🔹 Europe’s Defence at a Crossroads: Strategy, Industry, and Coordination

On May 22, in Paris, the DataDriven team had the pleasure of joining Oliver Wyman and ONERA for a high-level roundtable on the future of European defence in an era of renewed geopolitical pressure.

🧭 One thing is clear: Europe must urgently rebuild its deterrence capabilities in the face of large-scale warfare’s return.

Key takeaways:

• 🪖 European defence spending is expected to double by 2030 — from €429B to €709B — yet remains fragmented in focus.

• 🏭 Industrial ramp-up is critical, from new defence production lines to workforce expansion (e.g. Safran plans 18,000 new hires in 2024).

• 🌍 Strategic cohesion remains a challenge, with political diversity across EU countries slowing joint initiatives.

📌 Four strategic questions dominate the current defence agenda:

1. Which capabilities should be prioritised at national and EU level?

2. How can production scale up fast enough to meet demand?

3. Which partnerships are critical for defence sovereignty?

4. How can Europe de-risk its defence supply chains?

We’re proud to contribute to these discussions and to support public sector and industrial actors in building robust, sovereign security and defence strategies.