Our input to the European Defence Industry Transformation Roadmap

Executive summary
Europe’s defence transformation must be digital-by-design. Lessons from the war in Ukraine have shown that whilst traditional platforms remain indispensable, operational superiority now depends on the intelligent integration of digital and dual-use technologies. Artificial intelligence, autonomous systems, secure connectivity, real-time data fusion and resilient cyber infrastructure are already defining the effectiveness, responsiveness and speed of modern defence operations.

At its meeting on 23 October 2025, the European Council invited the European Commission to present a roadmap for transforming the defence industry — a critical opportunity to strengthen Europe’s technological and industrial base and bridge the gap between digital innovation and defence readiness.

DIGITALEUROPE, representing digitally transforming industries across defence, dual-use and civilian technologies, welcomes this effort and stands ready to contribute. Building on cross-sector expertise, this paper provides industrial input to inform and support the development of the forthcoming European Defence Industry Transformation Roadmap (EDITR). It outlines the policy, funding and governance foundations necessary to establish a digitally enabled, competitive and resilient European defence ecosystem.

Europe’s defence digitalisation faces long-standing barriers, including market fragmentation, regulatory inconsistency and limited interoperability. Overcoming these barriers requires a coherent and forwardlooking approach that embeds digital and dual-use technologies from the earliest stages of capability planning and procurement. This transformation should be guided by capability requirements and operational priorities, whilst remaining digitally driven, industry-inclusive and human-centred. It should also leverage commercial innovation and proven solutions from qualified providers within the EU and trusted international partners, demonstrating how dual-use technologies strengthen both economic competitiveness and defence readiness.

Building on this ambition, DIGITALEUROPE proposes the Copenhagen Project, a pan-European framework to channel European Union (EU) resources, combined with national budgets, to rapidly deploy dual-use digital technologies that protect critical infrastructure, enhance resilience, and build Europe’s next generation of digital champions.

To achieve the above, DIGITALEUROPE calls on the forthcoming EDITR to:

1. Integrate defence and dual-use digital technologies from the earliest stages of capability
   planning and procurement;
2. Establish a secure and interoperable digital backbone for connectivity, data, cloud, quantum
   communications and AI-enabled systems across all operational domains;
3. Empower innovators and solution providers across the industrial spectrum, from large
   enterprises to SMEs and start-ups, as full participants in Europe’s defence modernisation;
4. Harmonise standards and regulatory frameworks to enable cross-border cooperation and
   interoperability; and
5. Invest in the digital skills and mobility essential for a competitive, digitally-enabled and resilient
   defence sector.

DIGITALEUROPE identifies seven key enablers that together can translate Europe’s digital ambition into
operational capability and sustained defence transformation (see Figure 1). Together, these enablers
outline the key steps to modernise Europe’s defence ecosystem and form the foundation of a secure, agile
and technologically resilient European defence industry.