Institut für Sicherheitspolitik an der Universität Kiel (ISPK)’s Post

During #NATOPA’s recent Science & Technology Committee visit to 🇧🇪 & 🇳🇱, the delegation met with NATO officials, researchers, and industry leaders to discuss #AI, countering #disinformation, and enhancing collaboration to maintain NATO's technological edge. 💡Read the press release https://lnkd.in/eiaP92qw Key takeaways: 1️⃣ Collaboration is key for innovation, with initiatives like DIANA and the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF). 2️⃣ Strong efforts are underway to counter disinformation across member countries. 3️⃣ Belgium & the Netherlands are leaders in defence innovation through partnerships with NATO. 4️⃣ The importance of space in NATO’s strategy was underscored during a visit to the European Space Agency - ESA. 5️⃣ Visits to SABCA, imec, and ASML highlighted expertise in #aerospace, #nanoelectronics, and #semiconductors vital to NATO's defence. ____________ Sven Clement Theo Francken Marcos Perestrello Radoslav Ribarski

What an amazing interview session it turned out to be! Time seemed to fly by as we absorbed the profound insights of Elisabeth Braw, the author of "Goodbye Globalization." We explored a wide array of topics, including de-globalization, its impact on #businesses and #supplychains, #security considerations, NATO's involvement, and the expectations and aspirations from #GenerationZ for the next phase of globalization. Here are two notable quotes from the interview. Stay tuned for more updates soon! It was such a pleasure to be hosting you, thank you Elisabeth Braw! "It really is important that people who are involved with NATO whether as employees or former employees or in the surrounding orbits of think tankers to not just exist within that orbit but engage and be involved with outside of that NATO orbit. It's so easy to get comfortable within inside the NATO web and attend only the NATO related conferences hear the same argument over and over again; that's all that has been said is brilliant but well yet there is a whole other world, for example business community, the world of new threats facing the NATO member states. NATO will not become irrelevant it is relevant as the organization that defends the territory of its member states but I think it risks becoming less relevant in the policy debate outside NATO circles if  those who are involved with NATO do not acknowledge these threats and present solutions to them and I think one really important aspect that NAVI could help address is bring business executives into the conversation.  They have incredible insights that are rarely listened or heard or engaged with within NATO circles." "With #GenZ, we would try #globalization again and but on a less ambitious basis; not assuming that we have this harmony with all our trading partners but just pursue globalization as a handshake rather than an embrace and not assume that our partners will become like us but also not assume that they will always trade fairly and as a result not make ourselves as dependent on them as we did on this first round."

- COMMENT - 📄 WHAT IS THE PERCEPTION OF DEFENCE INDUSTRIAL PARTNERSHIPS WITH THE EDTIB BY NON-EU COUNTRIES? The case of Ukraine : Changing the paradigm By Mykhailo Samus, Director of The New Geopolitics Research Network (Ukraine) 📍 READ THE COMMENT : https://cutt.ly/7eoHkh9N The ARES Group is pleased to publish the first paper of a new series, this time focusing on third countries' perceptions of the EU's defence industrial policies and of the partnerships they can develop with the EDTIB. A first paper that could only be on Ukraine. The transition of the Russian-Ukrainian war into a confrontation of attrition puts forward new requirements for the development of the defence industry base of Ukraine and the EU, as well as for the most effective cooperation between the Ukrainian and European defence industries. The real situation on the frontline creates new impulses and paradigms for meeting the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, with an emphasis on high-tech weapons and military equipment that provide an "asymmetric" advantage over the enemy. In times of war, cooperation in the defence industry between Ukraine and the EU focuses on the immediate needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine for both basic weapons (ammunition, artillery, armoured vehicles, air defence, etc.) and advanced high-tech systems used on the battlefield. Instead, participation in projects that have uncertain time, financial and technological frameworks is considered unreasonable. Further development of Ukraine's cooperation with the EU in the defence industry should be built through the prism of the new EU Capability Development Plan and the joint European Defence Industry Strategy (EDIS), with a focus on projects involving and coordinated by the European Defence Agency. In addition, the introduction of cooperation models based on the example of the Accelerator and Brave1 Ukrainian platforms could be effective. This could create new opportunities for the development of bilateral projects between Ukrainian and European defence companies to achieve concrete practical results in the shortest possible time. This series of papers is directed by Federico Santopinto, Senior Research Fellow at IRIS - Institut de relations internationales et stratégiques. #ARESGroup #industrialpolicy #defence #Europe #EDTIB #Ukraine _______ Follow ARES Group - EU activities ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dMN8WkD

