Säkerhets- och försvarsföretagen

What Säkerhets- och försvarsföretagen does

Säkerhets- och försvarsföretagen (SOFF), founded in 1986 and headquartered in Stockholm, is the national trade association for companies operating in Sweden's security and defence sector. It represents over 400 member companies — including more than 175 small and medium enterprises — which collectively employ nearly 30,000 people and account for approximately 100 billion SEK in annual turnover. SOFF is formally designated by the Swedish government as the national industry contact for NATO and holds a seat on the NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG) board; it is also a member of the European aerospace and defence association ASD.

SOFF's core activity is policy advocacy, industry coordination, and market facilitation on behalf of its members. It organises more than 10 major conferences, 30 events, and 60 member committee meetings annually, including Försvarsförtagsdagarna, Swedish Security Forum, Cyberförsvarsdagen, and Connecting Northern Defence Industries. Member committees cover fourteen thematic areas including cyber defence, defence, societal security, civil defence, space, military supply, and USA relations. SOFF coordinates Swedish participation at international defence exhibitions (DSEI, AUSA, SecD-Day), operates the SOFF-Portal for member business opportunities, and runs the Malware Information Sharing Platform (MISP) for cyber threat intelligence sharing among members and authorities. Strategic partners include Baker McKenzie, Mannheimer Swartling, Florenius & Co, AIMS International Sweden, Svensk Försvarskompetens, Diplomat Communications, and Rud Pedersen Public Affairs.

SOFF generates revenue through recurring membership dues on a subscription basis, with tiering implied by company size; it does not publicly disclose fee schedules. It is governed as an independent non-profit owned by its member companies, with a board drawn from major Swedish defence firms and a kansli (secretariat) of 11–50 staff led by Secretary General Robert Limmergård. The association's strategic posture is anchored to Sweden's post-2022 NATO membership and the broader build-out of European defence industrial capacity.

Name

Säkerhets- och försvarsföretagen

Legal name

Säkerhets- och försvarsföretagen

Website

https://soff.se

Company type

Private

Founded year

1986

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SOFF is Sweden's national trade association for the security and defence industry, representing over 400 member companies with combined turnover of approximately 100 billion SEK and serving as the designated national industry contact for NATO.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Defense Industry Trade Association

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Security Training & Compliance (Guard Training, SOPs, Drills) (BPABAMAN)

Keywords

• Defense industry association
• Trade association services
• Policy advocacy
• Industry networking events
• Defense market access

Headquarters

HQ city

Stockholm

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: SOFF generates revenue through annual membership fees paid by member companies. Membership provides access to networking, industry insights, policy advocacy, SOFF-Portal business opportunities, member committee participation, and representation in dialogues with government agencies and international bodies.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Säkerhets- och försvarsföretagen (SOFF) is a Swedish trade association for businesses operating in the security and defence sectors. It represents over 400 member companies by providing policy advocacy, market access support, industry networking through member committees, and organizing more than 10 major conferences, 30 events, and 60 member committee meetings annually. The association serves as the unified voice of the Swedish security and defence industry in dialogue with government agencies, NATO, and the EU.

Product overview

Säkerhets- och försvarsföretagen (SOFF) is a trade organization for companies within cyber defence, civil security, and defence sectors in Sweden. The organization does not offer products as a company but facilitates networking, industry knowledge sharing, and partnerships. SOFF provides members with access to the SOFF-Portal for business opportunities, organizes over 10 conferences, 30 events, and 60 member committee meetings annually. The organization connects actors within defence and societal security, and facilitates international collaboration including NATO and European Defence Fund projects. SOFF operates member committees focused on areas including Cyber Defence, Defence, Military Supply, Civil Defence, Societal Security, Space, Border and Customs, Maritime and Coast, Crisis Management, Emergency Services, Law Enforcement, Critical Infrastructure, and Other Societal Security. The organization also operates a Malware Information Sharing Platform (MISP) for threat information sharing among members and authorities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SOFF Trade Association Membership Annual paid membership in the Swedish Security and Defence Industry Association providing companies with access to networking, industry insights, policy advocacy, SOFF-Portal business opportunities, member committee participation, and representation in dialogues with government agencies and international bodies.
• Försvarsföretagsdagarna (Defense Industry Days) Major annual conference organized by SOFF connecting member companies with Swedish government decision-makers and defence procurement authorities.
• Swedish Security Forum Major annual forum organized by SOFF bringing together security and defence stakeholders for policy dialogue and industry coordination.
• Cyberförsvarsdagen (Cyber Defence Day) Annual conference dedicated to cyber defence topics, organized by SOFF's Cyber Defence Group with over 80 member companies.
• Connecting Northern Defence Industries Annual conference series co-organized by SOFF together with sister associations ADS (UK), PIA (Finland), and FOS (Finland), with the 2026 edition held in London, supported by the defence ministries of the UK, Finland, and Denmark.
• Anti-corruption Training Course
• SOFF-Portal Member-exclusive business opportunity portal providing self-service access to market intelligence, business leads, and industry updates for member companies.
• Malware Information Sharing Platform (MISP) Cyber threat information sharing platform originally developed within NATO's Smart Defence project, used by SOFF members and authorities to share threat intelligence.

