High Hopes But the Devil Is Still in the Details for NEURON
Sweden’s State Secretary for Industry Sven-Eric Söder remains cautiously optimistic that the potholes that have appeared in the NEURON roadmap can be filled in. He told Show News, “It’s important to underline that the project has not been rejected, but the road has suddenly got more bumpy. With opposition from within itself, and from the official opposition, the government has had to take a step back.
Parliamentary support must be regained because NEURON is important for Sweden’s defense and for the Gripen system. We need this kind of high-tech competence in Saab. We must take these new questions seriously, but if it was possible to build up the will to go ahead once before then it should be possible again.”
There is no parliamentary timescale for the resolution of this dispute because it is an internal government matter that must be settled among the parties concerned. Equally, the money has already been allocated in the defense budget, so a green light would mean immediate go. However, with Sweden’s parliament due to enter its summer recess on Saturday — and all the protagonists heading for the beach — it’s impossible to say how long it will take to get back on track. —Robert Hewson
