ASD's Camille Grand gives opening keynote at the European Defence & Security Conference
ASD Sec Gen Camille Grand on Europe’s defence challenges at the 5th European Defence & Security Conference, Brussels, October 2025.
Secretary General Camille Grand joined keynote speakers Commissioner Andrius Kubilius, President Ursula von der Leyen, and Belgian Minister Theo Francken in opening the 5th European Defence and Security Conference in Brussels on 14 October 2025.
Camille Grand articulated a compelling vision for the continent’s transition into war readiness – noting that European defence is at an inflection point, where industrial capability is now as critical as military strategy – quoting the old saying “battles are won by generals; wars are won by industry.”
Camille Grand highlights industry’s role amid shifting European security landscape
Interviewed after his speech at the opening of the 5th European Defence and Security Conference, Camille Grand talks about the major challenges facing Europe’s security and defence sector today. He explains how the industry is adapting to a changing world, including responding to the largest conflict in Europe since 1945. He shares how ASD is working closely with European partners to make sure armed forces get the equipment and innovation they need, quickly and efficiently. He also highlights the need for strong EU support so that industry can keep developing the right technologies and solutions for Europe’s safety.
ASD's Secretary General highlighted the urgent necessity of mitigating supply chain dependencies and strengthening European strategic autonomy. He also emphasised the need to adapt regulatory frameworks to ensure industrial scaling can be achieved with speed and efficiency commensurate to the times.
He called for "unity of purpose, a shared approach, and efficient governance" across the European defence ecosystem, noting that while significant progress has been achieved, substantial challenges remain in achieving war-ready defence capabilities.
He concluded with an optimistic outlook, saying that “a diverse and dynamic European defence industry can deliver its part for European security and address requirements in the air, maritime, land, space, and cyber domains.”
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