Short-term readiness, long-term innovation: the European defence industry in turbulent times

The war in Ukraine, coupled with a more turbulent international system characterized by geopolitical competition between the United States and China, is leading to a simultaneous change in the demand and supply side of the European defence market. On the demand side, European countries are adapting...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inDefence studies Vol. 23; no. 4; pp. 626 - 643
Main Authors Calcara, Antonio, Gilli, Andrea, Gilli, Mauro
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published Abingdon Routledge 01.12.2023
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Subjects
Asymmetric warfare
Central government
Defence industry
Defense industry
Demand
European defence
Geopolitics
Innovations
Long term
Markets
procurement
Short term
Small states
technology
Ukraine
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Summary:The war in Ukraine, coupled with a more turbulent international system characterized by geopolitical competition between the United States and China, is leading to a simultaneous change in the demand and supply side of the European defence market. On the demand side, European countries are adapting their procurement plans to move from a crisis management phase dominated by asymmetric warfare against small states or non-state actors to an era of strategic competition and potential conflict against peer adversaries. On the supply side, European defence industries are preparing to meet the increased demand for major equipment from national governments in the short term, while at the same time trying to be ready to invest in long-term innovation, in order to anticipate future government requirements for the new era. This paper investigates the interactions between demand and supply in the European defence market and provides a first illustration of the trade-off between prioritizing short-term readiness over long-term innovation and vice versa
ISSN:1470-2436
1743-9698
DOI:10.1080/14702436.2023.2277439