Meeting with the Minister for Civil Defense Carl-Oskar Bohlin

One of the messages to the Minister for Civil Defense Carl-Oskar Bohlin from TechSverige was that both collaboration and the right skills are needed to meet information and cyber security threats.

TechSweden's Chairman of the Board, CEO and President of Knowit Per Wallentin, Association Director Åsa Zetterberg and industry policy expert Fredrik Sand met with the Minister at the Ministry of Defense last week. The main topics discussed were information security policy and how Sweden can meet cyber threats. Per Wallentin described what companies and markets contribute and what challenges they face. However, without a solution to the skills shortage, it will be difficult to implement the rules and requirements that are now coming from both the EU and nationally, Åsa Zetterberg pointed out. 

Minister Bohlin chairs a cross-sectoral business council for total defense issues in which TechSverige participates through Almega. TechSverige noted that both the Swedish Armed Forces and NATO have requirements for both telecommunications and IT systems. This means that the members of TechSverige have an important role in the continued work on these issues within the framework of the Council and in the broader total defense planning. Åsa Zetterberg was clear that TechSverige and its members can and want to contribute to the work. 

MSB has an important role to play in cyber security, and there are great expectations of the National Cyber Security Center from the business community. Collaboration and skills provision are therefore needed to manage cybersecurity - both for everyday operational security and for threats from organized crime and foreign powers.

With good market solutions, Sweden can become an even stronger global tech leader, both generally and in relation to information and cyber security. Of course, the minister received a copy of the report A tech agenda for Sweden with 37 important proposals for a world-leading tech industry in Sweden that the government can be inspired by during the mandate period.