Beyond Strategy? Industrial Strategy and the Future of European Defence

By Daniel Fiott

9.5.2024

Real Instituto Elcano

On 5 March 2024, the European Union published its first ever European Defence Industrial Strategy. In the wake of Russia’s war on Ukraine, Europe understands that investing in its defence industrial and technological base is a core way of enhancing Europe’s defence, playing a bigger role in transatlantic burden-sharing and lowering manufacturing and technology dependencies. The Strategy comes at the right time and its stress on defence readiness is welcome, but it asks many more questions than it currently solves. This analysis looks at how the Strategy has been received and probes some of the challenges facing the EU as it seeks to boost its defence industrial base.

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