BBC:
If Finland was ever to face Russian aggression, Janne Ahtoniemi would know exactly what to do.
He’d leap into action, but perhaps not in the way one might expect.
You might guess that Ahtoniemi is a soldier in the Finnish army, but his preparedness is instead related to his work at nationwide supermarket business S Group.
And in the event of Finland being invaded or attacked in some other way, such as a substantial countrywide cyber breach, S Group has a detailed plan for how it would help the national cause. It would need to ensure that the nation of some 5.6 million people maintained sufficient food supplies.
Other major businesses across the country also deemed as critical, such defence firms, transport companies, and cyber security companies, have their own detailed contingency plans to follow in the event of crisis, both as a result of conflict with other countries, and challenges such as natural disasters.
“Finland’s strong security of supply is based on decades of consistent preparedness and training,” says Ahtoniemi, who is head of risk management at S Group. “Companies understand this perspective and their own role in it.
“That is why people and companies are ready to invest in security of supply.”
The four Nordic nations – Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark – have for decades all followed a “total defence” strategy. This means that plans are in place for the military and civilian sectors to work closely together.
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Finland has taken a lead and greatly strengthened this concept, and the level of business involvement. Finland now calls it “comprehensive security”.
Given that the country shares a 1,340km (830 mile) border with Russia, this move is not surprising.
