Amidst Russian aggression against Ukraine, EU must invest more in defense technologies – Borrell
As reported by Ukrinform, this was stated by EU High Representative Josep Borrell in his blog on the website of the EU Diplomatic Service. He made these remarks following his participation in the COTEC conference on technological sovereignty in defense, held in September in Las Palmas, Spain.
"Russia’s aggressive imperialism was truly seen as an existential threat to the Union, the choice of joint debt would be made quickly. Resorting to joint debt to finance a major military effort in support of Ukraine, in order to force Putin to the negotiating table, would certainly be in accordance with the treaty. It would also boost Europe’s competitiveness in the crucial industrial defence sectors and ensure we do not fall irreparably behind Russia and others," the EU High Representative noted.
According to him, the EU and its member states spend EUR 14.4 billion annually on research and development in the defense sector. In contrast, for example, the USA spends almost ten times more on such programs — EUR 130 billion. At the same time, European investments are fragmented and distributed among member states. This fragmentation reflects the overall situation in the European defense, as only 18% of defense equipment in Europe is ordered jointly, while the rest is done on a national basis in each member state. The result is that the European defense industry is too small in scale, overly fragmented, and faces lack of innovation.
To address this issue, the EU has begun to coordinate efforts in defense production. The European Defense Fund, established within the framework of the EU's multiannual budget, allocates EUR 8 billion for defense research over a seven-year period. Within the European Defense Agency, the Hub for EU Defence Innovation (HEDI) was created, involving small and medium enterprises and private businesses. Simultaneously, the European Commission has launched the so-called Defense Innovation Scheme, which has provided funding to around 400 European companies totaling EUR 225 million this year.
Furthermore, the EU High Representative emphasized the importance of strengthening interaction between defense production and the private sector. Many modern technologies have transitioned from the defense sector to the consumer market, but today there is a reverse trend — an increasing number of civilian commercial technologies are being used in the defense sector.
"Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine has provided a clear illustration of this trend. It began with a large-scale cyber-attack. It was Microsoft – a commercial entity – that was able to, and stepped in, to safeguard Ukraine's digital infrastructure. When Russia targeted Ukraine’s internet infrastructure, it was Starlink, another commercial operator, which kept the Ukrainian armed forces connected," recalled Borrell.
"In a world full of war and unrest, we must think big again; investing heavily in key technologies like AI, drones, and space capabilities, and helping our defense industry unlock its potential," added the EU High Representative.
As reported, in May this year, the EU-Ukraine Defense Industry Forum took place in Brussels with over 350 participants, during which Josep Borrell announced the EU's intention to open the EU Office of Defense Innovation in Kyiv by the end of the year.
