New Nordic defense education to strengthen leadership for tomorrow’s security challenges

As the security landscape grows increasingly strained, both the Nordic region and Europe at large face growing pressure. This places higher demands on leadership and collaboration in defense and security. The Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) is now partnering with the Swedish Armed Forces to launch the SSE Nordic Defense MBA for decision-makers shaping the future of the Nordic defense sector, starting in the fall of 2026.

Over the past few years, Sweden and its Nordic neighbors have increased military investment and rearmament as well as a strengthened cooperation within NATO. This calls for expertise not only in defense technology, but also in how organizations are led, scaled, and collaborate in times of rapid change.

Modern warfare is not fought only on the battlefield. A country’s resilience also depends on how well society functions under pressure. Understanding and securing supply chains, maintaining production, and ensuring that logistics work effectively are therefore central to defense capability.

The SSE Nordic Defense MBA is an Executive MBA focused on defense and security. It prepares senior leaders across the Nordic region to navigate an increasingly complex security environment and strengthens collaboration between the public and private sectors.

“It is not enough to be strong on the battlefield; we must also be strong in how we lead, organize, and cooperate across society as a whole. This program is an important step in developing the leadership required to integrate military capability with civilian structures and the capacity of the private sector. That is how we build a robust total defense and strengthen our collective resilience in the Nordic region,” says Sweden’s Chief of Defense Michael Claesson.

Leadership in a broader security environment

The curriculum builds on SSE’s established Executive MBA and leads to an internationally recognized MBA degree. It runs for 16 months and combines intensive on-campus weeks in Stockholm with work between modules. Participants work closely together in an environment that reflects real-world challenges in defense and security.

“Today, competitiveness and resilience are two sides of the same coin. The security of Sweden and the Nordic region depends on our ability to keep society running – even under pressure. As a social science institution, we aim to contribute knowledge and leadership that strengthen both,” says Lars Strannegård, President of the Stockholm School of Economics.

A central part of the MBA is to build and strengthen networks between the public sector, industry, and defense – ensuring that key relationships and channels for collaboration are already in place when rapid decisions and transitions are required. Participants are expected to come from the armed forces and other total defense actors, the defense industry, and relevant government agencies across the Nordic region.

From strategy to operational supply chains

The MBA has a strong focus on how the public and private sectors can work together. Courses in areas such as geoeconomics, market organization, and global supply chains give participants the tools to understand how economic and political systems affect defense capability, from strategic decisions to how supply chains and production function under pressure.

This builds on SSE’s unique combination of research excellence and close ties to the business community. Through the Center for Security and Resilience, which brings together actors from across the defense sector and a strong network of companies and public agencies, participants work on real-world challenges and develop solutions that can be implemented directly in their own organizations.

The launch of the SSE Nordic Defense MBA marks a step toward meeting the growing demands on leadership in an uncertain world – with direct implications for how society organizes its security, preparedness, and long-term resilience.

For more information, please contact:

Angelika Lindstrand
Academic Director, SSE MBA
Email: angelika.lindstrand@hhs.se
Tel: +46 8 736 95 44

Jonas Beltrame-Linné
Head of Press, Swedish Armed Forces
Email:
Tel: +46 70 391 51 18

About the Stockholm School of Economics

The Stockholm School of Economics is rated as a top business school in the Nordic and Baltic countries and enjoys a strong international reputation. World-class research forms the foundation of our educational offering, which includes bachelor, master, PhD, MBA, and Executive Education programs. Our programs are developed in close cooperation with the business and research communities, providing graduates substantial potential to attain leading positions in companies and other organizations.

The School is accredited by EQUIS, certifying that all of its principal activities – teaching as well as research – maintain the highest international standards. The Stockholm School of Economics is also the only Swedish member institution of CEMS and PIM, which are collaborations between top business schools worldwide, contributing to the level of quality for which our school is known.

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