Government investing SEK 30 million in ‘Campus Total Defence’

The Government is investing SEK 30 million in Campus Total Defence – an initiative by the Swedish Defence University, Luleå University of Technology and Örebro University. The ambition is to get Sweden’s higher education institutions involved to contribute to the country’s national security. “Higher education institutions play an important role in supplying Sweden’s total defence with necessary competence and skills,” comments the Government in its budget proposition.

Campus Total Defence is an initiative aiming to contribute skills provision and knowledge development to the Swedish total defence by offering tailored courses and by establishing knowledge nodes where new research and innovation will be coordinated. Primarily a collaboration between Swedish higher education institutions, Campus Total Defence will also bring together academia, public authorities, industry and civil society for collaboration.

The three founding higher education institutions have started up the project with funding of SEK 6 million from the Swedish Knowledge Foundation and now the Swedish Government is contributing SEK 10 million per year 2025–2027.

The hope is for all of Sweden’s higher education institutions to join the initiative and already, 32 higher education institutions across the country have shown their interest.

“The 70,000 members of staff and 350,000 students at Swedish universities make up a crucial resource in the development of the Swedish total defence. Research and education across the country, in close collaboration with civil society organisations and the Swedish Armed Forces, build resilience and perseverance in times of crisis and war,” says Johan Schnürer, vice-chancellor at Örebro University and chair of the Campus Total Defence steering group.

“I am proud that we along with other Swedish higher education institutions take responsibility and make it clear that we have an important role to play within the total defence. In a joint effort with external actors, we will commence an important review of courses, study programmes and research that will be important in times of war and crisis,” says Birgitta Bergvall-Kåreborn, vice-chancellor at Luleå University of Technology and deputy chair of the steering group.

“There is immense capacity and expertise within the higher education sector. By cooperating and channelling that kind of strength towards meeting total defence needs, we become a particularly important partner in providing skills and developing knowledge for the military as well as the civil defence,” says Robert Egnell, vice-chancellor at the Swedish Defence University.