The Swedish government has tasked the Swedish Armed Forces (Försvarsmakten) with establishing a dedicated function for defence innovation. The function is to shorten lead times from identified need to the introduction of new systems and capabilities in combat units.
The Swedish Armed Forces announce that the new function will create a unified structure and strengthen cooperation between the Swedish Armed Forces, other defence agencies, academia, industry, and international partners.
The Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV, Försvarets Materielverk), the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI, Totalförsvarets Forskningsinstitut), and the Swedish Innovation Agency (Vinnova, Verket för innovationssystem) are to contribute their respective areas of expertise. The function will also serve as a contact point for defence innovation and strengthen cooperation with priority international partners, including Ukraine, as well as with NATO and the EU.
Among other things, the function is to help identify operational needs more rapidly, prioritise development efforts, test and evaluate new solutions, and translate innovation into operational capability.
"The war in Ukraine shows that innovation capability has become an operational capability, and that new solutions can be developed in weeks or months, not years. Those who can quickly identify a need, build a solution, and introduce it into their combat units gain a decisive advantage," says Lieutenant General Carl-Johan Edström, Chief of the Swedish Defence Staff, in the announcement.
Edström also highlights the potential of dual-use technology, where civilian technology can be converted to military benefit and military solutions can strengthen civil society.
The assignment is to be reported in writing to the Government Offices of Sweden no later than 1 November 2026.