“What started with one product has now evolved into a full product family,” says Kristian Tornivaara, Managing Director of Saab Finland. “We’ve built a unit dedicated to its development, and we’ve opened a production facility for serial manufacturing and international deliveries.”

One of the STC’s flagship innovations is the Sirius Compact, a passive radar detector that provides silent situational awareness. Designed and manufactured entirely in Finland, it’s roughly the size of a milk carton and weighs just a few kilos, transforming EW systems that traditionally required heavy, strategic-level infrastructure.

Why Finland?

Finland’s deep tech talent, particularly in radio frequencies and mobile technologies, was a significant draw for Saab. “From the old Nokia heritage, we had a lot of talent in the Tampere region,” explains Kimmo Aura, Senior Advisor at Invest in Finland. “Saab is an excellent example of a company coming to Finland and starting an R&D center from scratch.”

The Nordic country’s political stability, low corporate tax, and affordable energy also make it an attractive base for all types of companies. “We have this unique concept of complete security across civilian and defense sectors,” Aura adds. “Due to our arctic conditions, if a product works here, it will work anywhere in the world.”

“Business Finland’s support has allowed us to turn research into capable and effective products that improve everyone’s security and safety.” – Kristian Tornivaara, Managing Director of Saab Finland

The STC’s journey has been closely supported by Business Finland, beginning with a modest grant in 2018/2019 that proved pivotal. “The first project wasn’t large in terms of funding, but it did expedite Saab’s R&D capabilities,” says Tuomas Haapaniemi, Senior Advisor at Business Finland. “The results are now materializing in business.”

Since then, Saab has launched 10 different projects with a total of €4.3 million in funding. “Business Finland’s support has allowed us to turn research into capable and effective products that improve everyone’s security and safety,” Tornivaara emphasizes.

Importantly, Saab made sure that the Intellectual Property Management (IPM) tied to its EW innovations remains in Finland. While not a strict legal requirement under Business Finland’s funding framework, the localization of IP was a strategic and significant move. “Because Finnish taxpayer money supported the development, we were able to argue that the IPM should stay in Finland and under Saab Finland Oy,” explains Tornivaara.

Strategic partnership and innovation

Saab’s presence in Finland goes far beyond traditional R&D outsourcing. “They’re an active ecosystem partner,” Haapaniemi notes. Saab has integrated deeply into Finland’s research landscape, particularly through its strategic partnership with Aalto University, located near Helsinki.

In 2017, Saab invested €20 million into a doctoral research program focused on sensors and radar systems. Earlier this year, the partnership was renewed with a minimum investment of €10 million, covering the period 2027-2036. “It’s a great example of cooperation between universities, research centers, and commercial companies,” Aura says.

Kristian Tornivaara, Managing Director of Saab Finland. Photo: Saab Finland

Many doctoral students from the program have gone on to join Saab, creating a strong pipeline of talent and innovation. “Innovation is the key to success, and the reason behind our continued funding,” Tornivaara adds, pointing to future focus areas including antenna technologies, microelectronics, signal systems, AI, and hydroacoustics.

Trusted at home, respected abroad

While Saab’s target audience is international, its reputation in Finland is a point of pride. “We are trusted in Finland,” Tornivaara emphasizes. “The Finnish Defence Forces and other authorities rely on our products. Finland has a strong brand in the defense sector, and we’re proud to be one of its leading actors.”

Saab’s success story is a compelling case for international investors considering Finland. “We have great competencies in various technology areas that can be used in many sectors, like defense ,” Haapaniemi says.

With defense spending rising across Europe and globally, Finland is emerging as a strategic base for R&D and production. “The defense industry is growing at a nice pace in Finland,” Aura notes. “Foreign companies are increasingly looking to Finland as a base for innovation.”

Boldly looking ahead

Saab Finland’s vision is bold: by 2028, it aims to be one of Finland’s leading exporters of defense products and solutions. 

“Foreign companies are increasingly looking to Finland as a base for innovation.” – Kimmo Aura, Senior Advisor, Invest in Finland

With Europe set to significantly increase its investments in defense capabilities, demand for cost-effective, adaptable solutions is growing rapidly. Saab’s unique portfolio of compact products is in the sweet spot of such procurements, and with the support of strong Finnish–Swedish cooperation and growing Nordic integration, the company is well-positioned to achieve that goal.

“Finland has been a good, balanced, and experienced place to establish operations,” Tornivaara concludes. “There’s courage here to introduce new tech, explore new business models, and keep going. That’s why we’re here.”