In Times of Crisis and War: Preparedness Is Built Together

What does preparedness look like in practice? How do we prepare society for crises, heightened alert levels, and, in the worst-case scenario, war? These were the central questions when security policy expert Joakim Paasikivi, along with government agencies and local stakeholders, gathered for a morning session on total defense and civil preparedness during Society Expo 2026. The message of the day was clear: A resilient society is built through collaboration and long-term planning.

Moderator Peter Karlstén began the day by putting developments in security policy into perspective and emphasized the importance of increasing understanding of what the changing global situation might mean going forward, particularly for the business community.

Anna Starbrink, Director General at the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, described how Sweden’s emergency preparedness system is structured—from the national level and the twelve emergency preparedness sectors down to regions, county administrative boards, and municipalities. She emphasized that an effective civil defense relies on the contribution of the entire society.

– We can only build sufficient resilience through cooperation among the various parts of society, she noted.

The role of business and industry took center stage when Maria Enholm, CEO of IUC Norr, highlighted industry’s importance to total defense. Companies’ ability to maintain production and deliveries is a vital part of society’s resilience. At the same time, a report by IUC Norr shows that many companies have still not begun emergency preparedness work.

– Preparedness isn’t just about managing risks. It can also create new business opportunities and strengthen companies’ competitiveness. But you also have to be able to keep two things in mind at once; companies need to manage growth and handle disruptions simultaneously, said Maria Enholm.

Magnus Hansson, Director of Preparedness at the Västerbotten County Administrative Board, provided an overview of today’s security challenges. He pointed to cyberattacks, information operations, sabotage, and other hybrid threats as examples of risks that require both collaboration and increased awareness.

He also highlighted the strength of the collaboration that has been built up in northern Sweden between municipalities, government agencies, regions, the business community, and international partners.

Today’s keynote guest, security expert and former Lieutenant Colonel Joakim Paasikivi, provided an analysis of the current security landscape, painting a picture of a rapidly changing security policy environment. Drawing on Russia’s war against Ukraine, China’s growing global ambitions, and the U.S.’s changing role in the world, he described how the international order that has shaped Europe since World War II is now being challenged on multiple fronts.

Paasikivi emphasized that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine is not solely about Ukraine, but is part of a larger ambition to reshape the European security order. At the same time, he noted that China is strengthening its global position and that the U.S. is increasingly focusing its attention on the Indo-Pacific region, which places new demands on Europe’s ability to take responsibility for its own security.

A central theme of the lecture was Europe’s future role. Paasikivi described how European cohesion will be crucial in an era marked by geopolitical tensions, economic uncertainty, and increasing competition for strategic resources and trade routes. At the same time, developments in the Arctic and the northern regions mean that northern Sweden is assuming an increasingly important position from an international perspective.

Despite a serious global situation, he emphasized the importance of decisiveness and a long-term perspective, and that we must create the conditions for that long-term perspective through bold political decisions.

– If we solve this with political courage, perhaps we can avoid having to rely on physical courage on the front lines, he noted.

Despite a serious global situation, several of the speakers returned to the same conclusion: that preparedness is not built within individual organizations but collectively. Through collaboration, knowledge exchange, and long-term investments, society’s resilience can be strengthened to meet the challenges of the future.

This is an initiative of the Business Development Office, Skellefteå Municipality, and Society Expo 2026.