Studie „Reputation&Trust Defence 2025“: Nordische Verteidigungsunternehmen punkten bei Innovation, hinken jedoch bei der Unternehmensführung hinterher

17.06.202522.04.2026

Defence industry companies operating in the Nordic region generally have a moderate or good reputation among the general public, according to the Reputation&Trust study conducted in Sweden, Norway, and Finland. Among the different dimensions of reputation measured, the industry scores highest in Financial Performance and Innovation, while Governance receives the lowest ratings.

The Reputation&Trust Defence 2025 study assessed the reputation of defence industry organizations operating in Finland (9 organizations), Norway (5), and Sweden (9). Public ratings were collected on a scale from 1 to 5 and used to calculate average scores. These averages were interpreted as follows: excellent ≥ 4.00, good = 3.50–3.99, moderate = 3.00–3.49, poor < 3.00, and very poor <2.5.

Overall reputation of defence industry in general is at a good level in Finland (average rating: 3.56) and Norway (3.59), and at a moderate level in Sweden (3.44). Among the dimensions of reputation evaluated, the industry received its highest scores in Financial Performance (3.79 in Finland, 3.91 in Norway, 3.71 in Sweden) and Innovation (3.66 in Finland, 3.86 in Norway, 3.76 in Sweden).

**The study examined the overall reputation of the defence industry in general among Finns, Swedes, and Norwegians.** The figures in the graph have been rounded to two decimal places.

“The study reflects the importance Nordic citizens place on defence during a time of rising geopolitical tensions – not only defence in general, but the defence industry as well. The results across the three countries are remarkably similar, with Sweden standing out slightly with somewhat lower scores,” says Riku Ruokolahti, Development Director at Reputation and Trust Analytics.

Lowest scores for Governance

While most dimensions for the defence industry fall within the good range (above 3.50), the lowest scores were recorded in the Governance category. In Finland, the rating was 3.21 and in Norway, 3.09 – both considered fair – while Sweden scored 2.99, classified as poor.

“The Governance dimension measures whether the public views the industry as open, transparent, and fair in its business practices. The relatively low scores likely reflect the perception of the industry as traditionally secretive and uncommunicative,” Ruokolahti explains.

Wie wir die Untersuchung durchgeführt haben

The aim of the Reputation&Trust Defence 2025 study was to examine the reputation of defence companies operating in the Nordic countries among the residents of these countries. In addition, the study examined the general reputation of the industry. The data collection for the study was carried out through an electronic questionnaire from February 24 to March 24, 2025, in Sweden, from February 26 to March 24, 2025, in Norway, and from February 24 to March 17, 2025, in Finland (excluding Åland).

Die Organisationen wurden anhand des Forschungsmodells „Reputation&Trust“ von Reputation and Trust Analytics bewertet, bei dem sich der Reputationswert einer Organisation aus dem Durchschnitt von acht verschiedenen Dimensionen ergibt. Diese Bereiche sind Unternehmensführung, finanzielle Leistung, Führung, Innovation, Dialog, Produkte und Dienstleistungen, Arbeitsumfeld sowie Verantwortung. Die Studie verwendete eine fünfstufige Bewertungsskala (1–5).

An der Studie nahmen 3.162 Schweden, 2.427 Norweger und 3.037 Finnen teil. Die Zielgruppe bildeten Bürger im Alter von 15 bis 65 Jahren. Die Stichproben wurden gewichtet, um die Bevölkerung jedes Landes hinsichtlich Geschlecht, Alter und Region repräsentativ abzubilden.