Defence innovation was the central theme of this year’s European Defence Agency’s (EDA) Annual Conference, which brought together EU member states and institutions, military and security organisations, academia and think tanks, as well as industry and media.
FREMONT, CA: In the current global rivalry that is restructuring the international security environment, innovation is once again front and centre. Those that gain a technological advantage and set the norms now will rule in the future. This is especially true of EDTs like artificial intelligence, which are becoming disruptive technologies. They frequently are dual-natured, affecting both the military and civilian spheres, and they will significantly change how war is fought. Worldwide, EDTs are being created and put into use for military purposes. The EU and its member states must harness the potential of EDTs and build top-tier, cutting-edge capabilities to equip full-spectrum armed forces to maintain an advantage over rivals and future adversaries. However, there are currently industries, such as information technologies, where the civilian market is pushing both novel uses and pure technological advancements. Defence innovation and civilian innovation are now more frequently linked, and revisionist countries, as well as non-state entities, do not accept limitations on how they can use civilian technologies for military purposes. For their hybrid attacks, they heavily rely on creative applications of consumer technology; cyberspace is a prime illustration of this concerning trend. Another eye-opening example is the transition of space, which until recently was mostly a sovereign and non-commercial domain, into new space, where private actors can build constellations of "cube sats" that can be utilised for hybrid, difficult-to-detect aggressions.
There are valid concerns about the state of affairs in Europe right now. When compared to other global players, the EU and its member states lag in terms of investing in defence innovation. And the distance is growing. According to the most recent EDA data, EU member states paid only 2.5 billion Euros (1.2 per cent of total European defence spending) in 2020, with a tendency for spending to drop even further in 2021–2023. However, the linked PESCO commitment sets the bar at two per cent of defence budgets. The majority of the member states have raised their defence spending, but not their investments in science and technology. In this situation, the Commission has already put in place pertinent steps. For instance, the Action Plan on Synergies will make it possible for players in the civil, defence, and space industries to collaborate. Horizon Europe is mainly focused on fostering innovation. Additionally, 2.7 billion Euros is being raised for this purpose from the European Defence Fund. Defence is still essentially an intergovernmental issue, so the EDA must play a critical role in coordinating the actions of member states. Since the Agency's founding in 2004, technological innovation has been ingrained in its very being. Over 100 joint venture opportunities in capabilities development and R&T were offered in EDA's first-ever Coordinated Annual Review on Defence (CARD).
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The EDA has already demonstrated its commitment to innovation by initiatives using drone swarms, electromagnetic railgun technology, directed energy weapons, or new clean energy technologies that will help reduce the carbon footprint of the defence industry and lessen its reliance on energy. The EDA has also been working to create a Defence Innovation Hub within the Agency in response to the Council's request to increase efforts in that area last May. One of the Strategic Compass's deliverables is this. This hub would foster synergies with the industrial sector by setting up a network of defence innovation hubs throughout Europe. All member states have just one single group of experts within the EU and NATO. The overall coherence of work and added value is ultimately what counts. The EDA is in the greatest position to guarantee that defence innovation is not only an aspiration on paper but a reality in practice by working with the Commission and member states.
