MW Group

21/10/2026

What does it mean for a company like Kontregarde to be part of MW Group?

We asked Per Uddgårdh, CEO of our operating company Kontregarde, which designs, builds and supports training infrastructure and training programs for defence, police and security organisations across the Nordics.

"For us, being part of MW Group means we get to focus on what we do best: building training infrastructure while drawing on a much wider network than we could build on our own.

My board is a good example, including senior advisors from MW Group. Peter Bartram provides, besides deep knowledge from a NATO context, a valuable route into the Danish market, while other experts bring capabilities I wouldn’t otherwise have in areas such as real estate and other parts of the defence sector. The network also means Kontregarde gets mentioned in rooms it would have taken much longer to reach on our own.

Being part of a group of established operating companies broadens our capabilities and opens the door to larger tenders.

Ultimately, being part of MW Group allows Kontregarde to move with the speed and focus of a specialist company, while giving customers the confidence and backing of a much larger ecosystem."

Per Uddgårdh, CEO, Kontregarde - a part of MW Group

15/10/2026

Our operating company link 22, have just announced the appointment of a new board of directors. The board brings deep expertise in scaling technology and protecting national security and will support in the next phase of their growth journey.

Two new members join the board as of September 1st:

Gunnar F Cederlund; an experienced entrepreneur and investor in IT and technology. He co-founded Foxway, a leading provider of circular IT services, and has held senior roles across the industry, including Chief Information Officer at AFRY. His experience in scaling technology companies and packaging IT products will support link22's growth ambitions.

Gunnar Karlson is one of Sweden's most experienced experts in security and intelligence. As former head of the Swedish Military Intelligence and Security Service (MUST), he has overseen some of the country's most complex and protected operations. His insight into the values that link22's technology helps protect makes a significant contribution to the continued development of capabilities.

They join Conny Ljungqvist, CEO and founder, Fredrik Ekstrand, Chief Business Development Officer at MW Group and Göran Axeheim co-owner, on the board.

Welcome, Gunnar and Gunnar!

13/10/2026

Sweden is scaling up its defence capability faster than at any time in recent decades.

As defence spending rises and growing numbers of soldiers, units and reservists require training, one question is becoming increasingly urgent: who will build and maintain the facilities that make safe, realistic and repeatable training possible?

Kontregarde is part of the answer.

An operating company within MW Group, Kontregarde designs, builds and supports shooting and training infrastructure, as well as training programmes, for defence, police and security organisations across the Nordics. As well as providing individual products, the company delivers complete systems tailored to each customer's operational needs.

Built around three interconnected services – design, build and support – Kontregarde offers flexible delivery models that can be engaged individually or combined into a fully integrated solution. The company both owns and operates training facilities, providing training capacity as a service, while also delivering bespoke facilities that customers own and operate themselves. For customer-owned facilities, Kontregarde acts as a single point of contact from concept development through to long-term operation.

As training volumes increase across the Nordics, the infrastructure behind that training is becoming just as critical as the equipment personnel are preparing to operate.

Reach out to Per Uddgårdh, CEO of Kontregarde, to learn more.

09/10/2026

Sweden and the wider Nordic region are investing more in defence than at any point since the Cold War. But turning that ambition into real, everyday readiness requires more than new equipment. It needs training infrastructure that enables people to build, maintain and improve their capabilities.

Per Uddgårdh is CEO of our operating company Kontregarde, which designs, builds and supports shooting and training infrastructure, as well as training programmes for defence, police and security organisations across the Nordics. With nearly 20 years of combined experience in the construction industry and the Swedish Armed Forces' Engineer Corps, Per has spent his career on both sides of the same question: what does it take to deliver long term sustainable capability, not just promise it?

We asked him where he sees the biggest gap in Nordic total defence today.

"The gap isn't only about funding; it’s about leadership and the courage to move at the pace the changing threat environment demands.

