FSDC Dinner Briefing in Berlin: Key Takeaways by Marcel Grisnigt

As part of the Future Security & Defence Council (FSDC) project aiming to support NATO’s ongoing defence innovation work by portraying key elements of a future NATO Defence Innovation Ecosystem, GLOBSEC hosted another dinner briefing, this time in Berlin. The goal was to present the project and the outcomes and recommendations of the final report: “Adaptive Portfolio: Catalysing NATO’s Performance Through Innovation”.

This time, the discussion focused more on the practical aspects and the closer link between the industry and the state sector. The briefing was attended by representatives of the state and private sectors, think-tank experts, and the media. Over the dinner, various views and insights, comments on the current security situation, and possible developments for the near future were exchanged.

FSDC members Marcel Grisnigt and Admiral Manfred Nielson started the discussion and presented the outcomes of the FSDC project to the audience.

Read below the key messages delivered by Marcel Grisnigt, Chief Corporate Development and Integration Officer and Member of the Executive Committee, KNDS: 

• The defence industry is ready to support every government decision with regard to the war in Ukraine and the re-strengthening of NATO´s deterrence capabilities. To be able to unleash it capacities in innovation or production, it needs a war approach in its regulatory framework. Data exchanges should be enabled in a more flexible way. Some of the rigid and slow processes and regulations have to be eliminated.
• Interoperability is key for both operational effectiveness and efficiency (logistics and affordability) and will improve the operational interoperability in Ukraine, as well as long-term development within NATO and the EU. This could be achieved via initiatives like cross-qualification by NATO, supported by the nations and the involved industry (e.g. the 155mm Artillery ammunition on the various systems used in Ukraine) and increased standardisation (e.g. via multinational standards for raw materials).
• Increased cooperation between NATO, the EU, nations, and industry is a prerequisite both to support Ukraine and to become resilient in the future. The necessary agility and flexibility should focus the cooperation on continuous dialogue, innovative procurement process (e.g. via multinational contracts through
  NSPA and OCCAR) with an early and collaborative interaction between nations and
  industry, incremental development, open architectures, modularity, and the implication of ´civil´ innovative industrial solutions.
• Longer-term visibility of the defence demands will facilitate faster and increased deliveries through more continuity in production and capacities and by enabling activating related supply chains.