A whole of society approach to resilience: Total Defence lessons from Sweden for the UK – May 22, 9.00 BST 10.00 CEST
Sweden has long led the way with its “Total Defence” model, a comprehensive approach that brings together government, armed forces, local authorities, businesses, and citizens to strengthen national resilience. Essentially, Total Defence is about shared responsibility ensuring that every sector and every individual plays a part in preparedness, continuity, and recovery. For many years, 4C Strategies has operated within this framework, supporting organisations across the public and private sectors..
The UK is encountering many of the same pressures: hybrid threats, state-sponsored cyber activity, vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure, and increasingly fragile supply chains. Conflict in Europe and the Middle East, economic pressure tactics, and geopolitical uncertainty further reinforce the need to think beyond traditional resilience boundaries.
With the introduction of the UK Government Resilience Action Plan, there is clear recognition that resilience must extend across society. Effectively managing today’s complex and interconnected risks requires closer collaboration between government, industry, defence, and local communities. This direction closely reflects Sweden’s Total Defence journey and there is a valuable opportunity to learn from the structures, partnerships, and practical experience that support its this model.
In this webinar, which is hosted by The BCI as part of Business Continuity & Resilience Awareness Week (BCAW+R) we will explore what the UK can take from the Swedish approach and translate into practical action. We will examine how stronger cross-sector cooperation, public–private collaboration, and a society-focused resilience strategy can enhance national preparedness and organisational continuity. Participants will leave with clear insights and an action plan for embedding whole-of-society resilience within their own context.
The webinar will consist of a panel of experts, chaired by Minou Sadeghpour, 4C Strategies Public Affairs Director, and author of the book “A People-Based Total Defence”. Panel members will be announced closer to the date.
Register now on The BCI website
