Swedish Defence Research Agency

2021-11-27T21:50:52Z

83.250.32.236: Removed strange, inaccurate of logotype. Actual logotype seen here: https://www.foi.se/images/18.6b6fc4521690ffa2022356/1551347670066/foi_logo_svg.svg

'''Swedish Defence Research Agency''' ({{lang-sv|Totalförsvarets forskningsinstitut}}, FOI; literal translation: ''Total Defence Research Institute'') is a [[Government agencies in Sweden|government agency in Sweden]] for [[Defense (military)|defence]] [[research]].<ref>{{Cite journal|last=Bertilsson|first=Fredrik|date=2021|title=The Swedish Defence Research Establishment (FOA) and the influence of historical knowledge on Swedish civil resistance policy|url=https://doi.org/10.1080/03468755.2021.1880474|journal=Scandinavian Journal of History|doi=10.1080/03468755.2021.1880474|issn=0346-8755|via=|doi-access=free}}</ref>

FOI has its headquarters in [[Kista]] ([[Stockholm]]). Other FOI offices or research centres are located in [[Grindsjön]], [[Linköping]], and [[Umeå]].

==History==
FOI was created in 2001 by combining the [[Swedish National Defence Research Institute]] (FOA) with the [[National Aeronautical Research Institute]] (FFA). The first of these agencies, FFA, had been created in 1940 in [[Bromma]], Stockholm as a governmental research institute for the Swedish aviation industry, large parts of which were devoted to military [[aircraft]]. The second, FOA, had been created in 1945 from three existing organisations:
* The Swedish Armed Forces Chemical Institute (''Försvarsväsendets kemiska anstalt'', FKA), a government agency created in 1937 and located in [[Ursvik]], [[Sundbyberg Municipality]]. FKA had predecessors in [[chemical warfare]] and chemical warfare protection activities conducted at [[Lund university]] from 1926 and [[Uppsala university]] from 1928.
* The [[Military Physics Institute]] (''Militärfysiska institutet'', MFI), a collaboration organisation between the Swedish universities' physics departments started in 1941 as an initiative to put modern physical knowledge at the disposal of Sweden's defence during [[World War II]].
* A section of the Swedish Board of Inventions (''Statens uppfinnarnämnd'', SUN) concerned with [[radar]] experiments, created in 1942.

Soon after FOA's creation in 1945, the organisation was tasked with investigating the novel invention of [[nuclear weapons]]. This included protection activities and investigations, but also preparations for a possible [[Swedish nuclear weapon program]]. In the 1950s and 1960s, nuclear research constituted a considerable part of FOA's activities. After Sweden signed the [[Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty]] in 1968, the remaining nuclear development activities were dismantled, and only protection research remained in the nuclear area.

Initially, all FOA activities were located in the Stockholm region, but in the 1970s some parts were relocated to [[Karlstad]], Linköping, and Umeå. In 2005, several of FOI's activities in the Stockholm region were consolidated at a common location in Kista.

When FOI was created in 2001 from FOA and FFA, the number of employees stood at around 1,300. In the early 2000s, activities at FOI were scaled back as a cost-saving measure. In 2007, the number of employees had been reduced to around 1,000, where it has remained.

==FOI funding and staff==

The institute is organised under the Swedish [[Ministry of Defence (Sweden)|Ministry of Defence]], which provides a large part of its budget. FOI also receives funding from other Swedish government institutions and, to a lesser extent, from the EU. FOI also conducts research commissioned by private customers on commercial terms, including outside Sweden. In 2019, FOI had a budget of approximately 1.25 billion SEK.<ref>{{cite web |title=Årsredovisning 2019 |url=https://www.foi.se/download/18.46c3b221170ccb3336f122/1584974839280/FOI-Arsredovisning-2019-med-bilagor.pdf |website=Swedish Defence Research Agency}}</ref>