My coming weeks will be related to the defence ecosystem. On that occasion, I have some news. The finalists for the 14th NATO Innovation Challenge have been announced, and Lithuania is making a big impact! 🌍 Five Lithuanian companies are among the final 11, showing their skills in finding and disabling mines from a distance. The final event will be on 12 June in Vilnius, where experts will look at these amazing projects. 🛡️🌐 Lithuania is proving it can handle big global problems. Good luck to all the finalists! 👏 Our success is a sign of innovation and strength in defense technology. It shows that smaller countries can also make important contributions on the world stage. More: 👇 #NATOInnovation #Lithuania #DefenseTech #VilniusFinals #InnovationChallenge #RemoteMineDetection #GlobalInnovation #LithuanianPride #TechForSafety #SmallNationsBigImpact #PolandAndRegion #DefenseInnovation #TechLeaders

Earlier this week, the United States hosted the NATO Summit in Washington, D.C. Among the Washington Summit Declaration was a recognition of the importance of developing advanced technology to sustain global security: “We have accelerated NATO’s transformation to meet current and future threats and to maintain our technological edge.”       R&E is proud to contribute to this ongoing effort with our allies. Our office is actively promoting experimentation and the rapid adoption of emerging technologies, such as FutureG, quantum, artificial intelligence, and biotechnology. By leveraging these cutting-edge and disruptive technologies, we can further support the alliance, allies, partners, and other key initiatives, including the NATO Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA).     In October, R&E’s FutureG office will support the NATO Allied Command Transformation’s Digital Backbone Exercise (DiBaX) demonstration. During the event, R&E will showcase the ability to provide next-generation communication networks and application solutions that meet NATO warfighter requirements on the battlefield. This work aligns U.S. and NATO objectives for development, experimentation, and adoption of emerging technologies.      Read more about what Heads of State and Government of the NATO Alliance agreed this week at https://lnkd.in/gZ3g_Jfk

École de Guerre, in collaboration with their long-standing partner RUSI (1), recently hosted an impactful event that brought together experts and students for a deep dive into critical global security challenges: • How quickly and effectively can liberal democracies mobilise in times of crisis, compared to more centralised systems, with lessons from the Ukraine conflict? • How to identify, attract, recruit and retrain critical talent and skills for new forms of warfare? • The balance between investing in deterrence and offensive capabilities, while protecting civilian sectors and industries. • The critical need for rapid adaptation from peacetime economies to wartime economies, and how nations can prepare their industries to scale up production when necessary. • The evolving relationship between the military and industry: how should industries react, and when should they begin production in response to a crisis? Morning Session: UK Academic Writing & Research Officers engaged in one-on-one discussions with RUSI research fellows. They received tailored advice on their thesis topics, fostering critical thinking and academic excellence. Afternoon Session: Networking and Panel Discussions for the PDSF In preparation for the upcoming PDSF on March 13-14, participants discussed key issues related to mobilisation, resilience, and strategic cooperation. Participants debated the best approaches to ensure resilience across political, economic, and social spheres. (1)The Royal United Services Institute #StrategicPartnerships #DefenseAndSecurity #PDSF2024 #Mobilization #ÉcoleDeGuerre #InternationalCooperation #RUSI #NATO #EU

Want to understand Germany-funded defense research in China? The "Germany Funded Chinese Defense Research Tracker" offers unparalleled insights. It compiles project data, publications, and funding sources linked to Chinese institutions. It's a valuable resource for understanding this complex landscape and promoting informed decision-making. #greatpowercompetition #geopoliticalrisk #germany #EU #nationalsecurity #CCP #China https://lnkd.in/ggsRyCHC?

