Conference Programme 2026

Start the day with a cup of coffee and the opportunity to exchange experiences with industry colleagues before the program begins.

Venue: Solasalen

Total defence is no longer a question for the future; it is a reality that is already influencing political decisions, the responsibilities of public authorities, and everyday life across society here and now. During today’s conference, we will explore the theme: From Insight to Capability: How Do We Strengthen the Operational Capacity of Total Defence?

• Minou Sadeghpour, Moderator and Principal Consultant, 4C Strategies
• Linda Larsson (S), Chair of the Municipal Executive Board, Karlstad Municipality
• Ulrika K. Jansson, Chief Executive Officer (Municipal Director), Karlstad Municipality

Venue: Solasalen

Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Admiral Rob Bauer, formerly NATO’s highest-ranking military officer, has travelled the world with a clear message: preparing for war is not a choice - it is a necessity.

His conclusion is as simple as it is uncomfortable: the better prepared we are, the less likely we are ever to need to use that capability.

This keynote and discussion will deliver a clear call to action and offer practical lessons on what is required to strengthen our resilience and security—here and now.

Rob Bauer, former Chair of the NATO Military Committee

9:45–10:15 – The Government’s Comprehensive Approach to Future Total Defence

Venue: Solasalen

When the world around us undergoes fundamental change, the state’s leadership and its ability to mobilise engagement are put to the ultimate test.

In this session, two government representatives will address the questions that truly matter: How do we build genuine strength, endurance and freedom of action, militarily, within civil defence and across society as a whole? The discussion goes straight to the heart of the matter: responsibility, priorities and the difficult decisions that can no longer be postponed.

As total defence once again becomes part of the social contract, a crucial question arises: What is required of the state—and, above all, what is required of us as citizens?

• Pål Jonson, Minister for Defence
• Nina Larsson, Minister for Gender Equality

Venue: Solasalen

Over the past four years, significant progress has been made in rebuilding Sweden’s civil defence. Roles have been clarified, preparedness requirements have been strengthened, and issues that long remained on the sidelines have moved to the heart of planning by the central government, public authorities, municipalities and the business community.

But greater awareness, clearer structures and higher ambitions are not the same as actual capability. The next test is implementation: What have we genuinely improved? Where are the most significant gaps? And how do we ensure that the entire system can act when time, resources and information are limited?
Sweden’s total defence system is based on decentralised responsibility, while the deteriorating security environment places substantial demands on a shared sense of direction and the ability to prioritise. How are political ambitions translated into operational effect? Who sets the direction when different needs compete? And how do we create the capacity for decisive action in a system where responsibility is deliberately distributed among numerous stakeholders?

In this moderated discussion, Carl-Oskar Bohlin, Minister for Civil Defence, and Mikael Frisell, Director General of the Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency, will meet to explore these questions. Taking this year’s theme, From Insight to Capability, as its starting point, the discussion will reflect on the progress made in recent years before turning to the next stage in the development of Sweden’s total defence.

Participants

• Carl-Oskar Bohlin, Minister for Civil Defence
• Mikael Frisell, Director General, Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency
• Moderator: Minou Sadeghpour
  

Venue: Solasalen

The business community, the public sector, civil society and individuals are not merely “parts of the solution”, together, they constitute the system itself. This means that responsibilities, resources and decisions cannot be understood in isolation, but only in relation to one another.

At the same time, the system is shaped by differing priorities and operating principles: political priorities, government agency mandates, business models and individual motivations. What works under normal circumstances will not necessarily work under pressure.

This is also where the critical questions arise:

• Are the dependencies genuinely understood, or merely assumed?
• Are the priorities firmly established, or have they never been tested?
• And do we have the ability to adapt when circumstances change rapidly?

The question is brutal in its simplicity: Will the system hold when it truly matters?

• Jan Garton, Director General, Swedish Agency for Total Defence Analysis
• Jonas Jonsson, CEO, 4C Group
• Magnus Karlsson, Professor at the Department of Civil Society and Religion, Marie Cederschiöld University
  

Lokal: Solasalen

Ukraine represents a total defence system under the pressures of war.. This provides a unique opportunity to analyse how systems function when subjected to sustained, intense pressure. One key lesson is that reality rarely follows the plan. Systems adapt, responsibilities are redistributed, and new solutions often emerge under time pressure and with limited resources.

• Which parts of the total defence system prove to be the most resilient?
• Where does friction arise?
• And which lessons can be transferred to other contexts?

The focus is on examining these experiences not as a source of inspiration, but as an analysis of what actually works under extreme conditions.

Participants

• Her Excellency Ms Svitlana Zalishchuk, Ambassador of Ukraine to Sweden
• Georg Andrén, Govenor of Värmland Country