Digital & Defence Innovation report launch event

Europe’s strategic autonomy depends on its capacity to innovate, cooperate, and adapt. The Brussels launch event of latest Makers & Shapers report on Digital & Defence Innovation for Europe’s Strategic Autonomy brought together leading figures from NATO, the European Defence Agency (EDA), the Hellenic Center for Defence Innovation (HCDI), AI & Robotics Estonia, Techcelerator, and others to discuss how Europe can accelerate dual-use digital technologies and foster collaboration across civilian and defence ecosystems. The event was hosted at the Permanent Representation of Estonia to the EU in Brussels and the audience was addressed by the Ambassador, Representative of Estonian to the Political & Security Committee Lauri Kuusing.

Opening the session, Federico Menna, CEO of 28DIGITAL, underlined the importance of connecting digital innovators and defence actors through practical collaboration. “Innovation is not an abstract goal — it’s the bridge between Europe’s security needs and its technological potential,” he said.

The moderated panel, led by Menna, focused on how to overcome fragmentation in Europe’s defence innovation landscape, improve governance frameworks, and support open, responsible innovation across sectors.

Cristian Dascalu (Techcelerator) emphasised that while stakeholders are eager to collaborate, “they want to be open but don’t know how to be open.” He called for a clear governance framework and hubs of buyers to simplify matchmaking between innovators and public actors.

Kirke Maar (AI & Robotics Estonia, AIRE EDIH) advocated for “test before invest” schemes to de-risk innovation, proposing regulatory sandboxes to “make illegal things legal.” She also raised the idea of mobilising pension funds for innovation and aligning NATO and EU standards.

Nikolaos Loutas (NATO) urged Europe to focus on “what really matters” — translating NATO capability targets into actionable innovation goals. He proposed gift contracts instead of traditional research grants, emphasizing the need for flexible processes, ring-fenced innovation budgets, and joint procurement mechanisms.

Panagiotis Papageorgiou (HCDI) highlighted the critical role of R&D, technology transfer offices, and talent pipelines, noting fragmentation among national innovation hubs. He advocated for cross-border collaboration and mapping national centres under the EDA framework.

Federica Valente (EDA) called for a “mindful consolidation” of efforts and the federation of experimentation, urging Europe to move beyond “prototype limbo.” She also pointed to the need to reform certification processes and ensure ethical responsibility principles in defence innovation.

Moderated by Iva Tasheva from CYEN, a Co-cyber EU project ambassador, the fireside chat explored how Europe can better link its civilian digital strengths with defence needs. Martin Karner from Enterprise Estonia a collaborator for this launch event, showcased Estonia’s success in leveraging public–private partnerships, stating that “civilian digital excellence can translate directly into defence resilience.” He proposed national initiatives as models for EU-wide civil–defence collaboration frameworks.

The event concluded with a shared recognition that Europe’s strategic autonomy requires not only new technologies but also new governance models and collaborative mechanisms that integrate civilian innovation ecosystems with defence objectives.

28DIGITAL and its partners will continue to advance dialogue and cooperation across EU institutions, defence organisations, and innovators — fostering a trusted environment for dual-use innovation that strengthens both Europe’s security and competitiveness. Read the full report here.