From economic strength to strategic influence in the Nordic-Baltic region
How can the Nordic-Baltic countries use their economic strengths to shape the region’s future? The fifth panel at Nordic Security and Competitiveness Day will examine where closer cooperation could improve competitiveness and give the region greater influence over the decisions that affect its security.
The earlier panels will explore geoeconomics and total defense, Baltic experiences of resilience, Finland’s approach to preparedness, and the macroeconomic conditions for competitiveness. The fifth panel will draw on these discussions to ask what the region should build together, and what it would take to get started.
“From Economic Strength to Strategic Influence in the Nordic-Baltic Region” takes resilience as its starting point. Its focus is how the region can develop industries, companies, and technologies that make it a more valuable partner to other countries. The discussion will consider four forms of economic influence: industrial power, capital power, market power, and standard-setting power.
For industry, a first step is to identify where countries have complementary strengths and where joint investment in research or production would be worthwhile. This also means deciding which activities each country needs to retain at home and where it can rely on its neighbors. Those choices would give regional cooperation a clearer purpose and help businesses plan their investments.
The financing question follows closely. Companies need capital to move from research to commercial production and then expand abroad. The panel will consider how public and private investors could support that process, and what would encourage them to make long-term commitments to the region.
Public purchasing offers another opportunity. A company supplying preparedness equipment or software may need to meet different requirements in each national market. More consistent requirements and coordinated procurement could make it easier to sell across borders. They could also give suppliers a clearer view of future demand before committing to additional production.
Technical standards deserve attention for similar reasons. Working together on testing and on systems that can operate across borders could give Nordic-Baltic countries more experience to draw on when shaping European and international standards. The panel will examine where a common approach could have the greatest effect.
The participants bring experience of these questions from business, research, and public policy. Rikard Westerberg, Director of the Center for Statecraft and Strategic Communication at SSE, studies relations between business and the state. Mikael Wigell, Founder and CEO of the Economic Security Forum, works on geoeconomics and economic security.
Jonas Jonsson, CEO of 4C Strategies, has led the company’s international expansion. Sylvia Schwaag Serger, President of the Royal Swedish Academy of Engineering Sciences (IVA), has extensive experience in research and innovation policy. Staffan Holmberg will moderate the discussion.
The aim is to identify priorities that businesses and public institutions could pursue together. That requires choices about where cooperation should begin, who would take responsibility, and how shared ambitions could become investment and purchasing decisions.
Nordic Security and Competitiveness Day takes place on November 16, 2026, hosted by the Center for Security and Resilience at the Stockholm School of Economics. This year’s theme is “From strategic autonomy to strategic coordination.” Explore the program and registration options.
