Nokia interested in supporting Philippines' defense industry — DND

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April 7, 2025 | 4:12pm

MANILA, Philippines — Finnish telecommunications giant Nokia has signaled interest in contributing to the development of the Philippines' homegrown defense industry, Finland's ambassador to the Philippines said during her introductory call with Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro last week. 

Finnish Ambassador Saija Nurminen shared Nokia's interest during her April 2 visit to the Department of National Defense — part of Teodoro's recent string of defense and security talks with Canada's chief of defense staff, Sweden's ambassador to the Philippines and the United States' defense chief, all within a week.

Nurminen "conveyed that Finland seeks to cooperate with like-minded countries that uphold a rules-based international order, such as the Philippines," the DND said in a statement on Monday, April 7. 

The Finnish diplomat told Teodoro that Nokia is "interested in supporting the Philippines’ Self-Reliant Defense Posture (SRDP) Program," the statement read.

The Philippines' self-reliant defense posture program was created through legislation signed by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in October last year. The law offers tax breaks and government-backed financing to jumpstart domestic defense production. 

The law aims to wean the Philippines off foreign weapons systems while developing military equipment suited to defend the country, especially amid rising tensions in the South China Sea.

Nokia, traditionally known for telecommunications, has been aggressively pushing into the defense market. Last May, the Finnish giant completed its acquisition of the US-based Fenix Group, adding tactical battlefield communication systems to its portfolio. 

During the meeting, Teodoro told Nurminen of the Philippines'  interest in enhancing its defense cooperation with Finland, "particularly in conjunction with the Philippines' Comprehensive Archipelagic Defense Concept in areas relative to defense supply chain management."

Teodoro also praised Finland's ability to withstand security challenges in its region. He "remarked that Finland's geography and history have cultivated robust resilience to threat actors within its region," the DND statement read. 

The Philippine defense chief also noted Finland's "advanced capabilities in securing its defense supply chains."

On the same day, Teodoro welcomed General Jennie Carignan, chief of defense staff of the Canadian Armed Forces. During the visit, they discussed the Status of Visiting Forces Agreement negotiations between the Philippines and Canada, which the DND noted would "enhance military cooperation between our two nations" and "boost greater security and development for the entire Indo-Pacific region." 

Earlier that week, Teodoro met with Swedish Ambassador Anna Ferry to discuss strengthening bilateral defense and security cooperation, including collaboration on defense technologies and capabilities.

The series of diplomatic engagements came on the heels of US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth's inaugural Indo-Pacific visit to the Philippines on March 27 to 28. During their talks, Hegseth and Teodoro discussed plans to deploy advanced US defense systems to the Philippines and the launch of joint initiatives on defense industry cooperation and cybersecurity. 

Finland is one of several countries that have expressed support for the Philippines when it denounces China's aggressive actions in the South China Sea.