site.btaExperts Discuss EU Technological Autonomy at Sofia Conference

A conference on Technological Autonomy of the EU: Strategies, Financing, and Implementation, organized by the Sofia Security Forum and the Spanish Embassy in Sofia was held on Wednesday in the Bulgarian capital.

The war in Ukraine has reminded everyone of the critical role of industrial resilience and technological innovation, Miguel Alonso Berrio, Spanish Ambassador to Bulgaria said at the opening. "Today's conference focuses specifically on the EU's technological autonomy in the military-industrial sector and the defence industry. Chronic underinvestment and inefficient spending have eroded Europe's military capabilities. The defence sector in Europe is still fragmented between national markets and lacks large companies capable of competing with foreign giants," Berrio added.

"The only way to protect our freedom is to ensure our technological advantage," Velizar Shalamanov, Director of Defence Policy at the Atlantic Club said.

Shalamanov drew the attention of the participants in the forum to the establishment of a Defence Innovation Centre by a government decision three months ago. “For NATO, three months is a very long time. If you work at NATO, 32 nations are pushing you to deliver results every week. In Ukraine, we see drones being upgraded and modified every week. Russia responds every month. This is one of the aspects of the defence industry, it is not driven by consumers, but by strategic competition for technological superiority between us and our adversaries,” Shalamanov said.

The debate on European strategic autonomy is taking place in a very specific context, linked to the rapid deterioration of security in and around Europe, not only on the eastern flank, but also on the southern flank and the Atlantic, as well as the gradual decline in US commitment to our security, Luis Enrique Moya Canovas from Indra Sistemas, Spanish information technology and defence company, said. “We will continue to rely on our allies for collective defence, but the message we are receiving in the EU is that Europeans must take greater responsibility for their own security and defence and must contribute to a fair distribution of burdens when it comes to collective defence,” Luis Moya added.

Europe is critically dependent on US satellite infrastructure and services, retired Flotilla Admiral and EnduroSat space defence advisor Boyan Mednikarov said. "Every country in Europe must have its own satellite system, its own air surveillance systems or capabilities, command and control systems that enable us to respond adequately to various threats. We are the EU, and we must work together, but the first step is to establish our own assets and then discuss and consider how to integrate these assets with other countries,” Mednikarov added.

“It is unclear what the next EU financial framework will bring, but it seems that we will encounter serious difficulties in implementing large European projects in which several countries join forces to develop future combat systems,” said Gonzalo Leon Serrano, Vice-President of the Foundation of Military Science and Arts.

“The pace of innovation in Ukraine is incredible. Ukrainians have to update their cyber defences every week or every two weeks because Russia is breaking them,” Borislav Bankov from the GATE Institute said. "The lack of money in start-ups can sometimes be a good thing because they are forced to think of innovative ways to shake up the market with fewer resources. They are actually looking for asymmetric approaches to apply already existing and ready-made technologies, but in more unexpected and truly innovative way,” Bankov added.