In 2019, FOI employed 983 people, including "scientists, social scientists, economists, legal practitioners, and philosophers". One third of employees were women. 39 percent of employees, excluding supporting staff, held doctoral degrees. The average age was 46 years old for both sexes.<ref>{{cite web |title=Årsredovisning 2019 |url=https://www.foi.se/download/18.46c3b221170ccb3336f122/1584974839280/FOI-Arsredovisning-2019-med-bilagor.pdf |website=Swedish Defence Research Agency}}</ref>

==FOI research areas==

The activities of FOI include [[research]], development of [[technology]], and [[analysis]], primarily for military defence, but also for [[Emergency management|civil emergencies]], [[natural disasters]], security, and other civilian applications. FOI also studies [[security policy]], [[Armed conflict|conflicts]], and [[international affairs]]. According to its website, FOI is organised into five sections, four of which engage in research and one that provides administrative support:<ref>{{cite web |title="About FOI" |url=https://www.foi.se/en/foi/about-foi/organization.html |website=FOI |accessdate=12 May 2020}}</ref>
* C4ISR: This section researches technologies and systems of [[command, control, communications]], [[computers]], [[Intelligence analysis|intelligence]], [[surveillance]] and [[reconnaissance]]. This includes [[radar]] and [[Optronics|optronic sensors]] as well as [[communication networks]], [[artificial intelligence]], [[information security]], etc.
* CBRN Defence and Security: This section studies the properties of [[chemical weapons|chemical]], [[biological weapons|biological]], [[Radiation weapon|radioactive]], and [[nuclear weapon|nuclear]] materials, as well as incidents and warfare involving such materials and how to protect against them.
* Defence and Security, Systems and Technology: This section researches issues related to technology and weaponry, including [[aeronautics]], [[Sonar|underwater sonars]], [[jet propulsion]], [[Missile|missile technology]], [[nuclear weapons]] and [[arms control]], [[ballistics|ballistic]] protection, etc.
* Defence Analysis: This section studies [[crisis management]], [[War|conflicts]], [[international security]], and [[strategy]], with research projects devoted to topics of a geographic ([[Russia]], [[Arctic]], [[Africa]], etc) or thematic ([[UN peacekeeping missions|international missions]], defence economy, etc) nature.
* Research Support and Administration: This section offers administration, leadership, and support for FOI's research divisions.

FOI reports are published online or in print, in Swedish and/or in English.<ref>{{cite web |title=Reports |url=https://www.foi.se/en/foi/reports.html |website=Swedish Defence Research Agency |accessdate=26 March 2020}}</ref>

==Directors-General==
[[File:FOI skylt 2014.jpg|thumb|Road sign near Grindsjön]]
*1 January 2001 – 30 August 2003: Bengt Anderberg (FOA director-general since 1994)
*1 September 2003 – 30 March 2009: Madelene Sandström
*1 April 2009 – 24 January 2019: Jan-Olof Lind
*25 January 2019 – 11 August 2019: Anna-Lena Österborg (temporary)
*12 August 2019–: Jens Mattsson

==See also==
*[[Government agencies in Sweden]]
*[[Swedish Defence University]]
*[[Defence Materiel Administration|Defence Materiel Administration (FMV)]]
*[[Project Simoom]]
*[[M90 (camouflage)|FOA camouflage]]
*[[Military Institute of Armament Technology]]
*[[Defence Technology Institute]]
*[[Defence Research and Development Organisation]]
*[[Rafael Advanced Defense Systems]]
*[[National Chung-Shan Institute of Science and Technology]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*[http://www.foi.se/ Official site]

{{Ministry of Defence (Sweden)}}

{{Authority control}}

[[Category:Government agencies of Sweden|Defence Research Agency]]
[[Category:Military research of Sweden]]
[[Category:Military research institutes]]
[[Category:Research institutes in Sweden]]
[[Category:Aviation research institutes]]
[[Category:2001 establishments in Sweden]]
[[Category:Government agencies established in 2001]]

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Swedish Defence Research Agency