Launch of Nordic collaboration on security and resilience

Rectors Helge Thorbjørnsen (NHH) and Lars Strannegård (SSE) sign the agreement. Representing NHH, Katarina Kaarbøe, Alexander Lundervold, Dan-Richard Knudsen and Geir Mikalsen also took part when representatives from the two centres met in Stockholm.
Rectors Helge Thorbjørnsen (NHH) and Lars Strannegård (SSE) sign the agreement. Representing NHH, Katarina Kaarbøe, Alexander Lundervold, Dan-Richard Knudsen and Geir Mikalsen also took part when representatives from the two centres met in Stockholm.
By Geir Mikalsen

21 April 2026 15:51

Launch of Nordic collaboration on security and resilience

Two of the Nordic region’s leading business schools, NHH and SSE, have joined forces to launch a pioneering collaboration on security and resilience.

The initiative responds to a rapidly changing geopolitical landscape, where European democracies are facing increased security pressures, growing defence investments, and heightened demands for efficiency, transparency, and democratic accountability.

Based on solid knowledge

To contribute to the increasing demand for knowledge and competence in the fields of security and resilience, the Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) and the Stockholm School of Economics (SSE) have entered into a new strategic collaboration.

`In times of geopolitical uncertainty, it is crucial that investments in security and preparedness are governed responsibly and based on solid knowledge,´ says Helge Thorbjørnsen, Rector of NHH.

`This collaboration with SSE strengthens NHH’s contribution to an area of growing strategic importance for Norway and the Nordic region.´

Partners: Norwegian School of Economics (NHH) and Stockholm School of Economics (SSE)

Academic environments: Security and Resilience Initiative at NHH and Center for Security and Resilience at SSE

Agreement: Four-year Letter of Intent signed in Stockholm shortly before Easter 2026

Key thematic areas:

  • Management control in security and defence contexts
  • Cross-sector collaboration and innovation
  • Geopolitics, economics, and societal resilience

Activities: Joint research projects, applications for external funding, academic publications, and executive education for decision-makers in the public and private sectors

Rapidly expanding

While SSE established its Center for Security and Resilience last year, NHH is now in the early phase of building up its Security and Resilience Initiative. The partnership brings together a more established Swedish research environment with a rapidly expanding Norwegian initiative, creating a strong platform for joint development across research, education, and executive training.

`This partnership reinforces SSE’s role in addressing complex societal challenges through research, education, and collaboration across the Nordic region,´ says Lars Strannegård, President of Stockholm School of Economics.

At SSE, the Center for Security and Resilience serves as a neutral, interdisciplinary platform bringing together academia, government, business, and civil society. The collaboration with NHH reinforces the Nordic dimension of the centre’s work and supports joint ambitions at both national and European levels.

Not only about military capacity,

Professor Katarina Kaarbøe, Director of the Security and Resilience Initiative at NHH, highlights the importance of connecting academic insight with real-world challenges:

`Security and resilience are not only about military capacity, but about how societies, businesses, public institutions, and leaders organise, govern, and collaborate under uncertainty. By combining the strengths of NHH and SSE, we aim to develop research that is both academically robust and highly relevant to policymakers and practitioners.´

The initiative was formalised through a Letter of Intent signed shortly before Easter and reflects a shared ambition to develop knowledge that supports democratic societies in an increasingly volatile security environment.

The agreement lays the foundation for long-term cooperation and joint applications for external funding, with a clear ambition to contribute knowledge that strengthens preparedness, governance, and resilience across the Nordic region.