EUROPE
Taiwan’s president has called for deeper defense cooperation with European partners, signaling interest in closer industrial and security ties at a time of mounting pressure from Beijing. The outreach reflects Taipei’s effort to diversify strategic partnerships beyond the United States.
Bulgaria
Hensoldt and Dronamics have launched a joint initiative to develop an unmanned airborne early warning capability based on the Black Swan drone platform.
Opinion
As European governments accelerate defence production and integration amid shifting security dynamics, national arms-export licensing systems are coming under scrutiny for allowing military equipment to reach risky markets despite strict EU criteria.
Bulgaria
Bulgaria attracted the highest volume of venture capital investment in defense and security startups among Central and Eastern European countries in 2025.
Romania
South Korean defence firm Hanwha Aerospace has started construction of its first European armoured vehicle production facility in Petrești, Romania. The site is designed to support local assembly of the K9 self-propelled howitzer and K10 ammunition vehicles.
Finland
Nammo has entered the operational start-up phase of its new percussion primer manufacturing facility in Vihtavuori, Finland, with full production capacity expected by 2027. The plant is set to significantly strengthen Nordic and European ammunition supply chains.
Finland
Retired Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, former commander of U.S. Army Europe, has been appointed principal strategic advisor to the advisory board of the Finserve Global Security fund. Hodges will support long-term capability assessment and geopolitical analysis for investment strategies.
Defence Startups
Venture capital investment in European defence, security and resilience startups surged to an unprecedented $8.7 billion in 2025, driven by large late-stage rounds and increasing investor interest in deep tech for security applications.
Greece
India and Greece have signed a declaration aimed at deepening defense-industrial cooperation, focusing on joint production, technology collaboration, and closer ties between defense companies. The framework is intended to facilitate industrial partnerships rather than immediate procurement deals.
Ukraine
Kyiv moves to commercialise battlefield-tested arms and integrate domestically forged defence technology into European markets
WDS 2026
Czechoslovak Group and Poland’s state-owned defense holding PGZ have formalized cooperation to jointly market a modular remote mining deployment system integrated on Tatra wheeled vehicles for export.
Latvia
Latvia is planning to establish a domestic anti-tank mine production facility within the next two years as part of its broader effort to strengthen national defense manufacturing capacity.