The result is that resources flow overwhelmingly towards major procurement programmes - aircraft, submarines, armoured vehicles - while the training and readiness of the individual soldier risk being overlooked. But total defence capability starts with the individual. If a unit can't train and sustain that capability, it doesn't matter how advanced the equipment is: mental and physical readiness remains low.

That's the gap Kontregarde exists to close, by delivering training infrastructure in months rather than the years a traditional procurement process often takes."

Per Uddgårdh, CEO, Kontregarde - a part of MW Group

16/09/2026

What does it mean to be part of MW Group? Listen to Åsa Almesjö, CEO and co-founder of MW Strategy:

"For us, being part of MW Group means combining the agility of a specialised strategy consultancy with the strength of a broader ecosystem.

We work closely with the other operating companies in the Group, giving us access to complementary capabilities, shared knowledge and a strong network of senior specialists across defence, security and the public sector. This allows us to bring together the right expertise for each client and challenge.

It also gives us access to valuable relationships and perspectives from across the defence sector, helping us understand both today's needs and the broader developments shaping tomorrow's agenda.

At the same time, we remain a determined and entrepreneurial team. We move quickly, make decisions efficiently and combine strategic advice with practical ex*****on.

Ultimately, being part of MW Group means we can deliver the depth of a larger organisation while maintaining the speed and flexibility of a strategic advisory firm"

11/09/2026

Sweden is making its largest ever infrastructure and defence investments. Translating that into delivery requires people who have spent decades at the intersection of public procurement and private sector discipline, long before it was on the agenda.

Åsa Almesjö, CEO of MW Strategy, is one of the leading voices in this field in Sweden. Throughout her career, she has focused on one thing: helping organisations deliver infrastructure and projects that create long-term value for society. From FMV to KPMG, PA Consulting, WSP Advisory and now as CEO and co-founder of MW Strategy. As resilience and total defence have moved higher on Sweden's agenda, MW Strategy is founded on the idea to combine the experience from defence, infrastructure and strategic advisory to help build a strong and resilient society.
We asked her what it will actually take to close the gap between political ambition and what gets executed.
"I have spent over twenty years working at the intersection of defence and civil infrastructure. For much of that time, defence was viewed primarily as a military issue rather than a broader societal responsibility.

That has changed. Over the past decade, a shifting security environment has gradually reshaped how we think about defence. Today, it is widely recognised that national security depends on far more than military capability alone. It depends on the resilience of society as a whole.

The gap today is no longer lack of political ambition. Sweden has that. The gap is ex*****on. Knowing how to turn a complex public procurement into a successful project and ensuring it results in actual delivery, on time and on budget. How to bring the private sector in as a genuine partner, with the right financing model, the right risk allocation, and a structure that delivers value over the full lifecycle.

Every part of the total defence ecosystem has a role in closing that gap. At MW Strategy, strengthening Sweden's resilience and preparedness has been our focus since day one. Since our founding in 2023, our mission has been to help build the capabilities and partnerships needed to make society stronger. I am proud of what our team delivers every day."

Åsa Almesjö, CEO MW Strategy - a part of MW Group

12/06/2026

Last Friday, our CEO Mikael Karlsson led a panel with specialists Ewa Skoog Haslum, Head of the Swedish Armed Forces Operations Command, and Lennart Blecher, Chairperson of EQT Real Assets, on stage at Sommarminglet 2026.

An event that once again gathered Sweden's tech, political and business leadership for one evening. This year with defence, resilience and to uncover opportunities to action on the agenda.

The conversation touched on what it takes to build capability in the Nordic security landscape: the role of long-term private capital, the touch points and opportunities between political ambition and industrial capacity, and how partnerships can accelerate what needs to be achieved.

These are questions we work with every day. Strengthening Nordic Total Defence is not a headline — it is our mission. And that work happens in rooms like this one.

Thank you to Fredrik Hjelm and Johannes Schildt and team for a great event as always.

