Agility and speed take centre stage

Global power shifts are forcing Europe to rethink its defence strategy. Is Europe prepared for its responsibilities and the new era of shifting world orders? Michel van Ierland, Managing Partner at Unified International, shares his perspective.

With the United States adjusting its geopolitical priorities and security threats rising, Europe must strengthen its own industrial base and technological capabilities fast. The war in Ukraine has underscored the urgency of reducing reliance on external players and accelerating regional defence production.

As the world order evolves, Europe must adopt a proactive approach. Strengthening its defence industry and technological capabilities is essential for greater self-reliance, rather than depending heavy on American support. This shift is crucial for the continent’s safe future – it is no longer a matter of choice, but of necessity.

As Europe strengthens its industrial base, it is in the strategic interest of the US to support this effort and reinforce transatlantic ties.

While strong, Europe’s defence industry remains fragmented. To increase production, it must invest in advanced technology, expand production capacity and foster cross-border industrial cooperation. A more integrated approach is essential. Countries should work together, fostering innovation, efficiency and resilience to strengthen Europe for the challenges ahead.

The need for acceleration and strategic cooperation

The urgency to strengthen Europe’s defence capabilities is increasing and the sector is undergoing an unprecedented shift.

However, the current diversity and fragmentation of EU defence systems, coupled with complex decision-making, delay a rapid and effective response. Standardisation across European defence industries is critical to ensuring interoperability and efficiency in joint operations. Without combined technological frameworks, Europe’s defence effectiveness remains compromised. The European agencies can play an important role here.

Adopting high-tech industry principles, flexible production, rapid iterations and pragmatic decisions, can drive this shift. The need for speed also creates opportunities.

Meanwhile, there is a challenge in the speed at which Europe can scale its capacity. Put simply: Where there used to be time but no money, now the opposite is true: there is money, but no time. Rapid execution is the real challenge. This demands a shift from traditional methods of procurement and project execution to an approach where innovation and speed go hand in hand.

In addition to a stronger Europe, the transatlantic cooperation remains essential. European capabilities are valuable to American defence industries, just as U.S. technologies are critical to European defence efforts. A balanced, reciprocal partnership is key further strengthening Europe’s independence without severing ties.

A clear (new) national and EU strategy will help companies meet rising defence demands, while new players can help transform industrialisation.

Michel van Ierland is Founder and Managing Partner of Unified International. Before life as a consultant, Michel was a Naval Officer

Technology and industrial capacity as key factors

New technologies are reshaping modern warfare. In Ukraine, high-tech innovations such as drones and autonomous systems have proven to be powerful and cost-efficient. Europe must invest in these technologies but also in the capacity to innovate and produce them quickly and also on a large scale.

Despite strong innovation in drone technology, the Netherlands lacks the large production capacity needed to rapidly deploy these solutions at scale. While the country excels in research and development, the challenge lies in transitioning from innovation to high-rate industrial production. Addressing this requires renewed investment in manufacturing, ammunition production and flexible, low-manpower production lines.

Independence and geopolitical resilience

Many defence technologies depend on scarce raw materials and external supply chains. Globalisation has brought Europe economic benefits but also strategic vulnerabilities. To increase geopolitical resilience, new alliances must be formed and supply chains must be diversified.

The geopolitical developments make clear that Europe has no time to lose. By prioritising speed, agility and collaboration, Europe can build a strong and independent defence industry capable of meeting future challenges. This means investing not only in domestic industry but also in strategic partnerships to secure access to critical materials and technologies.

Unified International: Bridging Industry and Defence

At Unified international, we play a role in strengthening cooperation between governments and industry within the defence sector. Our expertise helps companies navigate the complex defence market – we support with developing strategic roadmaps, business case development, securing procurement opportunities and the delivery of operational and technical projects.