A unique investment in young people, innovation and sports is taking shape
Kista is undergoing a transformative shift as both a national football center and a new branch of Vetenskapens Hus (House of Science) are now being established in the district.
Kista is undergoing a transformative shift as both a national football center and a new branch of Vetenskapens Hus (House of Science) are now being established in the district. Sports, education and future opportunities are growing in the Kista ecosystem. The result is an environment where more children and young people in northern Stockholm can explore technology, strengthen their confidence and find pathways to higher studies and future careers.
Kista has long been a hub for research and innovation. Here, Europe’s leading development environments for advanced electronics, sensor technology, AI and space technology coexist with academic labs, testbeds and one of the country’s strongest ecosystems for research-based companies. It is a place where ideas can grow and where cutting-edge technology meets real societal challenges every day.
But Kista is also part of Järva, one of Sweden’s most dynamic areas, home to a significant share of Stockholm’s youth. The close connection between a global technology hub and one of the country’s largest youngest populations creates a unique opportunity to let our young help shape the future. To succeed, new ways are needed to lower barriers and create encounters between technology, daily life and leisure interests. Sports is a key tool in that effort.
A national football center in an innovation cluster
The City of Stockholm and the Swedish Football Association intend to build a national football center in Kista. The facility is planned to bring together national team activities, education, research and development under one roof. The center will include four natural-grass pitches, one artificial-turf pitch, an indoor hall and facilities for offices, conferences and training. A project of this scale provides a way to connect the needs of sports with research and enterprise.
“Successful district development is about helping residents, visitors, and businesses develop in harmony. And that’s exactly what is happening in Kista right now. Kista, already a driving force in Sweden’s innovation capacity, is becoming a vibrant innovation district where sports and young people are given more room to shine. It is already a place where worlds meet, and the investments in a new national football center and in Vetenskapens Hus make Kista even more exciting,” says Helena Nordström, Marketing Manager at the property-owned company Kista Limitless.
Establishing a national football center in the middle of an innovation environment is itself a groundbreaking idea. Kista is already home to companies and research settings developing sensors, biometric systems, advanced image analysis and AI-based training optimization. Here, Swedish football can become a direct partner in the technological development of sports and health.
Vetenskapens Hus strengthens Kista as a democratic knowledge hub
At the same time, Vetenskapens Hus has announced the opening of a new branch in Kista. This means that thousands of students each year will enter pedagogical environments where technological development feels far less distant than it may have before.
Already today, actors such as Changers Tech and Bling are present in Kista, running incubators, entrepreneurship programmes and workshops that allow young people to test their ideas in a safe and inclusive setting—often together with some of Sweden’s most advanced technology companies. Vetenskapens Hus is an excellent addition that strengthens the connection to school-aged children.
“Kista stepping forward so clearly and bringing different worlds together through sport is incredibly exciting, and we know it works,” says Neda Khezerian, Head of Sports Tech, Changers Hub.
Sports and major events as a gateway to new opportunities
Next year, the Women’s U18 Basketball European Championship will also take place at Kistamässan. This reinforces Kista’s position as a destination for youth and sports. It is particularly important to reach girls in the later years of compulsory school, a group that often lacks clear pathways into technology. By combining major sports events with technology activities and experiences, new interfaces emerge where young people find more routes forward in life.
There are also other strong examples of sports-related initiatives already active in Kista. OAK Performance demonstrates how data-driven training and recovery can support the development of young top athletes. Löparakademin helps young people set goals, build routines and transfer the lessons of sports into school and working life.
A strategic investment for Stockholm and Sweden
Kista is a key player in the future of both Stockholm and Sweden. To maintain the country’s position as a leading engineering nation, more young people, regardless of background, must find their way into technology and the natural sciences. When socio-economic limitations meet world-class research and accessible sports environments, something unique emerges: a place where opportunities outweigh obstacles.
In parallel, one of Stockholm’s most extensive urban development projects is underway. Kista is ready to take the next step as a destination. In a few years, the new tram line will connect Kista with Barkarby, universities, the inner city and southern Stockholm. Even today, Kista is one of the most hotel-dense areas in the city.
The planned sports facilities, combined with thousands of new homes and an expanded range of services and activities, form part of a major urban transformation. Kista is evolving into a district where people not only work, but also live, train, compete and encounter new possibilities.
