Defence Innovation
In the first half of 2023, the Swedish Government launched the defence research innovation initiative to increase the capacity and pace of innovation in the defence industry. This initiative should create added value through increased and enhanced collaboration within and between the business sector and government agencies in various sectors. The purpose is to strengthen Sweden’s security and national defence capability and boost competitiveness in the defence industry.
- Responsible ministers
- Pål Jonson
- Responsible ministries
- Ministry of Defence
Why is this initiative being taken?
The changing international situation and the war in Ukraine have led to a greater need for materiel and increased investments in defence capability. This has underscored the importance of defence industry capacity and the need to be able to rapidly scale up production.
Together with various actors in the traditional defence industry and the civil business sector, the Government needs to identify factors that may constitute limitations and opportunities so as to help the industry increase its effectiveness and innovative capacity.
What should the initiative achieve?
The overall objective of the Government’s defence research innovation initiative is to increase the capacity and pace of innovation in the military sphere.
Promoting increased and enhanced collaboration between actors from different sectors creates added value that contributes to Sweden’s defence capability and innovative capacity, increased competitiveness and enhanced security.
By creating conditions for cross-sectoral collaboration, new technology developed for and in the civil area can also be harnessed through defence innovation.
It is essential to guide technological development and transform research and development and new ideas into defence innovations for strong armed forces and a strong position of security, as a nation.
What is being done within the initiative?
The initiative was launched with a start-up meeting on 29 May 2023, in which representatives of defence industry companies and organisations, the business sector and government agencies took part. Thus far, four meetings have been held, with various actors invited to take part.
The purpose of these meetings is to identify what conditions and tools need to be developed so as to further strengthen the Swedish defence industry by increasing innovative capacity.
Topics of discussion include procurement, NATO, collaboration factors, test beds and the EU’s financing instruments.
The work and results should form a basis for concrete policy measures.
