A Conversation on Industrial Readiness and Defense Procurement

Europe's defense industry is gaining momentum, driven by the war in Ukraine, surging national spending and EU defense initiatives. Yet, time is not on our side. How can industrial capacities and procurement approaches, essential for Europe’s defense readiness and deterrence, be improved? How can defense industry cooperation be accelerated?

Defense companies have stepped up through procurement schemes, strategic partnerships, and licensed production. Conversely, Ukrainian companies have set up production in Europe. However, an industrial strategy is necessary to scale up capacities fast and build resilient supply chains. Procurement must be designed to facilitate rapid increase of production and to promote rapid technological innovation.

This event examines the state of rearmament and the growth of defense industry capacities, as well as ways to accelerate Europe's defense build-up and integration. Participants will gain actionable insights into innovation-oriented procurement and scaling up Europe’s defense industry, serving both Ukraine's urgent war-time needs and Europe's strategic autonomy ambition.
 

Guiding questions:

• How can defense production capacities be scaled quicky to serve Ukraine’s and Europe’s interests?
• What coordination and contract designs are needed to unlock production capacities for the defense effort?
• What defense procurement practices do we need to improve outcomes, speed up delivery, and support innovation and joint European capabilities?
• What concrete steps should Europe take to overcome fragmentation and competition and move toward an integrated industrial base?

Moritz Schularick, President of the Kiel Institute, will provide a short initial input for the debate.

Moderation: Kari M. Osland, Director of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI)