Member introduction: Saab Finland
Saab Finland operates globally, collaborating with defence forces from various countries. Global Research Director and CTO Petteri Alinikula highlights Saab’s potential to contribute significantly within the DDE ecosystem.
"As a subsidiary of the broader Saab organisation, we have a unique position to leverage the parent company’s standing as a well-established European defence leader. Our strong connection could open doors to key forums, such as European research collaboration projects like EDF. There is significant potential to further harness this role for the benefit of Finnish companies."
What expertise do you offer?
"In Finland, we specialise in sensors and electronics miniaturisation, creating highly compact devices particularly for electric warfare. Our Sirius Compact product family showcases this expertise, offering modular and scalable Electronic Warfare (EW) sensors. With a size of just four litres, Sirius Compact can be mounted on drones or carried in a soldier’s backpack, delivering tactical-level performance for advanced operations."
Why are you a DDE member?
"We are one of the founding members. While there wasn’t a clear vision of the future at the time, it was clear that we wanted to be actively involved in the Finnish ecosystem. DDE has already proven to be an excellent platform for building a network of trust and fostering potential collaborations on new technologies. The right people have found each other. We have also introduced DDE companies to the wider Saab organisation. Last spring, we organised a workshop where the members had the opportunity to present their capabilities to all four Saab business units."
What are your company’s future goals?
“Saab Finland is a fast-growing company, with production currently scaling up at a facility in the historic Finlayson area of Tampere. We leverage our deep understanding of our customers' present and future needs to explore innovative capabilities, particularly in the fields of distributed sensors and command and control.”
What projects are you working on now?
"I am personally responsible for what I believe to be Finland's most extensive defence research programme conducted in collaboration with Aalto University. In the collaboration programme we undertake doctoral-level research projects in critical technologies, such as signal processing, AI, and microelectronics. We have deep technological expertise that undoubtedly benefits DDE, while simultaneously enhancing the university’s capabilities."
