Geological Survey of Sweden

What Geological Survey of Sweden does

The Geological Survey of Sweden (Sveriges geologiska undersökning, SGU) is a Swedish government agency (myndighet) founded in 1858 and headquartered in Uppsala, with regional offices across Sweden and a workforce of approximately 260 employees. It is the national authority for geological information and mineral rights administration, providing maps, data, expert guidance, and regulation covering bedrock, soils, groundwater, and mineral resources. SGU serves a broad constituency: municipalities and national agencies (e.g., SEPA, Havs- och vattenmyndigheten) that use its data for physical planning, environmental protection, and water-resource management; mining and exploration companies (801 valid exploration permits at end-2025, with copper permits up ~52% over five years) that depend on its mineral-rights administration via Bergsstaten; researchers and students; and the roughly one million Swedish residents who rely on private wells and consult SGU's Brunnsarkivet well database.

Its core operational platform consists of Kartvisaren (web-based map viewer for geological layers), GeoLagret (data portal for downloadable open geological data), Bergsstaten (mining inspectorate administering the mineral rights register), Brunnsarkivet (national well and groundwater database), and the Ocean Surveyor research vessel conducting marine geological surveys. SGU maintains approximately 550 groundwater monitoring stations across 150 areas and references 1,700 water-protection areas. The agency also publishes mineral information for citizens and operates 1,700+ water-protection area records. Technical capability rests on traditional field-based geological surveying combined with GIS-based data delivery and open-data publication; no proprietary AI/ML capabilities are evident in the source material.

SGU is funded primarily through annual state appropriations, with a supplementary full-cost-recovery commissioned-work stream. The agency is governed under Swedish law and operates within the national mineral-strategy framework, which was substantially renewed in July 2026 to expand SGU's mandates around critical raw materials, mineral permitting, and national-interest designations (e.g., the Gold Line Belt designated June 2026; proposed Häggån alum-shale national-interest designation). It maintains partnerships with Luleå University of Technology, SEPA, SIDA (for the ITP308 international training programme), and Havs- och vattenmyndigheten. As a government agency, SGU does not pursue commercial growth but functions as the enabling infrastructure for Sweden's mining sector and environmental governance.

Name

Geological Survey of Sweden

Legal name

Sveriges geologiska undersökning

Website

https://www.sgu.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1858

Operating status

Operating

Short description

The Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU) is Sweden's national geological authority, founded 1858, providing geological maps, mineral-rights administration via Bergsstaten, groundwater and marine survey data, and open geological data portals serving municipalities, mining companies, researchers, and ~1 million private-well households.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Geological Survey Services

NAICS

Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (54136), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360), Support Activities for Mining (213)

SIC

Oil & Gas Field Exploration Services (1382)

akta.pro primary industry

Mineral Exploration & Geoscience Services (Geology, Geophysics, Geochemistry, Resource Modeling) (IMAKAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Remote Sensing & Earth Observation Analytics (Satellite/UAV/LiDAR, Image Processing) (EUAHAKAD)

Keywords

• Geological survey services
• Mineral resource mapping
• Groundwater monitoring
• Mining permit administration
• Geological data publishing

Headquarters

HQ city

Uppsala

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Appropriations: SGU is primarily financed by state allocations (Statliga anslag). One of SGU's main tasks is to provide geological information for society's needs in the short and long term, a task financed mainly through government funding. Some products and services adapted for external users are provided for a fee, with commissioned work conducted on a full cost-recovery basis.
2. Commissioned Investigation Services: SGU conducts commissioned investigations, assessments, inventories, consulting advice, compilations of geological information, training, and analysis services for external clients such as government agencies, municipalities, and companies on a full cost-recovery basis.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU) is a government agency that provides authoritative geological data, maps, guidance, and regulations covering bedrock, soils, groundwater, and mineral resources across Sweden. Core services include web-based map viewers (Kartvisaren), a downloadable reports and data portal (GeoLagret), mineral rights administration through Bergsstaten, a national well database (Brunnsarkivet), groundwater level and quality monitoring networks, marine seabed mapping via the Ocean Surveyor research vessel, and contracted laboratory and consulting services on a full cost-recovery basis.

Product overview

The Geological Survey of Sweden (SGU) operates as a comprehensive governmental geological information agency offering a platform of interconnected products and services for geological data, mapping, and analysis. The core offerings include the Kartvisaren (Map Viewer) web platform for interactive geological mapping, GeoLagret for searching and downloading maps/reports/data, and specialized services like Mineraljakten (citizen science competition) and Bergsstaten (mining permit administration). Supporting infrastructure includes research vessels Ocean Surveyor and Ugglan for marine mapping, the Brunnsarkivet well database, and groundwater monitoring services. SGU provides open geological data products across multiple categories (bedrock, geophysics, groundwater, soil, geochemistry, marine geology) accessible via API and WMS. Contract services include geochemical laboratory analyses, mineral/rock analyses, and advanced marine modeling. The organization also manages the ITP308 international training programme on mine water and waste management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mineraljakten: A citizen science competition organized by SGU to engage the public in finding potential mineral deposits of critical and strategic metals and minerals. The competition runs annually and participants submit observations with photos and coordinates.
• Bergsstaten
• Ocean Surveyor
• Ugglan
• ITP308

