Find our research
Here you can find information about current research projects and interviews where our researchers share new findings from their areas of expertise.
Research projects
- Women's organisations in Sweden's and Finland's war preparedness
- Defence willingness: Measurement, origin and manipulation
- Greyzone genomics: An evidence-based analysis of security policy risks
- Statecraft and Secrets: The Early Modern Roots of Intelligence
- Sonar-Cities
- Societal security and threats to democracy
- Geopolitics
- Information, influence, and psychological warfare: Strengthening defence capability through secure communication and diplomacy
- The Information Influence Lab - Knowledge Builds Resistance
- Frontline defenders for peace? Exploring the role of environmental human rights defenders in the era of environmental transformation
Stories
“We need to create exercises that actually lead to learning”
Erik Hedlund, Professor at the Department of Leadership and Command & Control, has in recent years focused his research on how civilian and military actors cooperate in exercises. His studies show that these exercises need fundamental change if they are to produce results.
Understanding war to make a difference
Erik Melander has spent more than 30 years researching war and armed conflict, from Bosnia and Nagorno-Karabakh to South Africa, Thailand and Ukraine. As a newly appointed professor at the Swedish Defence University, he combines deep academic expertise with a strong commitment to Sweden’s total defence and to international support for Ukraine.
Exploring the dynamics of collaboration
Per Becker has worked with issues relating to crisis management, risk and total defence for virtually his entire career – in Sweden, internationally and in the field. Since 1 July 2025 he has been a professor at the Department of Leadership and Command & Control at the Swedish Defence University, following a year as a visiting professor.
The geopolitical history of the Baltic Sea in a new light
For centuries, the Baltic Sea has been an arena for both conflict and cooperation. The new anthology The Baltic Sea – A Geopolitical History shows how the sea has shaped, and continues to shape, the political, economic and strategic relations between the countries of northern Europe.
SEK 4.9 million from the Swedish Research Council for new research project on defence willingness
Defence willingness is a concept frequently highlighted as crucial to total defence, yet it still lacks clear definitions. A new research project at the Swedish Defence University has now been awarded SEK 4.9 million from the Swedish Research Council to examine what defence willingness actually is, how it can be measured, and which factors influence it.
SEK 4.8 million for research on women’s role in Sweden’s and Finland’s wartime preparedness
The research project Women’s Organisations in Sweden’s and Finland’s Wartime Preparedness has been awarded SEK 4,847,000 in research funding from the Swedish Research Council.
AI reshapes international water diplomacy
A new study shows that artificial intelligence (AI) has the power to both improve and undermine international water negotiations.
The war in Ukraine severely impacts children’s health
Children in Ukraine are particularly hard hit by the consequences of the war. A new study, published in Nature Communications Medicine , shows that children’s access to healthcare has deteriorated sharply since the Russian invasion began in 2022, and that their physical, psychological and social health has been profoundly affected.
How smaller states can create operational depth without extensive resources
What does depth mean in military operations, and how can it be applied when physical space is limited? In his doctoral thesis, Anders Ekholm develops a new way of thinking about operational depth, one that focuses on problem-solving, creativity and adaptation rather than geography.
Why soldiers stick together in battle
How do soldiers manage to cooperate and make decisions in the chaos of the battlefield? A new doctoral thesis from the Swedish Defence University takes the soldiers’ own stories as its starting point and challenges previous research on combat cohesion.