On 26 February 2026, EA 1st Vice-President Tadeusz Truskolaski, CoR Rapporteur on the EU Defence Industry Transformation Roadmap, participated in a stakeholders meeting dedicated to the future of Europe's defence ecosystem.

The discussion took place in the context of the ongoing war in Ukraine, which continues to demonstrate how rapidly defence technologies evolve and how profoundly they can alter battlefield dynamics. Innovation cycles have accelerated dramatically, with emerging technologies reshaping operational capabilities in real time. This new reality calls for a more agile, resilient, and integrated European defence industry.

A key message of the meeting was the growing importance of SMEs, small mid-caps, start-ups and scale-ups in the defence sector. These actors are now central to technological breakthroughs, particularly in areas such as unmanned systems, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, advanced materials, and dual-use solutions.

In his intervention, Mr Truskolaski emphasised that regions and cities play a crucial role in building the platforms and ecosystems necessary for defence innovation. Local and regional authorities are uniquely positioned to connect defence and civilian SMEs, research institutions, clusters, and larger industrial players.

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