The Hanaholmen Initiative

The Hanaholmen Initiative is a cross-sectoral bilateral crisis preparedness programme that strengthens civil defence in Sweden and Finland through knowledge enhancement and outreach activities.

WHAT IS THE HANAHOLMEN INITIATIVE?

During the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, the Hanaholmen Initiative crisis response programme was created as a direct response to the lack of Swedish Finnish cooperation and closed borders between the countries. The Hanaholmen Initiative is a cross-sectoral bilateral crisis preparedness programme, which strengthens civil defence in Sweden and Finland through knowledge enhancement and outreach activities. The Hanaholmen Initiative has since the start been a programme in two parts: a high-level course for executives and a high-level meeting, called the Hanaholmen Initiative Summit. Over the years, the Hanaholmen Initiative has become a defining activity for Hanaholmen, as we also engage broadly in society's crisis preparedness by both organising and participating in conferences and discussions both in Finland, Sweden and internationally within the EU and NATO.

The Hanaholmen initiative currently consists of three parts:

1. An annual executive education course

2. An annual high-level forum (Hanaholmen Initiative Summit)

3. Seminars, conferences and discussions on the theme of crisis preparedness and societal resilience

The Hanaholmen Initiative is implemented in close cooperation with the Swedish and Finnish Defence Universities, the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency (MSB), the National Emergency Supply Agency (NESA) and the Secretariat of the Security Committee. The programme is supported by the Swedish-Finnish Cultural Foundation. The governments of both countries have given their support to the programme. To ensure the relevance of the Hanaholmen Initiative, we have brought together people from different parts of society to form a steering group with the task to ensure that the programme's objectives and impacts are achieved.

Executive Education

The education is aimed at executives and decision-makers working in key sectors of society. The uniqueness of the Hanaholmen Initiative course is that it involves all parts of society, including civil society and business. The training is based on three pillars:

1. Knowledge of both countries crisis response systems, procedures and current issues.

2. Personal contacts across sectors and borders.

3. Identifying opportunities for enhanced coordination and cooperation for future crises.

During the course, a synthesis work is done and presented at the annual Summit. The aim of the synthesis work is to identify areas for development and benefits of effective bilateral co-operation. The training consists of three modules, two of which take place in Finland and one in Sweden. Around 20 people from both countries participates in the course each year.

The Hanaholmen Initiative Summit

The annual Hanaholmen Initiative Summit brings together key decision-makers in crisis management and preparedness, both from the civilian and military sectors. The forum is aimed at Swedish and Finnish actors from business, politics, civil society, research and the media. The aim is for the high-level forum to address observations and recommendations that have arisen during the executive education programme and to discuss current issues in crisis management and preparedness.