When the Soviet submarine U137 ran aground in Karlskrona (southern Sweden) in 1981, it changed Sweden's perspective on technical independence and military capability. For Anders Andersson, then a technician at F14 in Halmstad (southern Sweden), the incident was the starting point for a mission that would shape an entire company. "When the submarine ran aground, it became clear that Sweden's anti-submarine warfare capability was inadequate. There was a need to quickly build up competence, and Anders was tasked with developing the Swedish Armed Forces' knowledge of fibre optics," says Micropol's CEO Peter Ljungkvist. The mission led to what is today FMTS – and further to the founding of Micropol in 1988.
Despite the first customers being civilian, the defence imprint has always been strong. "The military DNA has always been present in Micropol," says Ljungkvist. In the early 2000s, the company became an extension of the Swedish Armed Forces' own technology development and developed several solutions for tactical fibre communication. The most significant was Falcon, the expanded-beam connector launched in 2011. "We developed Falcon thanks to the Swedish Armed Forces' requirements, and winning the procurement both in 2013 and 2023 shows that the technology still maintains the highest performance."
Since then, the company has undergone a rapid transformation. When Ljungkvist started in 2018, Micropol consisted of four people in the office. Today, they are a growing defence company with operations in four countries. "In two years, we have gone from 100 to 200 million in turnover. This is a result of the in-house expertise, the global situation, and our involvement in systems that are growing significantly, especially air defence." The export share is now around 40 percent, and Germany has become a breakthrough market. "We have increased our turnover in Germany tenfold in a short time. This shows how quickly the market has changed."
The technological advantage is a central part of the success. "We deliver larger data volumes over the same types of connectors than anyone else. We achieve this through how we polish and design the geometry, and this is how we gain market share," says Ljungkvist. For customers, this means higher robustness, improved logistics, and stable functionality even in the field. In tactical environments where equipment is connected and disconnected hundreds of times, Falcon technology is crucial. "It must withstand dirt, vibrations, and harsh conditions – and still perform."
At the same time, he highlights the company's way of working. "We are flexible, work closely with the customer, and we almost never say no. We build prototypes in small volumes for customers to try, and often it is precisely this that leads to larger deals. It is a culture that has been passed down since Anders's time."
Micropol is now preparing for the next step: a new production facility opening at the beginning of 2027. "It's not just a larger production. It gives us completely new opportunities. We will be able to accommodate vehicles and containers, work more with electronics, and expand our cleanroom. All to continue being close to our customers and developing solutions together with them."
As Micropol enters its fortieth year, the identity is clear: highest optical performance, rapid adaptability, and a culture that puts the customer at the centre. "We are forward-leaning," says Ljungkvist. "We are building capacity to continue being what we are today – and what our customers need tomorrow."