Massive demand for defence software – Systematic looking for 200 new employees and a central Copenhagen location
An increased focus on digitalising defence forces worldwide has resulted in a huge demand for Systematic’s C2 system SitaWare. Consequently, the Aarhus-based company is now expanding its workforce and opening yet another development centre, this time in Copenhagen.
The number of countries using Systematic’s command-and-control (C2) system SitaWare has grown from 12 to 50 nations over the past 10 years. A significantly higher threat level and increased defence spending worldwide have led to a surge in demand, and the company is therefore expanding its activities and establishing a development centre in the Danish capital.
“Systematic plays a key role in digitalising the defence collaboration in NATO, the EU and the Five Eyes alliance. Our software enables national defence forces to form an operational overview and share information across services and between allies, something which is greatly needed at the moment. As the world’s largest supplier of C2 systems, we badly need a new development centre and more employees,” says Michael Holm, Systematic’s CEO and founder.
200 IT staff for Copenhagen and the other global offices
The plan is to employ 200 new employees in the Defence division – many in Copenhagen, but also at Systematic’s 12 other offices worldwide, including at its head office in Aarhus. The new employees will comprise software developers, testers, architects and programme and project managers, and Michael Holm is well aware that it is no easy task. Therefore, he’s delighted at the high level of interest already being shown in the vacancies:
“In midsummer, we published the first job ads for Copenhagen, which has already resulted in several hundred applicants. This is very positive, and we’re busy processing them at the moment,” he says, while acknowledging there is still a long way to go.
In addition to IT systems for the defence sector, Systematic is also behind a wide range of solutions for the health sector in both Denmark and abroad. The company has, for example, created the electronic health record system which is used at hospitals in the regions in west Denmark, i.e. in Jutland and on Funen, and a citizen record system which is being used in connection with elderly care in about 40 Danish local authorities.
Biggest ever workforce expansion
The company is now facing the biggest ever expansion of its workforce, and even though it involves a lot of people, new recruits will still have to live up to the same requirements regarding their qualifications, and there are very good reasons for this, says Michael Holm:
“When developing critical IT solutions for the defence and health sectors, it involves extensive requirements relating to security, quality and efficiency. Our solutions must function, whatever the situation. It can be a matter of life and death, because in the environments in which our software is used, it’s not possible to have another shot at whatever it is you’re doing. Doctors and nurses must have access to correct and up-to-date data to ensure the right treatments for their patients. Soldiers don’t always have access to cloud services and the Internet – but we must nevertheless ensure that they can always communicate in the field and know exactly where their own comrades and allies are located. Our solutions take care of all this, and it’s a complex task. Therefore, Systematic is a workplace for professionals who possess the right skills to deliver the necessary quality, and who want to make a difference for those who help others,” he explains.
He expects the hunt for new employees to last two to three years.
Looking for new central Copenhagen location
At the moment, Systematic has 1,100 employees in 11 countries engaged in developing, implementing and selling the company’s software solutions.
“Our core product for the defence sector is SitaWare, the world’s most used and sought-after C2 system. Today, its development takes place in Bucharest in Romania and at our head office in Aarhus, but a third product development unit will now be established in Copenhagen,” says Michael Holm.
Systematic currently has 40 consultants and salespeople working at its office on Landgreven in Indre By, Copenhagen’s inner-city district. The new employees who are now being taken on in Copenhagen will start their careers with the company here until new central premises have been found.
“We prioritise employee well-being, so the physical workspace must be second-to-none – and that also goes for accessibility. The new premises therefore have to be in downtown Copenhagen so we can attract the right employees in Denmark’s largest metropolitan area,” says Michael Holm in conclusion.
Systematic facts
Systematic develops critical software and system solutions for both public and private sector customers, for example within the defence and health sectors. Many of these customers need to be able to integrate, compile and analyse huge volumes of complex data – often in critical situations.
Systematic was founded in 1985 and is today Denmark’s largest privately owned software company with more than one million users worldwide and several international groups as partners. The company has more than 1,100 employees and is based in Aarhus. The company services customers in 50+ countries from its 13 offices in Australia, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, New Zealand, Romania, Sweden, United Arab Emirates, the UK and the USA.
