites and ground-based systems, such as telephone masts. We can complement all mobile operators, something Starlink cannot do," explains Tobias Forsell.

"Skövde is our base"

With the investment behind it, Forsway is now taking big steps towards the future and preparing for the next phase of development.

-We will develop a router that can distribute data and, together with partners, develop an antenna to our specifications. The most important part, however, is the server systems, which will ensure that the right data reaches the right device in a secure way. We hope to have a working solution ready by the end of 2026.

The investment also means that the company needs to expand.

-"We will definitely need to recruit more people. But we are staying in Skövde. This is where we have our base, and we want to keep the local roots. It is important for us to show that this can be done from this particular location," concludes Tobias Forsell.