Nearly SEK 10 million for two research projects on wartime preparedness and total defence

The Swedish Research Council has awarded nearly SEK 10 million to two new research projects at the Swedish Defence University, both of which will deepen knowledge of total defence, wartime preparedness and resilience in the Nordic region and around the Baltic Sea.

The projects focus on two areas that have become increasingly important in the wake of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine: women’s role in defence and preparedness, and the population’s defence willingness.

Women’s role in Sweden’s and Finland’s wartime preparedness

Jenny Hedström, Associate Professor of War Studies, leads the project Women’s Organisations in Sweden’s and Finland’s Wartime Preparedness, which has been granted SEK 4,847,000 over three years. The project will examine how women—who remain a minority within the Nordic armed forces—contribute to total defence, both through everyday preparedness activities and through their engagement in women’s sections.

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, both Sweden and Finland have intensified their preparations for potential conflict. Information material on crisis and war has been distributed to all households, and the message is clear: everyone is expected to contribute to national resilience.

“We want to understand what these expectations mean for women in Sweden and Finland. Through feminist and critical perspectives, we aim to make visible the often unseen work that women carry out within total defence”, says Jenny Hedström.

SEK 4.87 million for project on defence willingness

The second project, Defence willingness: measurement, origins and manipulation, will receive SEK 4,870,000 over three years and is led by Ralph Sundberg, Senior Lecturer in War Studies.

“We will examine what defence willingness actually is, how it can be measured and which factors influence it. Despite its central importance to total defence, the concept still lacks clear definitions”, he says.

The project brings together experts from Sweden, Finland, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania to develop improved measurement methods and clearer definitions. The new metrics will be tested in survey studies to explore how relatively under-researched factors—such as personality types, moral reasoning and views on what is genuinely worth defending—shape people’s defence willingness.

“Defence willingness has long been regarded as a cornerstone of total defence. For the system to function, people must be prepared to act if the situation requires it. It is therefore vital that we understand where defence willingness comes from and how stable it is”, says Ralph Sundberg.