How the war in Ukraine is reshaping the defence industry

A few years ago, when Frederikke Holm Jensen attended social events and was asked about her job, she would sometimes hesitate before replying.

She is a Business Project Manager in the defence division at the IT company Systematic, which develops systems for military use, and she was well aware that her work could trigger negative reactions.

“I would usually start by saying I worked in IT, and then try to gauge whether people wanted to hear more.”

“If I mentioned that we develop communication systems for the armed forces, I was often asked whether we work with weapons, and there could be a sceptical undertone,” she explains.

Today, she experiences something quite different. Years of war in Ukraine, an increasingly uncertain geopolitical landscape, and incidents such as the drone alerts that caused concern last September have, in her view, changed how people perceive the defence industry.

“People are generally more curious and interested. You can really sense that this is a topic we’re exposed to almost daily in the media.”

She has worked at Systematic for three years. Before accepting the role, however, she needed time to reflect. At the time, she was working on green transition projects and was unsure whether she could see herself in an industry connected to armed conflict.

Today, her perspective has changed:

“No one in our industry wants war, and ideally there would be no need for companies like ours.”

“But this is the world we live in. As Denmark and NATO increase defence spending, I find it reassuring that we contribute high-quality systems.”

Companies feel the impact of media attention

Denmark is entering a period of significant military build-up, and it is not only about new frigates or more infantry troops.

Modern warfare relies heavily on advanced weapons and IT systems. As a result, the defence industry is actively recruiting highly educated professionals with technical expertise.

The question is how well the industry is positioned in the competition for talent.

In Ingeniøren’s annual survey of the most attractive employers for engineers, several defence companies made significant jumps in 2023—the year after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Systematic moved from 71st to 49th place, while Terma rose from 45th to 17th. Today, Systematic ranks 33rd, Terma 39th and radar company Weibel 41st out of a total of 90 companies.

At Systematic, they have also noticed a clear change in how job applicants perceive the company, says Palle Klærke, Group Senior Vice President for People & Culture.

“It’s not that we struggled to recruit before. But we can now see that people who previously had no interest in working with us are now applying.Many candidates also say themselves that they want to make a difference and help protect our society,” he explains.

“It’s not just about career opportunities or interesting technologies. The current security situation clearly plays a role as well.”

As a result, Systematic now highlights its collaboration with the defence sector more openly.

“We’ve become more comfortable emphasising this part of our work, whereas in the past we were more cautious about whether it might put people off,” Palle Klærke adds.

A divided view among students

However, the shift in attitudes is far from uniform—especially among students.

In a survey conducted by IDA among IT and engineering students, 37% say they have a positive view of the defence industry. Almost as many—30%—have a negative view. While 23% have become more positive in recent years, 16% have become more negative.

In other words, some are drawn to the sector, while others are turning away.

This divide is recognised by Morten Ballisager, CEO of the HR consultancy Ballisager, which specialises in understanding what motivates people in their career choices. He suggests that extensive media coverage may reinforce existing opinions—but in different directions.

“If you already have a certain political outlook and tend to support the military, you’re likely to associate the defence industry with Ukraine’s fight for freedom.”

“But if you’re strongly focused on the war in Gaza and have a negative view of the military, you may associate the defence industry with destruction and loss of life,” he explains. Overall, however, he believes media attention benefits the industry:

“They receive a great deal of free publicity—something many other sectors would probably welcome.”

Technology matters as much as purpose

Among students with a positive view of the defence industry, 27% cite technology and innovation as their main motivation, while 26% highlight the sector’s societal role.

According to Mads Koertz Madsen, Vice President of Research and Development at radar company Weibel, both factors play a role in attracting candidates.

“I’m an engineer myself, and if there’s one thing engineers find exciting, it’s cutting-edge technology. Given the current situation, we can’t afford to stand still—we constantly need to innovate and find new solutions to keep up,” he says.

“We’ve been growing over the past ten years, but there’s a lot happening across the entire industry. A few years ago, you could almost count defence companies on one hand or two. Today, new start-ups and manufacturers are emerging all the time. It’s obviously more exciting to work in a growing sector than one facing cutbacks.”

Changing attitudes in academia

Universities are also noticing renewed interest. At the Centre for Security at DTU, they primarily experience increased positive attention.

“We’re currently seeing a record number of students applying to do projects with us. More people want to contribute and help strengthen society’s security,” says Head of Centre Henning Heiselberg.

Although he acknowledges a shift in attitudes, he also notes that some scepticism remains.

“I often illustrate it with a story about a German engineer working in the defence industry. He said that when he went on dates in the past and mentioned working in the arms industry, two-thirds would get up and leave. Today, it’s only one-third.”

Even though purpose and ideals are important, Morten Ballisager warns against overestimating their role. Highly educated professionals tend to place greater importance on the meaning of their work than other groups, and contributing to national and NATO defence can be a genuine motivation. However, there are limits.

“In my experience, salaries in the defence sector can make even the most purpose-driven candidate hesitate,” he says.

“When we analyse graduate preferences each year, it’s clear that people are relatively pragmatic in their job choices. They prioritise flexibility, remote working options, salary, commute time, and similar factors—while purpose plays a slightly smaller role.”