Smarter spending today, safer societies tomorrow

Policy Brief

The Russian invasion of Ukraine has greatly deteriorated European security. As rising defence expenditures face political and economic trade-offs, it is vital to ensure that European financial resources are invested strategically, and that better coordinated EU-led spending is directed toward high-impact digital defence capabilities that deliver greater returns in deterrence, autonomy, and resilience.

This policy brief by FEPS provides an overview of European digital defence technologies and policy instruments that enable their development and procurement. The co-authors, Kirill Shamiev and Giorgos Verdi (ECFR), analyse cyber warfare, electronic warfare, unmanned systems, and space and communications, as well as cross-cutting enablers, such as artificial intelligence and big-data analytics, quantum cybersecurity, and computing. 

The policy brief explores four potential areas for improvement in European defence industrial policy: strengthening the technology base, reforming the public procurement process, enabling joint purchasing, and protecting the digital defence capabilities. It concludes with a series of topics for further research, including on manpower, the integration of diverse military and administrative cultures and threat perceptions, as well as compliance with EU human rights law and international humanitarian law.

This policy brief was launched at Call to Europe Denmark, alongside the publications More money, more dependence? and ReArm Europe.

This policy brief was developed in the framework of FEPS EU Defence Working Group.