Where new business and innovation strengthen society.
As Sweden's total defense is being built up, new requirements, collaborations, and business opportunities are emerging for the business sector. To contribute to Sweden's overall resilience, companies need to understand the actors, decision-making logic, and market conditions of total defense. The Business Logic of Total Defense is a seven-day executive program that gives you the knowledge, tools, and network to identify opportunities, build relevant collaborations, and position your organization within the emerging total defense ecosystem.
Sweden finds itself in a new security policy landscape. Total defense is being built up rapidly, the defense market is growing, and new demands are being placed on the business sector’s ability to contribute to robustness, innovation, and long-term resilience.
For companies, this development brings both responsibility and opportunity. New business, new collaborations, and new markets are emerging, where civilian solutions, technical expertise, dual use, innovative capacity, and strategic cooperation play an increasingly important role.
The Business Logic of Total Defense is an executive program from GU Executive Education, in collaboration with the Swedish Defence University, the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg, and DefenceXlab. The program is designed for those who want to understand, navigate, and do business within the emerging total defense ecosystem.
The program provides you with strategic understanding, concrete tools, and access to a strong network of actors from defense, government agencies, politics, the business sector, and academia.
For those who want to understand total defense and find their place in it.
The program is aimed at leaders and decision-makers in the business sector who want to understand how total defense works, what business opportunities are emerging, and how their own organization can become a relevant and credible business partner.
It is particularly suited to those who work in, lead, or develop companies within areas such as industry, technology, energy, transport, telecom, healthcare, security, critical societal infrastructure, or other fields where civilian innovation can meet military and societal needs.
This is not a traditional leadership course. It is a strategic program on how security policy, business development, and innovation converge in a new reality.
What you will gain.
After completing the program, you will have a stronger ability to understand and act within the business logic of total defense.
You will gain, among other things:
Perspectives from total defense’s key actors.
The program is developed in collaboration between academia, the business sector, and defense-related actors. Throughout the program, you will meet leading voices from the Swedish Armed Forces, the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration (FMV), the business sector, and academia, among others.
We will continuously add first-class speakers and contributing experts who bring current perspectives, practical experience, and strategic depth.
This makes the program more than just a course. It becomes a meeting place where new relationships, ideas, and business opportunities can take shape.
The program begins with an introductory day on October 14 at the School of Business, Economics and Law in Gothenburg. It then continues as follows:
Module 1: November 25-26, 2026, School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg
Module 2: January 27-28, 2027, Defence Xlab, Lindholmen Science Park
Module 3: March 23-24, 2027, Swedish Defence University, Stockholm
Managers, leaders, and decision-makers in the business sector responsible for strategy, business development, innovation, or organizational development.
want to understand how Sweden’s changed security policy situation affects their organization and what new business opportunities are emerging. You want to identify where your organization can contribute to total defense and develop relevant collaborations, offerings, and strategic positions.
Introduction
The program begins with an introduction to the development of total defense, the program’s content, and the key issues that participants will work with. The day concludes with a networking dinner.
Module 1: Business logics, legal and institutional conditions
How does total defense function as a system, market, and decision-making structure?
This module focuses on business logic, procurement, law, security protection, and what is required to become a relevant partner in total defense’s value chains.
Module 2: Innovation as competitiveness
How can security policy requirements be transformed into business and innovation advantages?
This module focuses on innovation in regulated and security-critical environments, dual use, new technologies, capital, risk, and collaboration between business, the public sector, academia, and startups.
Module 3: Strategic positioning in a security policy shift
How do organizations secure competitiveness in an economy where security has become structure?
This module provides international and strategic perspectives on NATO, the EU, geopolitics, civil and military defense, industrial partnerships, and market positioning.
The program is run by GU Executive Education in collaboration with the Swedish Defence University, the School of Business, Economics and Law at the University of Gothenburg, and DefenceXlab.
DefenceXlab is a national innovation platform that connects civilian innovations with military needs. Here, the business sector, startups, academia, and defense actors come together to drive innovation and strengthen collaboration within total defense.
Together, we create an arena where knowledge, business development, and societal benefit meet.
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