"We must be ready" - European Defence & Security Summit - day 1

Opening the 2025 European Defence and Security Summit, co-organised by ASD and European Business Summits, EU Commissioner Andrius Kubilius said Europe was in a "special defence readiness time", urging a shift from a peacetime mindset to one of proactive readiness to deter aggression and secure "Pax Europaea". He detailed a plan to get Europe "fighting fit", which includes empowering the defence and space industries through streamlining regulations and new financing, while drawing on the crucial lessons of battlefield innovation from Ukraine. This strategic effort, he concluded, is essential for building a new European security architecture.

Will Europe be ready to deter?

The opening panel of the summit explored the new strategic paradigm for European defence, moving the conversation towards a proactive and comprehensive vision for readiness. Camille Grand of the European Council on Foreign Relations articulated the core theme, stressing that the era of relying on "business as usual" is over. He framed the central challenge by emphasising that there is "no escape" from the fundamental responsibility for Europeans to do much more for their own security.

Building on this, the other panellists outlined the practical and multifaceted response this new reality requires. Rear Admiral Ignacio Cuartero Lorenzo provided the military dimension, arguing that credible deterrence requires not just a defensive "shield" but also a proactive "sword". He underscored that the most urgent task is to "transform money into capabilities", ensuring that Europe’s investments translate into tangible strength. This call for enhanced military capacity was complemented by MEP Tobias Cremer, who broadened the scope of readiness to include the importance of societal resilience against hybrid threats, emphasising that social cohesion is just as critical as hardware. The European Commission's Herald Ruijters emphasised the scale of the task ahead and the limited time available to achieve it.
The discussion culminated in a clear and unified consensus: the imperative is not merely to spend more, but to invest strategically in a more capable and resilient Europe, ready to meet the challenges of 2030.

Industrial readiness and the European Defence Industrial Base

The panel on industrial readiness focussed on the European Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB), building a picture from strategic potential to on-the-ground industrial realities. The discussion was structured around several complementary perspectives that together clarified Europe's strengths and the path forward.

The European Commission's François Arbault set an optimistic tone by arguing that Europe possesses the inherent capability to be a credible defence power. His assertion that Europe can produce "95 plus plus percent" of what it needs established a clear baseline: the challenge is not a fundamental lack of technological know-how or industrial capacity.

This assessment was complemented by Hugues Lavandier of McKinsey & Company, who provided an analysis of the current landscape. He highlighted the key systemic challenges that prevent Europe from realising its full potential, most notably fragmentation across the market (e.g., "Europe runs roughly five times as many platforms as the US") and the resulting low availability rates of existing equipment. His insights framed the problem not as an industrial failure, but as a structural inefficiency that requires a coordinated response.

Bridging the gap between strategy and execution, Indra's CEO José Vicente de los Mozos offered the perspective of a major industrial leader. He outlined the practical steps needed for the EDTIB to transform, focusing on the critical need for stable, long-term investment visibility to secure supply chains, standardise products, and attract a skilled workforce. 

MEP François-Xavier Bellamy synthesised these points into a powerful political call to action. He argued that the missing ingredient was not technical ability but "clear political commitment" in the form of firm, long-term contracts. He made a compelling case for aligning political statements with procurement actions to send the right signals to industry and unlock investment.

Together, the panelists painted a picture of immense potential constrained by systemic hurdles. The clear consensus was that Europe's defence industry has the capability to meet the continent's needs, but unleashing its full power requires a unified effort to overcome fragmentation through decisive political will, stable long-term contracts, and strategic investment in the European industrial base.

The future of the NATO-EU partnership

The panel on the NATO-EU partnership provided a multifaceted assessment of the transatlantic relationship, bringing together military, diplomatic, and political leaders in a discussion centred on the current challenges and the necessary evolution of European defence.

The dialogue was framed by a clear and urgent call for Europe to assume greater responsibility for its own security. Lieutenant General Seán Clancy established this as the foundational theme, explaining that taking on strategic responsibility is "no longer optional ... it's actually imperative." This military perspective was echoed on the political side by MEP Wouter Beke, who articulated the underlying driver for this shift: "We are not sure anymore that we can count on our American ally."

Cosmin Dobran of the European External Action Service provided a crucial look at the functional reality of the partnership. He detailed the robust, existing "machinery of cooperation”, highlighting the "seven structured dialogues" and "weekly meetings" that form the bedrock of day-to-day EU-NATO collaboration. His concrete example of training over 76,000 Ukrainian soldiers demonstrated that beyond the political debates the institutions are working together effectively to deliver tangible security outcomes.

The parliamentary representatives on the panel provided a sense of the political will and the challenges ahead. Marcos Perestrello of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly offered a positive outlook on commitments, noting that achieving the 2% defence spending target across the Alliance would be a "huge achievement”. This was balanced by a recognition of the hurdles, with both MEP Beke and Cosmin Dobran pointing to the dangers of political fragmentation and the need to build a stronger public understanding of the threats Europe faces.

Ultimately, the panel conveyed a clear message: the EU-NATO relationship is not in question, but it is evolving into a more balanced partnership where Europe must function as a stronger, more coherent security actor. The consensus was that while the machinery for cooperation is strong and the political commitment to invest is growing, the critical next step is to align national actions and build a shared public understanding of the urgent need for a more capable and integrated European defence.

The security dimension of EU enlargement

During a fireside chat with Wall Street Journal’s Chief Foreign-Affairs Correspondent Yaroslav Trofimov, the EU Commissioner for Enlargement, Marta Kos, underlined that in these times of growing geopolitical tensions it is as important as ever for the EU to stick to its values. According to her, only this way, the EU can not only be attractive to others as a large market but as a soft power.

