The strength of the Nordics lies not in being alike, but in our ability to collaborate across differences. When trust, learning, and joint action are intertwined, a network is created that strengthens both innovation and resilience – even in times of uncertainty.


Question: What do you mean by saying that strength lies in our differences?

Answer: Our true strength in the Nordics comes from our differences – in structures, culture, and ways of thinking. These differences create our comparative advantages. But it is not enough to merely acknowledge them; they must be translated into collaboration. When we learn from each other and build on each other's strengths, we become collectively stronger. It is there that our resilience grows, in the meeting between the public sector, business, and academia.

Question: You describe the emergence of a kind of "mycelial network" in the Nordics – what do you mean?

Answer: I see how collaborations, research, and investments form an organic network throughout the region. It is not something controlled from above, but a living ecosystem where initiatives are connected and knowledge is shared. When these threads meet and are combined with our shared experiences from Ukraine, we gain a structure that is both swift and deeply rooted. This type of trust-based collaboration is stronger than formal agreements.

Question: Which Nordic and Baltic examples show how different approaches can contribute to the whole?

Answer: Denmark demonstrates the power of public-private partnerships where development quickly becomes application. Norway unites defence, research, and education in a model that builds future competence. Finland has strong clusters and R&D structures where total defence functions as an innovation hub. Estonia has developed a digital capability and a hackathon culture that has made the country a leader in cybersecurity. Sweden has worked extensively and systematically with experience management from Ukraine. When these different approaches meet, we get a combination of structure, pace, and courage that no single nation can create.

Question: How can the Nordics build on this joint work?

Answer: By continuing to be curious about each other's ways of working and by allowing competence and experience to move freely between sectors and countries. Resilience is not created through stagnation, but through dialogue, learning, and movement. We already have a strong foundation in our institutions, in trust, and in our culture of cooperation. Now it is about weaving those threads even tighter – between public and private, between academia and industry – so that our collective capability continues to grow. Our enemy seeks division; our response must be collaboration.


About Pär Lager

  • Senior Advisor Executive Education, Swedish Defence University; responsible for experience management from Ukraine.
  • Reserve Officer OPL, Swedish Armed Forces.
  • CEO of Varangians
  • Former CEO/Principal and Chairman of the Board, Berghs School of Communication, which was named the world's best school in communication in 2009.
  • Has been Group CEO of Intendia Group, political advisor at the Ministry of Education, CEO of Talarforum, and Head of Business Development at Sifo Group.
  • Author of Leadership in Times of War (2025), Communicative Leadership, The Principle of Change among others