Defense industry and civil prepareness through innovative startups

Important results from the project

To address today´s rapid threats, new approaches are needed that unite civilian and military actors in dynamic ecosystems. A national Keystone function is proposed as a bridge between these systems to accelerate innovation and strengthen collaboration. Regional hubs, such as Värmland Innovation Arena, can support this with expertise and testing environments. Government funding and international partnerships are crucial for fostering prototype development and including smaller actors.

Expected long term effects

The effects include faster innovation and development, strengthened collaboration between civilian and military actors, increased inclusion of small businesses, improved defense capability and societal security, as well as economic and regional growth. The Keystone structure promotes trust, joint solutions, and international cooperation. The result is a stronger and more resilient Sweden with enhanced preparedness and global competitiveness.

Approach and implementation

We have met and interviewed companies from both the defense sector and the civilian sector. We have also engaged with other actors, projects, and initiatives within the same areas to learn from each other. During the project, we lacked direct access to the defense sector – specifically, the needs owners. The scope has been challenging to define, given that innovations can cover anything "from pea soup to advanced robotics." This led us to focus primarily on the working methods themselves.