Reputation & Trust Defence 2025 Study: Nordic defense companies score high on innovation but lag in governance
Defense industry companies operating in the Nordic region generally enjoy a moderate or good reputation among the general public, according to the Reputation & Trust study conducted in Sweden, Norway, and Finland. Among the various aspects 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.
The overall reputation of the defense industry is generally good in Finland (average rating: 3.56) and Norway (3.59), and moderate 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 reflects the importance Nordic citizens place on defense at a time of rising geopolitical tensions—not only defense in general, but the defense 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 indicators for the defense 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.
How we conducted the research
The aim of the Reputation & Trust Defence 2025 study was to examine the reputation of defense companies operating in the Nordic countries among the residents of those countries. In addition, the study examined the general reputation of the industry. Data collection for the study was conducted via an online survey 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).
Organizations were evaluated using Reputation and Trust Analytics’ Reputation&Trust research model, in which the organization’s reputation score is calculated as the average of eight different dimensions. These areas are corporate governance, financial performance, leadership, innovation, dialogue, products & services, workplace, and responsibility. The study used a five-point rating scale (1–5).
The study included 3,162 Swedes, 2,427 Norwegians, and 3,037 Finns. The target group consisted of citizens aged 15–65. The samples were weighted to be representative of the population of each country in terms of gender, age, and region.
For more information
Riku Ruokolahti
Development Director, Reputation and Trust Analytics
riku.ruokolahti@t-media.fi
+358 400 512 200
