Ericsson, Kongsberg, Nokia, Patria and Saab become founding companies in Nordic Compass's new defence track. The initiative aims to bring together Nordic defence and technology industry around joint projects to strengthen the region's defence capability and resilience.
According to a press release from Nordic Compass, the five companies will become driving forces within the alliance's Defence Track. The work is led by Jyri Häkämies, former Minister of Defence of Finland.
"The involvement of the five leading companies in the defence track represents a significant strengthening of the Nordic Compass alliance, at a time when Europe's defence efforts are accelerating rapidly," says Jyri Häkämies in the press release.
The defence track is being launched in connection with a meeting in Helsinki (Finland), where representatives from the five companies will also meet Finland's President Alexander Stubb for talks on the industry's role in Nordic defence and security.
The companies highlight different aspects of the upcoming cooperation. Nokia points to the growing importance of connectivity, AI and autonomous systems, while Ericsson emphasises 5G as part of the digital infrastructure for modern defence. Kongsberg and Patria, in turn, highlight the opportunities to deepen Nordic industrial cooperation.
"Closer defence cooperation between Nordic countries and industries strengthens cross-border defence capabilities while promoting regional security and stability," says Eirik Lie, CEO of Kongsberg, in the press release.
NDS reported in May on the launch of Nordic Compass, which at the time brought together more than 25 Nordic companies and organisations. The alliance has since grown to 30 partners and is working during its first year across four areas: capital markets, deep tech, defence and energy.
Within each area, participants are to identify industry-driven initiatives that can be implemented and scaled up through Nordic cooperation. The first initiatives will be presented at the Nordic Compass Summit in Gothenburg (western Sweden) on 4-5 November 2026.