The government has tasked the Swedish Armed Forces with creating a joint function for defence innovation together with other defence authorities, academia and the business community. The function will increase the ability to more quickly identify, develop and implement new solutions that meet the operational needs of the Swedish Armed Forces.
The serious global situation and rapid technological development place increasing demands on the Armed Forces' ability to adapt operations. Experience from the war in Ukraine shows that the time from identifying a need to introducing a new weapon system can be crucial to winning the battle.
The new function will create a comprehensive structure for defense innovation and strengthen collaboration between The Armed Forces, other defense authorities, academia, the business community and international partners. The goal is to shorten the lead times from idea and technology development to the introduction of a system or capability into the Swedish Armed Forces' combat units.
– The war in Ukraine shows that innovation has become an operational capability and that new solutions can be developed in weeks or months, not years. Whoever can quickly identify a need, build a solution and introduce it into their war unit gains a decisive advantage, says the lieutenant general Carl-Johan Edstrom, Chief of the Defence Staff.
The Armed Forces have the overall responsibility for carrying out the mission. Defence Materiel Administration, Total Defence Research Institute and The Agency for Innovation Systems (Vinnova) will also contribute to the mission with their respective competencies. The function will also serve as a focal point for defense innovation and strengthen cooperation with prioritized international partners, including Ukraine, as well as with NATO and the EU.
– Sweden has a unique strength in the combination of a world-leading defense industry and a business community full of innovative small and medium-sized companies and startups. The new function will make it easier for this entire range to contribute to our operational capabilities. There is also great potential here in so-called dual use, where civilian technology can quickly be converted into military use and military solutions can strengthen civilian society, concludes Carl-Johan Edstrom.
Among other things, the function will help to more quickly:
- identify operational needs,
- prioritize development efforts,
- test and evaluate new solutions,
- introduce new technology and new methods,
- turning innovation into sharp capability.
Defence innovation is based on collaboration. The joint function will therefore create better conditions for collaboration between The Armed Forces, defense authorities, universities and colleges, established companies, small and medium-sized enterprises, startups and international partners.
The assignment must be reported in writing no later than November 1, 2026 to the Government Offices.
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