11/05/2026

Last week, the Swedish Armed Forces and the Swedish Civil Defence and Resilience Agency convened the first meeting of a new Business Council for Total Defence — a strategic forum established to contribute perspectives, experience and situational awareness in support of strengthening Sweden’s collective resilience and defence capability.

Our CEO, Mikael Karlsson, has been appointed as a member of the council.

To us, this is not primarily recognition — it is responsibility.

At MW Group, our purpose is to contribute to a stronger and more resilient society by strengthening Nordic total defence through fostering and developing defence-related companies. We invest in, build and scale small and medium-sized enterprises that support both civilian preparedness and military capability.

We believe this is fundamental to building resilient societies at scale — not through a handful of large governmental institutions alone, but together with a strong ecosystem of specialised and capable, small och large, companies working together across sectors.

That ecosystem does not emerge on its own. It requires long-term commitment, industrial capability, access to capital, and genuine partnership between the public and private sectors.

“This council represents exactly the kind of forum we need — where government, authorities and industry can come together, share perspectives on a strategic level and take collective responsibility for the long-term work required to strengthen Sweden’s defence capability and resilience AND to make sure that things gets done. I am honoured to contribute.”
— Mikael Karlsson, CEO, MW Group.

Photo: Försvarsmakten

07/05/2026

We are pleased to announce that MW Group has acquired a 60% stake in link22 AB — a Swedish cybersecurity company specialising in secure data communication, access control, and the protection of sensitive information in security-critical environments.

As Europe's defence build-up accelerates, interoperability between systems and nations is no longer optional — it is essential. link22's deep expertise in secure command and communication systems makes this acquisition a natural fit for our strategy.

Mikael Karlsson, Founder and CEO of MW Group:

"The defence build-up in Europe is largely about creating interoperability between systems and nations. Secure and robust communication solutions are absolutely crucial here. link22 possesses highly relevant expertise in this area, and we see great potential in developing the company further together.”

link22 Founder and CEO Conny Ljungqvist remains in his role and as a co-owner — ensuring continuity, entrepreneurial drive, and the long-term stability that defines how we build our industrial group.

This acquisition strengthens MW Group's position at the intersection of physical and digital security, and reinforces our commitment to keeping critical technologies under stable, long-term Nordic ownership.

Försvarsindustrigruppen MW Group, med bland andra H&M:s storägare Stefan Persson som storägare, går in i ett svenskt nischföretag inom säker delning av hemlig…

14/04/2026

MW Group has entered into an agreement to acquire all shares in Alumbra Stockholm and Richardssons — two high-technology manufacturing companies with market-leading positions in their respective niches.

The companies represent decades of accumulated process maturity, certified quality, and specialized expertise embedded in dedicated employees—assets that cannot be replaced or built in a short time. As demand for defence capacity accelerates across Europe, access to this kind of precision manufacturing is essential.

Under the MW Group’s ownership, the companies gain access to capital, an industrial network and business development support, enabling them to invest in capacity, technology and competence. At the same time, as part of the de-centralised model within the group, the companies retain their identity, entrepreneurial spirit and close customer relationships.

Peter Gossas, who remains Chairman of the acquired companies comments: “I look forward to the next phase in Alumbra’s and Richardssons’ impressive development, and how their combined capabilities with MW Group will further contribute to value for our customers, our suppliers, our employees, and society as a whole.”

Mikael Karlsson, Founder and CEO of MW Group continues: "The resilience and rearmament in Europe are not just about investing in systems. It is about ensuring that the entire industrial value chain has the capacity to deliver. Through this acquisition, we contribute to securing and scaling up that capacity and I’m happy to welcome all Alumra and Richardssons team to the family."

Read more in Dagens industri:

Försvarsindustrigruppen MW Group, med Stefan Persson som storägare, fortsätter att bygga ett nordiskt totalförsvarsimperium.Nu förvärvar koncernen två…