Materials and production technology 2025

Authors:

  • Hans Kariis
  • Mathias Forsberg
  • Cecilia Gullström
  • Alexandra Bergman
  • Frida Krohn
  • Annika Lööf
  • Jennifer Silander
  • Oliver Sinnott
  • Philip Luts
  • Mattias Unosson
  • Christina Åkerlind
  • Stefan Karlsson

Publish date: 2026-01-30

Report number: FOI-R--5865--SE

Pages: 26

Written in: Swedish

Keywords:

  • materials
  • production technology
  • 2D-materials
  • additive manufacturing
  • aerogels
  • powder metallurgy
  • reactive materials.

Abstract

The present report aims at summarizing the work done at FOI in the field of materials and production technilogy during 2025 for the Swedish Armed Forces. Potential future military utility of selected project related aspects has been identified through monitoring of and cooperation with civilian research. Examples of civilian research advances in materials technology that could provide military utility include lightweight heat-resistant materials for thermal insulation, hard and durable materials for gun barrels, environmentally friendly and biodegradable materials for field use, high strength materials for armor, and color-changing materials for signature management. In production technology, methods have been studied that can increase efficiency, improve quality, shorten lead times, and reduce costs. Examples of techniques include additive manufacturing, powder compaction, optical simulation, powder milling, and quantum computing. Experimental work at FOI has been conducted in selected areas. The work has also included network building and cooperation with relevant actors, conference participation, development of laboratory resources and litterature studies. Some conclusions from this years work: Materials technology exhibits rapid development, especially in the civilian sector. Broad monitoring of the field is important in order to identify long term military utility emerging from present academic research. Materials technologyis alsy rapidly developing in the civilian sector and the progress is expected to be of military use also in a relatively short term. Coperation is the key to success for a small nation like Sweden.