Sweden’s NATO membership and the deteriorating security situation are placing greater demands on a robust total defence and interoperable health and medical care capabilities. The new agreement will enable the two organizations to coordinate the development of their expertise and capabilities.
The agreement covers education, joint exercises, research and commissioned research in the health sciences, among other areas. By bringing leading academic expertise into closer collaboration with the Swedish Armed Forces, the agreement will help strengthen the resilience and preparedness of Sweden’s health and medical care system.
A solid framework for collaboration
The agreement is designed to facilitate long-term collaboration while allowing new areas of cooperation to be added over time.
“Building resilience in healthcare requires civilian and military expertise to come together. This agreement gives us a solid framework for jointly developing research, education and exercises all the way from peacetime to crisis and conflict. It is an important step for both academia and Swedish society,” says Jenny Nyström, Professor and Dean of Sahlgrenska Academy.
New demands on preparedness
“Through this collaboration with Sahlgrenska Academy, we are laying an important foundation for strengthening the health and medical care capabilities of Sweden’s total defence. The security situation requires us to coordinate our skills development and research to build robust resilience across the full spectrum of situations. This is also essential if we are to operate effectively as a NATO Ally,” says Filip Scheynius, Commanding Officer of the Armed Forces Centre for Defence Medicine.
The agreement was developed by a steering group comprising Lieutenant Colonel Magnus Blimark, Associate Professor Fabian Taube, Professor Anders Jonsson and Lieutenant Colonel Johan Linders, all from the Armed Forces Centre for Defence Medicine, as well as Professors Magnus Simrén, Mats Brännström and Gudmundur Johannsson from Sahlgrenska Academy at the University of Gothenburg.
