Ledarskap för nationsöverskridande försvarsinnovation : Insikter från Saabs verksamhet i Sverige och USA

Defense innovation is a crucial capability of Swedish and NATO defence strategy. This thesis investigates how multinational defense companies can effectively lead and manage innovation across national borders, focusing on Saab’s operations in Sweden and the United States. The study identifies enablers and barriers and examines how cultural values and norms influence cross-border innovation in a highly sensitive and regulated sector. It adopts a qualitative single-case research design, drawing upon ten semi-structured interviews to capture in-depth insights from employees in leadership roles at Saab AB (Sweden) and Saab Inc (United States). The empirical findings are analyzed through a combined theoretical lens of leadership competence, trust-building in organizations, national cultural dimensions, and systems-based innovation management. Three overarching challenges are identified: regulatory complexity and strategic tensions, cultural differences in leadership and decision-making, and organizational fragmentation across geographies. Key enablers include culturally and regulatory literate leadership, shared vision and role clarity, efficient decision-making, and trust-building through human connection. The study concludes that enabling innovation in a cross-border defense context requires both structural mechanisms–such as dedicated innovation units and technology transfer processes–and relational capabilities, such as psychological safety, cultural adaptability, and personal trust. By highlighting the interplay between systems and people in the highly regulated defense innovation space, this thesis contributes to the growing body of knowledge on innovation leadership in multinational enterprises and offers practical recommendations for navigating cross-border collaboration under conditions of geopolitical uncertainty and technological change.