EU 4 DEFENCE READINESS – ROAD MAP TO FUTURE: Croatia and Europe Discuss the Future of Defence and Strengthening Industrial Capabilities

On 2 October, the international conference “EU 4 Defence Readiness – Road Map to Future” was held in Zadar, organized by the Croatian Defence Industry Competitiveness Cluster (HKKOI) and Agencija ALAN, with Jutarnji list as the media partner. The conference brought together representatives of the Croatian and European defence industries, institutions, armed forces, business community and international community.

Held under the high patronage of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the conference addressed key issues related to European defence readiness – from the new geopolitical and security environment, financing and the development of defence capabilities, to technologies, innovation and strengthening Europe’s defence industrial base.

Ahead of the conference, Ivan Anušić, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia and Minister of Defence, held a meeting with HKKOI members. The meeting focused on current issues, the needs and further development of the Croatian defence industry, as well as strengthening its role within the European defence system.

At the beginning of the event, participants were also addressed by Goran Basarac, President of the Management Board of Agencija ALAN and President of the Croatian Defence Industry Competitiveness Cluster, and Goran Ogurlić, Editor-in-Chief of Hanza Media, who emphasized the importance of connecting institutions, industry and international partners at a time of rapidly growing requirements for defence capabilities and investment in defence.

The conference was opened with an introductory address by Ivan Anušić, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia and Minister of Defence, who also represented the Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia at the conference.

Following the opening remarks, the conference programme continued with a series of thematic panels addressing key questions concerning the future of European defence, ranging from the security and geopolitical environment to technologies, innovation, financing and the strengthening of the defence industry.

The first panel, “European Security in the New Geopolitical Environment,” addressed changes in the European security landscape and the need to adapt defence policies and capabilities to new geopolitical circumstances.

The discussion brought together Ivan Anušić, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Croatia and Minister of Defence; Ranko Krivokapić, former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Montenegro; Ejup Maqedonci, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Kosovo; Denis Tretinjak, Director of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Croatia; and Heiko Borchert, Co-Director of the Defense AI Observatory. The panel was moderated by Mislav Togonal (HRT).

The discussion provided a broader perspective on European security, the position of EU Member States and partner countries, and the need for stronger cooperation in building defence and security capabilities.

The second panel, “The European Defence Ecosystem: From Financing to Operational Capabilities,” focused on the relationship between European and national financial instruments and the concrete development of defence capabilities.

The panel featured Giorgio Trichilo from the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space – DG DEFIS; Ron Nulkes, Chairman of NATO’s Industrial Advisory Group – NIAG; Ante-Janko Bobetko, Deputy President of the Management Board of HAMAG-BICRO; Nera Pavić, Director of the Directorate for Industry and Mining at the Ministry of Economy; and Hrvoje Čuvalo, President of the Management Board of HBOR. The moderator was Mislav Togonal.

The panel particularly highlighted the importance of accessible financial instruments, institutional support and stronger cooperation among different stakeholders in order to transform defence investments into concrete industrial and operational capabilities.

The third panel, “Defence 2035: Technologies Transforming the Battlefield,” focused on the future of defence and the technologies that will shape the capabilities of armed forces in the years ahead.

Participants included Stjepan Sučić, President of the Management Board of Končar – Digital and representative of the CroCube project; Marijana Bačić, Member of the Management Board of Hrvatski Telekom and Chief Operating Officer for Business Customers; Siniša Krajnović, President of the Management Board of Ericsson Nikola Tesla; and Roko Vuletić, President of the Management Board of Iskra Shipyard.

The panel was moderated by Bruno Pavić, CEO of Pro Force and security expert.

The discussion explored how digital and advanced technologies, communications infrastructure, space technologies and new technological solutions are changing the way defence capabilities are developed and deployed.

The fourth panel, “Innovation as a Driver of Defence Competitiveness,” brought together academia, the defence industry and innovative Croatian technology companies.

The panel featured Prof. Nikola Mišković, PhD, from the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing at the University of Zagreb; Goran Basarac, President of the Management Board of Agencija ALAN; Marko Košuljandić, Co-Founder and CEO of Shadow Nautics; Tomislav Grubeša, Co-Founder and CTO of Geolux; and Filip Novoselnik, Co-Founder and CEO of Protostar Labs. The moderator was Mislav Togonal.

The panel emphasized the importance of creating an environment in which knowledge, research and entrepreneurship can be transformed into concrete products and technologies for the defence and security sector. Connecting the research and academic community, established industry and emerging technology companies is one of the key prerequisites for increasing the competitiveness of the European defence industry.

The final panel, “Building European Defence Industrial Strength,” focused on industrial cooperation, the development of production capabilities and the positioning of European companies on the global defence market.

The discussion brought together Gordan Pešić, Chief Executive Officer of Rheinmetall Unmanned Vehicles; Željko Pavlin, President of the Management Board of HS Produkt; Alojzije Šestan, CEO of Šestan-Busch; Marko Ćosić, President of the Management Board of Đuro Đaković Group; and Julien Hostin, Director of Industrial Cooperation at Naval Group.

The panel was moderated by Goran Basarac, President of the Management Board of Agencija ALAN.

The discussion focused in particular on how to further connect European manufacturers, major systems integrators and specialized companies, foster industrial partnerships and ensure that Europe has a strong, competitive and resilient defence industrial base.

The five conference panels provided a comprehensive perspective on the future of European defence – from security policy and geopolitical challenges, through financing and capability development, to new technologies, innovation and industrial cooperation.

For the Croatian defence industry, the conference represented an important platform for exchanging experience, connecting with European and international partners and opening opportunities for new forms of cooperation. At the same time, the participation of representatives of Croatian companies, institutions and academia demonstrated that Croatia possesses the knowledge, technologies and industrial capabilities that can contribute to the broader European defence ecosystem.

Photo: Jure Miskovic / CROPIX