ASD at EDA conference on industry’s role in Europe’s defence supply chains
ASD Secretary General Jan Pie spoke at the EDA Annual Conference 2025 on securing European defence supply chains and building resilience through industry collaboration
This week, the European Defence Agency (EDA) hosted its Annual Conference in Brussels, bringing together key stakeholders to discuss critical issues in European defence. ASD Secretary General Jan Pie was a featured speaker at a panel titled “Securing European supply chains – how can industry complement national efforts and develop European resilience?”
The panel explored strategies for strengthening Europe’s defence supply chains and enhancing resilience. Jan Pie shared industry perspectives alongside Robert de Groot, Vice President of the European Investment Bank; Timo Pesonen, Director General of DEFIS at the European Commission; and Arkadiusz Bąk, Board Member of ASD member company PGZ.
The discussion highlighted the vital role of industry in supporting national and European efforts to secure supply chains and build long-term resilience. Jan Pie emphasised that achieving resilient defence supply chains capable of withstanding even wartime conditions requires a robust industrial base. “There is no magic here,” he said, “you get the industrial basis you invest in.” He pointed out that despite increased demand in recent years defence industry production is not operating at full capacity due to a lack of long-term orders. To reach a higher level of defence readiness by 2030, European countries must invest today.
If we want to have resilient defence supply chains that could even handle a situation of war, then you need a resilient industrial base; and here it is no magic: you get the industrial basis you invest in.
The panel also addressed the fact that half of defence procurement still comes from non-European companies, underscoring the need for greater European self-reliance. Industry representatives welcomed the European Investment Bank’s (EIB) recent changes to its lending policy for dual-use projects, which make it more flexible for future revenue from defence. However, they criticised the continued exclusion of pure defence projects from EIB financing, calling it a wrong political signal to private banks.
Overall, the discussion focused on how to ramp up defence production volumes in Europe, improve access to finance, and make European defence programmes more effective and accessible. The conference underscored the importance of collaboration between public institutions and private industry to address shared challenges in the defence sector, providing a valuable platform for dialogue on advancing Europe’s defence capabilities, with ASD actively contributing to the conversation.
Conference photographs: ©European Defence Agency
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