She praised Ukraine’s fast and good progress in the ongoing accession process  and said that all negotiation clusters might be opened already be the end of the year. Especially, but not only, with a view to Ukraine, the Commissioner highlighted the security dimension of the EU accession policy which is an opportunity to ensure peace, freedom and prosperity across the entire continent.

Supporting the Ukrainian DTIB

A pivotal panel discussion saw ASD's Jan Pie affirm that Europe's world-class industry is ready to scale up but requires faster procurement from Member States, a view complemented by Ukraine's Oleksandr Kamyshin's real-world example of industrial potential, and the European Commission's call to collaboratively "cook the omelette" and turn strategic goals into reality.

Jan Pie identified the primary bottleneck as the disconnect between high-level political objectives and the speed of procurement at the Member State level. While praising the "great job" done by the European Commission in creating enabling instruments, he argued that a "move from peace to wartime economy" requires turning national budgets into firm, long-term orders. Using the Airbus A400M as a case study, he highlighted the strategic risk of dismantling production lines and supply chains due to a lack of orders, which makes future ramp-ups difficult and time-consuming. His core message was a call for partnership and strategic foresight: for Member States to align their procurement speed with the geopolitical urgency and to prioritise investment in Europe's own industrial base. Jan Pie said "Europe is the biggest producer of European aircraft and helicopters in the world, the global leader with all the skills and engineering power. There is no problem to be self-sufficient, we could have the same in defence, if we invested more."

Oleksandr Kamyshin provided a powerful, real-world illustration of the panel's themes. His account of Ukraine's defence industry expanding its capability from $1 billion to $35 billion since the invasion served as a compelling testament to what is possible with focus and urgency.

He said:  "The best way to help Ukraine now is buy from Ukraine and industry and donate to Ukrainian army... that's how you increase the capabilities of bigger Europe." Oleksandr  Kamyshin's direct appeal for partners to "buy from Ukraine" was positioned not just as aid, but as a strategic investment in the capabilities and resilience of "bigger Europe."

Gert Jan Koopman of the European Commission complemented the other speakers by offering a proactive way forward. Acknowledging the "chicken and egg issue," he encouraged a new mindset fit for the current security environment. His memorable call to "cook the omelette" was a positive and urgent appeal for all stakeholders to use the available ingredients – funding, industrial capacity, and political will – to achieve results now. He positioned the Commission as a proactive "matchmaker," committed to bridging gaps and ensuring that new defence spending is channelled into collaborative projects, particularly with Ukraine.

Together, the three speakers painted a unified picture. The challenge is not a lack of industrial capacity but a need for more agile and strategically aligned procurement. The solution lies in a stronger partnership between policymakers and industry, with a shared commitment to investing in Europe to ensure its long-term security and strategic autonomy

Lessons learnt from Ukraine: drones and AI

The fifth panel brought together a powerful combination of voices – policymakers, new-tech CEOs, tech giants, and Ukrainian strategists – to distil the critical lessons from the war in Ukraine. The unifying theme was the urgent need for Europe to transition from a peacetime posture to a wartime footing in its industrial and strategic thinking. MEP Andrey Novakov provided the most striking data point to anchor this reality: the disparity in tank production between Russia (1,500) and all of NATO (212) in a single year. This, he argued, is a clear signal of intent that Europe must take seriously.

The Ukrainian experience was presented as an invaluable source of learning. This is a two-way partnership where Europe can learn not only about new technologies but, more importantly, about new, agile methods for development, testing, and deployment. Olga Khoroshylova stressed that the key lessons are as much about tactics ("how we use it") as they are about technology ("what we make").

The discussion also highlighted that the definition of the "defence industry" has expanded. It now includes a "whole of society" approach incorporating commercial tech giants like AWS, startups like ICEYE, and many non-traditional innovators. Benedikta von Seherr-Thoss emphasised the need for a "better breeding ground" for these new players, drawing inspiration from Ukraine where professionals from all walks of life contribute to defence innovation.

Technological and digital sovereignty in defence

The summit's final panel on technological sovereignty offered a compelling look into the future of warfare, focusing on how Europe can navigate a new landscape defined by AI, drones, and contested digital domains. The discussion highlighted lessons from Ukraine, where, as noted by Fabrice Pothier, legacy platforms like main battle tanks are increasingly vulnerable to low-cost drones that now dominate the battlefield. This reality presents Europe with a complex strategic dilemma: it must cultivate a technological "edge" to counter the sheer "mass" of adversaries, while recognising that new technologies like drones are not, by themselves, a complete solution for deterrence.

The conversation expanded to address the wider geopolitical context, with Jaap van Etten highlighting the scale of China’s military-industrial ecosystem and its role in supplying advanced technology, which poses a significant and long-term challenge to European sovereignty. This underscored a recurring theme of the summit: the need for a deeper societal awareness of these challenges to foster the necessary political will for action. Ultimately, the panel converged on enhanced collaboration as the path forward. Brigadier General Robbie Boyd articulated that while national requirements can create fragmentation, the true strength lies in alliances like NATO and partnerships with global democracies. These frameworks provide the integrated command systems and collaborative platforms necessary to build a collective technological strength that far surpasses what any single nation can achieve alone, securing Europe’s digital future through shared innovation and commitment.

The summit's discussions converged on a powerful conclusion: Europe’s defence industry is a vital and ready partner in securing the continent's future. A stronger, more resilient, and strategically autonomous Europe will be built upon a foundation of collaboration between its institutions and its world-class industrial base.