Addressing the French Senate Defence Commission, the President of the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD), Åke Svensson, set out the industry’s vision for the future in terms of defence and security industrial activities in Europe. He underlined the aerospace and defence industry’s high content of cutting-edge technology, which contributes to the wider competitiveness and quality of life in Europe, as well as the global context.
He stated, “Creating the Single European Defence Equipment Market will be a most important contribution to the required level of long-term affordability of the European defence effort. Future defence capability will also require new technologies that we do not master today. European spending on R&D is lagging behind the US significantly. Europe needs to spend more, and to spend wisely, so that its industrial capability is built up for the future.
“Development in the right direction in these three areas will result in a reshaped and even more competitive European Defence Industry including an effective pan-European supply chain, securing an autonomous European alternative in the long term.”