When it comes to your security, don’t rely on others. Yesterday, I had the great honor of participating in a panel discussion on international security, specifically focusing on “The Security of Eastern Europe in 2049,” alongside Bart Groothuis (MEP) and Eric van der Burg (MP), moderated by Anouck van Eekelen. The event was organized to celebrate 75 years of JOVD, a Dutch political youth organization. When I think about security, my main message is: 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬. 🇪🇺🇺🇸 Europe has long been a free rider on the United States. For instance, The Netherlands hadn’t spent 2% of its GDP on military defense until this year. Additionally, the 1995 Budapest Agreement, where Ukraine gave up its nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees, stands as a historical lesson and a warning for all. When I think about Eastern Europe, 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦 comes to mind. The existential threat facing Eastern Europe is 𝐫𝐮𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐚’𝐬 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲. It is like a disease that must be cured because it is like a cancer spreading and consuming more and more. Looking ahead to 2049, I question the unity and relevance of NATO. Will NATO still exist? Will it remain strong, especially with pro-russian insiders in EU and NATO such as Hungary? Can members trust each other, knowing that Article 5 has never truly been tested? Additionally, the transformative role of technology was discussed, such as how drones have changed the game in russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the importance of initiatives like DroneAid Collective, which makes drones with Ukrainian veterans. It was concluded greatly by Bart Groothuis that being indispensable strengthens our security, and one way to achieve that is by investing in technology. Thank you for the opportunity to speak and share my thoughts! Thank you for the invitation Willemijn Krans! #Politics #Technology #Leadership #Youth

Economic growth and geopolitical shifts – how do we spot hidden opportunities? Where should we look for a company’s growth potential? How hungry are we for growth? Hyped or real – what’s the truth about AI, and where should we invest our time? What’s holding back Lithuania’s breakthrough and competitiveness? 🤔 These are just a few of the BIG questions we’ll be exploring at Lietuvos Verslo Forumas, the annual summit where bright minds gather to explore what’s next for Lithuanian business. I’m particularly excited about one of the key highlights: the first public presentation of Lithuania’s defense capability research, led by Edmundas Jakilaitis and former NATO General Phil Breedlove. This groundbreaking research offers a fascinating glimpse into a potential 2027 scenario and how Lithuania could respond to a military threat. See you on October 17. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/dyeU74WQ

This morning I attended a lecture at RUSI delivered by Kathleen Hicks, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense on the evolving nature of conflict. Drawing lessons from the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Hicks situated these insights within the broader global landscape, encompassing technological advancements and shifting geopolitical realities. Her analysis offered a sophisticated lens for understanding the integration of technological innovation and strategic coalitions specifically focusing on the Indo-Pacific. Key Insights Lessons from the Russia-Ukraine Conflict Hicks identified four critical lessons shaping contemporary conflict: ➡️Predictive Intelligence: The U.S.'s accurate forecast of Russia’s operations demonstrated the strategic value of anticipatory intelligence in enabling proactive responses. ➡️Integrated Systems: Success she argued lies in "aggregate systems" that synchronise platforms, command and operations—echoing principles of network-centric strategy. ➡️Endurance in Attrition: Hicks noted the prolonged nature of the conflict, where initial expectations of rapid gains were thwarted, reaffirming the resilience of asymmetric strategies. ➡️Flexible Alliances: In highlighting U.S.-led coalitions, Hicks pointed to a paradigm shift from rigid alliances like NATO to dynamic, adaptable networks, particularly vital in the Indo-Pacific. Implications for the Indo-Pacific Drawing parallels with Ukraine Hicks observed that the PLA’s operational inexperience could render it vulnerable in a regional conflict due to its inactivity for 40 years. She emphasised that authoritarian actors in the region may encounter isolation and attritional dynamics like those faced by Russia in the absence of a NATO-equivalent structure. Instead, informal coalitions among democracies act as a counterweight to expansionist ambitions. Transformations in Conflict Hicks highlighted technological and operational shifts: ➡️Civilian Technologies: The integration of commercial satellites and drones exemplifies the dual-use of modern tools with Ukraine's innovative tactics. ➡️Electronic Operations: She remarked “If you can be seen you will be hit,” underscoring the centrality of stealth and electronic countermeasures in digitised combat. ➡️Artificial Intelligence: AI’s role in targeting, logistics and decision-making heralds a shift toward automation, with profound implications for efficiency and ethical oversight. U.S. Strategic Adaptation Hicks detailed the Department of Defense’s recalibrations in response to these trends: ➡️Precision and Scale: The “precise mass” concept integrates traditional systems with advanced targeting, enabling adaptable responses in drawn-out conflicts. ➡️Supply Chain Resilience: Recognizing logistical constraints, the U.S. has bolstered munitions production, microchip manufacturing, and operational supply chains, reflecting lessons learned in Ukraine.