A mutual commitment? The state, the K-companies and the Swedish economic defense 1962–2002

The project examines the so-called K-companies - the crisis- and war-important companies - in the construction and decommissioning of economic defense during the period 1962–2002.

The K-companies in 5 counties (Värmland, Örebro, Kopparberg, Jönköping and Västerbotten) and their interaction with the state authorities at different levels that were responsible for economic defense will be studied.

A central factor behind the economic defense was the ability of the actors to balance the K-companies´ situation in peacetime with the overall demands placed on economic defense.

The structure of economic defense is described as a continuous negotiation between the K-companies and the state, where the K-companies´ at different levels.

The project contributes knowledge that is relevant as it highlights problems that today´s politicians and decision-makers must take into account in order to be able to create a sustainable crisis supply in the future.

Experience from the Covid 19 pandemic shows that there has been a weak awareness how social change in recent decades shaped the conditions bringing Sweden previously having one of the world´s strongest civil defenses.

We will highlight the interaction between the private and the public sector and the integration of the business community into the economic defense.

Further, new economic-historical knowledge about the relations between government and business in Sweden will be developed from an international perspective.