Quantifiable outcome

• SOFF represents over 400 member companies with combined annual turnover of approximately 100 billion SEK
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• National Defence Industry Association (NDIA)coreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2009In 2009, SOFF signed a cooperation agreement with NDIA, the US defence industry association, aimed at strengthening trade and technology exchange between Swedish and American defence companies. NDIA represents US defence industry interests and organizes major events including AUSA.
• Baker McKenziecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBaker McKenzie is a strategic partner providing legal advisory services to SOFF members within areas including export control, sanctions, supply chains, M&A, IP and data protection, labour law, ESG and sustainability, cybersecurity, and capital markets and financing. Baker McKenzie has approximately 13,500 employees in 74 offices across 45 countries.
• Mannheimer SwartlingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMannheimer Swartling is a leading Swedish law firm with global presence and extensive experience in all legal areas relevant to the security and defence sector. They provide SOFF members with access to comprehensive legal services across all practice areas.
• Florenius & CocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlorenius & Co is Sweden's only law firm with a primary focus on the defence and security market. With over 20 years of industry experience, they navigate legal and commercial aspects including technical innovation, export control, contract law, and Swedish and American procurement regulations.
• Diplomat CommunicationssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiplomat Communications is a strategic communications advisor in Sweden helping companies build trustworthy relationships, drive change internally and externally, and prevent and manage business risks. They offer services including political process analysis, stakeholder identification, influence and communications strategies, and media management.
• Rud Pedersen Public AffairssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerRud Pedersen is a communications firm specializing in public affairs and strategic communication, helping clients navigate complex public decision-making processes. With approximately 600 employees across Europe including Brussels and NATO's headquarters, they support defence companies through all stages of procurement.
• AIMS International SwedensecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerAIMS International offers customized solutions in executive search, board services, and talent management worldwide. As a locally owned partner firm in Sweden, they provide deep expertise in identifying and developing leaders and critical specialists for the defence sector.
• Svensk FörsvarskompetenssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerWith 20 years of experience in niche recruitment, Svensk Försvarskompetens specializes exclusively in matching competence to the unique needs of the defence sector, identifying talent from other fields that can be effectively retrained for defence industry roles.
• ASD (AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOFF is a member of ASD, the European aerospace and defence industry association. Through ASD, SOFF connects member companies to European Defence Fund projects, ASD Connect platform for the European defence ecosystem, and broader European defence industry initiatives. SOFF co-organizes events with sister associations ADS, PIA, and FOS.
• ADS (UK), PIA (Finland), FOS (Finland)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOFF cooperates with sister associations ADS (UK), PIA, and FOS (Finland) to co-organize the 'Connecting Northern Defence Industries' conference series, with the 2026 edition held in London, supported by the defence ministries of the UK, Finland, and Denmark.
• NATOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOFF is designated by the Swedish government to represent Sweden in NATO's NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG) board. SOFF serves as the national industry contact for NATO, facilitating member company access to NATO procurement databases and cooperation opportunities. The Malware Information Sharing Platform (MISP) was developed within NATO's Smart Defence project.
• MSB (Myndigheten för samhällsskydd och beredskap)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOFF maintains a continuous dialogue with MSB and other public actors on cyber defence, societal security, and civil defence matters. SOFF participates in public consultation processes and develops joint guidance documents with MSB.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD): Pan-European aerospace and defence industry association of which SOFF is a member. Provides SOFF and its members access to European Defence Fund projects and the ASD Connect platform, operating as the broader incumbent that SOFF plugs into at the EU level.

Direct peers

• ADS Group: UK Aerospace, Defence and Security trade association and confirmed SOFF sister association. Both represent national defence/security industries with overlapping member services (policy advocacy, market access, events) and co-organize the Connecting Northern Defence Industries conference series.
• National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA): US defence industry trade association and confirmed SOFF partner via a 2009 cooperation agreement. NDIA organises major US defence events (including AUSA) and represents American defence industry interests, mirroring SOFF's role for Sweden.

Regional players

• AIAD: Italian aerospace, defence and security industries federation representing Italian defence firms with comparable trade association services. Functions similarly to SOFF in representing national industry interests and coordinating with NATO/EU institutions.
• GICAT: French land defence and security industry association representing French defence/security companies with similar trade association services (policy advocacy, market access, events). Comparable to SOFF in structure and mission but serving France.
• NIDV: Dutch industry association for defence and security, connecting Dutch defence companies with government and NATO opportunities. Comparable trade association structure with similar policy advocacy, market access facilitation, and member committee focus areas.
• BDLI (Bundesverband der Deutschen Luft- und Raumfahrtindustrie): German aerospace and defence industry association representing German defence and security companies. Comparable in scope (aerospace + defence + security) and operates as the primary industry voice to the German government, mirroring SOFF's role in Sweden.
• Forsvars- og sikkerhetsindustriens forening (FSi): Norwegian defence and security industry association representing Norwegian defence companies with policy advocacy, market access support, and NATO coordination - functionally equivalent to SOFF but serving the Norwegian market.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SOFF_SE
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/s%C3%A4kerhets--och-f%C3%B6rsvarsf%C3%B6retagen-soff-?trk=company_name
• Instagraminstagram.com/soff_se
• Facebookfacebook.com/SOFF.Sweden

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Säkerhets- och försvarsföretagen