Defense is not going anywhere. Even if the war in Ukraine ended tomorrow, the trend of increasing defense investment and innovation will continue for at least the next ten years.
This was the clear message from Marko J. Koski, Operations & Partnerships at EnergySpin, as he opened the fireside chat on dual-use technology and defense at EnergyWeek 2025. “The question now is how we finance solutions and build new things,” he stated.
With the defense market booming, there is increasing space for civilian companies to play a role in security and resilience. Moderated by Kirsi Kokko, Head of Defense and Digital Resilience at Business Finland, the discussion also featured Sauli Eloranta, Vice President of Defense at VTT, and Kristian Tornivaara, Managing Director at Saab Finland. Together, they mapped out what is changing in defense, how new players can enter, and why the energy sector has an untapped opportunity in military applications.
New defense: From government-run to startup-driven
For a long time, defense innovation was a closed world, strictly government-run with little room for outsiders. That is no longer the case. Sauli Eloranta explained how the concept of new defense has taken hold in Finland, where civilian companies and startups are increasingly becoming key players.
“Look at space technology. It used to be entirely state-controlled, but now commercial companies are leading the way. The same thing is happening in defense,” Eloranta noted.
Hundreds of startups are now looking at the defense market. New funding schemes are emerging to make it easier, and there is now a clear path to access opportunities that once seemed out of reach. But getting accepted for military use is not the same as launching a standard tech product.
“People upstairs have a fluffy view,” Eloranta said, referring to decision-makers. “But how to actually get accepted for military use—that’s a special kind of knowledge. Many have a vague idea of the military sector, but in defense, you have to prove everything in a way that is different from other tech sectors.”
Still, the opportunity is massive. “Every energy solution I see here today could qualify for defense use. But It’s all about network and it takes time.
Every energy solution I see here today could qualify for defense use.
The defense market is shifting towards collaboration, particularly in exports. “The cake is always growing when you take on partners. The more players the better,” Eloranta emphasized.
Energy’s role in defense: The overlooked opportunity
Defense and energy go hand in hand. Soldiers today carry multiple devices that consume energy, creating an urgent need for new ways to generate, store, and transport power on the battlefield. Tornivaara raised a key question:
“Where does that energy come from?”
At the front, could it come from multiple sources and techniques? Could hybrid systems, renewables, or decentralized microgrids play a role? This is an area where the civilian sector—especially energy companies—could step in immediately.
“Any company in the energy business could do such a thing. No need to reach for the stars,” Eloranta added.
Yet, many companies fail to see defense as a business opportunity. Too often, energy is treated as a compliance issue rather than a strategic advantage. But as Eloranta pointed out, even soldiers think about sustainability now. The need for portable, efficient, and resilient energy solutions is becoming critical, and companies that develop them could tap into both the civilian and defense markets at the same time.
“Remote surgery, mobile power, energy storage—these are solutions you already have. The challenge is not selling something new, but understanding how to apply what you already do,” Eloranta explained.
The network is everything
The path into defense is not about flashy pitches or one-off deals—it’s about networks and trust.
Tornivaara, who once ran a defense startup before joining Saab, shared his experience:
“When I started, it wasn’t cool to have a defense startup. It was impossible. How do we operate? How do we act? The customer spends five years just writing their requirements. It’s nothing like the tech world.”
He pointed out that even for a company as big as Saab, it takes years just to network into the right circles. But something fundamental has changed:
“Innovation is not struggling for money anymore. It’s the other way around—there is money looking for innovation.”
And when it comes to selling to the military, Tornivaara was clear: “Armed forces in Ukraine buy what is working. It doesn’t have to be green. They don’t care about the color.”
Lessons from other countries
When asked what Finland could learn from others, the panelists pointed to three key examples.
In Norway, the government publishes a 12-year defense plan that any company can download. This level of transparency helps businesses align their innovations with real needs—a stark contrast to Finland, where such information is classified and companies struggle to understand what their military customers actually require.
In Estonia, the approach is different. Companies move fast, iterate quickly, and test openly.
“From Estonia, we can learn their spirit and drive. From Norway, their self-confidence,” said Eloranta. “We, on the other hand, are an engineering nation. We want to have everything in place first. But we should shoot more from the hip. Take risks. Be proactive.”
And then there’s Ukraine, where necessity has driven incredibly fast defense development.
“In Ukraine, whatever you can take in your hands, you develop and try. Development is fast,” Eloranta explained. “Whatever happens in Ukraine, we need to be prepared for a new generation of products.”
How to ramp up? A political and business question
Kirsi Kokko posed an essential question: “How do we ramp up these solutions?”
Tornivaara was clear that large-scale solutions must be solved at a political level, but on the systems and subsystems side, companies can already do a lot.
“Be brave about it. The way forward is a product-based business model—not project-based, where the customer dictates everything. Trust and build on the product,” he advised.
Customers are also changing.
“They are starting to buy the best available product,” Tornivaara noted.
Defense is not just military—It’s national resilience
Even for companies not directly entering the defense sector, there is still a role to play.
“Even if you don’t go into defense, you can add to national resilience by reducing reliance on big nations or imports,” said Eloranta. “Defense is not just military—it’s “totalförsvar” (total defense).
The panel made one thing clear: dual-use technology is no longer a niche—it’s a growing market with massive potential.
For companies in energy, digital resilience, and mobility, the opportunity to work in both civilian and defense sectors has never been greater.
While the procurement process can be slow and complex, companies that build strong networks, understand military requirements, and develop scalable products will be in the best position to navigate this evolving landscape.
With its engineering expertise and advanced energy sector, Finland has the foundation to play a key role in dual-use innovation. As defense and energy markets continue to overlap, the coming years will show which companies are ready to adapt and contribute to this shift.
