Sweden’s defence sector accelerates

Sweden’s defence industry is expanding.

According to newly released industry statistics from SOFF, turnover is increasing by almost SEK 100 million per working day compared with 2024. The number of full-time equivalents is rising by more than 20 people per working day.

- We are seeing continued strong growth, even as the market is characterised by long procurement cycles, high demand and rising costs, said Robert Limmergård, secretary general of SOFF, in comments to Defence Nordic.

- But the direction is clear: the defence market is growing and broadening.

SOFF points to a widening of the market. In recent years, around 50 companies have moved from defence-related revenues of less than SEK 100 million to more than SEK 100 million.

In a LinkedIn post on Wedensday, SOFF said growth is not only driven by higher demand, but also by increases in workforce, company numbers, production capacity and the integration of more actors into the defence market.

SOFF represents a network of more than 450 companies, collectively employing close to 33,700 people and reporting an annual turnover of approximately SEK 129 billion, corresponding to growth of 24.3 percent from 2025.

According to SOFF, investment in research, technology and product development continued to increase in 2025, reaching approximately SEK 15.3 billion.

This development is driven by both established defence companies and new entrants in areas including AI, autonomy and advanced manufacturing, SOFF said.