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Cryonics is an emerging method of preserving humans at extremely low temperatures after death. Cryonics involves cooling a person, after death has been declared according to established medical criteria, to extremely low temperatures for long-term preservation. The purpose is that, if medical technology advances in the future, functions that are currently irreversible might be restored. At present, there is no scientific evidence that this is possible. Cryonic preservation is already offered by companies in Europe, including Germany and Switzerland. In North America, established organisations such as Alcor Life Extension Foundation accept members from multiple countries. One question therefore often arises: is cryonics legal in Sweden, and how would regulation and oversight apply if such services were offered here? Cryonics is therefore not merely a hypothetical issue. It already raises questions for medicine, law, insurance and public institutions. What happens if a patient is declared dead in a Swedish hospital and the family requests that the body be transported to a cryonics company abroad? Such a situation raises questions about the legal definition of death, responsibility, regulatory oversight, consumer protection and insurance law. The conference examines cryonics as a policy problem emerging at the intersection of medicine, ethics, law and institutional governance. Speakers Staffan Julén Director of Communications, Institute for Futures Studies Anders Sandberg, PhD (Keynote) Researcher focusing on future technologies, existential risk and long-term societal challenges Patrick Linden Senior Lecturer, Geneva College of Longevity Science James Arrowood Chief Executive Officer, Alcor Life Extension Foundation Göran Hermerén Professor Emeritus of Medical Ethics, Lund University Ole Martin Moen Professor of Philosophy, OsloMet – Oslo Metropolitan University Francesca Minerva Associate Professor of Moral Philosophy, University of Milan “La Statale” (participating digitally) João Pedro Magalhães Professor of Molecular Biogerontology, University of Birmingham (participating digitally) What is cryonics? Cryonics is a form of post-mortem preservation in which the body or brain is cooled to approximately –196 °C. Unlike traditional burial or cremation, cryonic preservation is undertaken with the explicit intention of potential future medical intervention. Even if revival never becomes feasible, cryonics raises significant legal and regulatory questions within a Swedish and European legal context. Why this is a policy issue Cryonics raises central institutional questions: How is death defined in legal terms? What legal effects follow from a contract for cryonic preservation? How is responsibility distributed between private actors and the public sector? How are regulatory oversight and consumer protection affected? How are the legal effects of life insurance influenced? The conference does not aim to advocate or dismiss cryonics, but to promote conceptual and regulatory clarity. Frequently asked questions Is cryonics legal in Sweden? There is no specific regulation governing cryonics. The key question is how existing Swedish legislation would apply. Does cryonics work? There is currently no scientific evidence that a human being can be revived after cryonic preservation. Can life insurance finance cryonics? In some countries, life insurance is used as a funding mechanism. How this would be assessed under Swedish insurance law remains uncertain.