Products and services

• Kartvisaren (Map Viewer) Web-based service for viewing geological maps and information directly in the browser, with multiple map viewers covering bedrock, geophysics, groundwater, soil, geochemistry, marine geology, and environmental monitoring. Users can select layers and zoom levels to customise content and appearance. Used by government agencies, municipalities, mining companies, researchers, and private well owners for geological baseline mapping and planning.
• GeoLagret Web service for searching and downloading SGU's maps, reports, publications, and geological data, with filtering by categories, predefined search criteria, free text, or geographic area. Serves as the primary distribution channel for SGU's open geological datasets and publications.
• Bergsstaten (Mining Inspectorate) Government division handling prospecting and mineral extraction permits, processing applications for exploration permits and exploitation concessions, with online e-services for prospectors at bergsstaten.se/e-tjanster. Serves mining companies and prospectors operating in Sweden.
• Mineraljakten (The Mineral Hunt) Citizen science competition organised by SGU on behalf of the Swedish government to engage the public in finding potential deposits of critical and strategic metals and minerals. Available as a mobile application (iOS and Android) and web application. Participants submit observations with photos and coordinates.
• Ocean Surveyor Research Vessel 38-metre catamaran research vessel for seabed mapping, equipped with multibeam echo sounders, seismic systems, underwater cameras, and sediment sampling equipment. Available for charter by public organisations for marine geological surveys. SGU has the expertise to design and implement customised marine seabed mapping solutions.
• Brunnsarkivet (Well Archive) Database containing information about Sweden's water and energy wells, with data on location, depth, water capacity, and well function. Data is submitted by well drillers and private individuals and is used to protect groundwater and plan sustainable water supply.
• Grundvattennivåer (Groundwater Levels) Service providing current, previous, and predicted groundwater levels with map viewers and downloadable data across approximately 550 stations in 150 areas. Used for groundwater monitoring, drought risk assessment, and water supply planning.
• Grundvattenövervakning (Groundwater Quality Monitoring) National monitoring programme for groundwater quality operated since 1966, with data managed through the national data stewardship mandate for groundwater on behalf of the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management.
• Uppdragsverksamhet (Contract Services) Contracted services including geochemical laboratory analysis, mineral and rock analyses, geomagnetic documentation, and marine data and advanced modelling. Delivered to government agencies, municipalities, and companies on a full cost-recovery basis.
• Fennoscandian Ore Deposit Database Shared database with geological surveys from Finland, Norway, and Russia containing information on nearly 1,700 mines, deposits, and significant events across the Fennoscandian Shield.
• ITP308: Mine Water and Mine Waste Management Programme International training programme funded by SIDA and organised by SGU in collaboration with Luleå University of Technology and the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, presenting the latest research and methodology for permitting, inspection, and governance of mines globally.
• Geological Data Products Open geological data covering bedrock, ores and minerals, geophysics, groundwater, wells, soil, environmental monitoring, geochemistry, and marine geology categories, available via API and Web Map Services (WMS) under specified license terms.
• Bergverksstatistik (Mining Statistics Report) Annual publication containing detailed information on Swedish ore production, mineral statistics, exploration activity, mineral rights, and mining industry employment. Available through GeoLagret.

Quantifiable outcome

• Sweden has 801 valid exploration permits as of end 2025, with copper permits at 554 (up 52% over five years)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Luleå University of Technology (LTU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSGU collaborates with Luleå University of Technology (LTU) in organising the ITP308 International Training Programme on mine water and mine waste management, funded by SIDA. LTU contributes academic expertise to the programme.
• Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSGU collaborates with the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket) in organising the ITP308 International Training Programme on mine water and mine waste management, funded by SIDA. SEPA contributes environmental policy and regulatory expertise.
• Havs- och vattenmyndigheten (Hav)coreOthersSGU serves as the national data host for groundwater data on behalf of the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (Havs- och vattenmyndigheten). This is a statutory mandate within Sweden's environmental monitoring programme.
• Naturvårdsverket (Swedish Environmental Protection Agency)coreOthersSGU serves as the national data host for environmental toxins (miljögifter) on behalf of the Swedish Environmental Protection Agency (Naturvårdsverket). This includes data from contaminated areas and sediments. SGU also receives data from research and screening projects beyond formal monitoring.
• Public Organisations (marin samverkan)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSGU collaborates through several alliances and networks nationally and internationally regarding the Ocean Surveyor research vessel and marine mapping activities. The vessel can be booked for missions or rented by public organisations.
• General Public (citizens participating in Mineraljakten)minorOthersSGU runs the Mineraljakten competition, inviting private individuals to submit geological observations of potential mineral deposits across Sweden. The programme is conducted on behalf of the Swedish government to support mineral exploration.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Geological Survey of Finland (GTK): Finland's national geological survey, operating under similar statutory mandate. Co-steward of the Fennoscandian Ore Deposit Database with SGU and offering comparable mineral exploration data, groundwater monitoring, and mapping services for Finnish stakeholders.
• Geological Survey of Norway (NGU): Norway's national geological survey providing bedrock, Quaternary, groundwater, and marine geological data with statutory mandate analogous to SGU's. Directly comparable in scope, customer base (government, mining, municipalities), and product portfolio.
• Geological Survey of Denmark and Greenland (GEUS): Danish and Greenlandic geological survey with mandate for geological mapping, mineral resource assessment, groundwater monitoring, and marine geology. Operates as a sector research institution under the Danish Ministry of Climate, Energy and Utilities — directly comparable structure to SGU.

Peers

• British Geological Survey (BGS):

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/sguSverige
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SGUSverige
• Facebookfacebook.com/sgu.sverige
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sgusverige

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Geological Survey of Sweden