Venue: Fundación Carlos de Amberes
Wednesday, 18 June 2025, from 12:00 to 13:00 h. CEST (UTC+2). Venue: Fundación Carlos de Amberes, c/ Claudio Coello 99, Madrid.
As European defence rises to the top of the agenda in response to growing geopolitical uncertainty and shifting transatlantic dynamics, the European Union has launched several initiatives to strengthen defence capabilities and industrial cooperation. It is necessary to explore what these developments mean for Spain—a country often criticised for low defence spending but now poised to increase its budget and engagement.
To this end, the Elcano Royal Institute presents a new policy paper titled ‘The defence dilemma: can Spain ride Europe’s defence revival?’, which is authored by Félix Arteaga, Daniel Fiott and Luis Simón. Based on a presentation of the main findings of the policy paper, this discussion will centre on Spain’s opportunity to benefit from evolving EU frameworks such as Readiness 2030 and to participate in flagship defence programmes.
It will also address challenges within Spain’s defence innovation ecosystem, which remains fragmented and poorly integrated with civilian sectors. Drawing on the conclusions of this new policy paper, the authors will map key strategic, technological and regulatory shifts in EU defence policy and assess Spain’s positioning.
The authors will also lead a discussion about actionable recommendations for Spain to enhance its role in European defence and secure its industrial future in an increasingly competitive landscape.
Hashtag: #DefensaEspUE
Programme
Participants:
- Chair: María Dolores de Cospedal, Deputy Chair, Elcano Royal Institute.
With the participation of the Elcano Royal Institute members of the Research Team:
- Félix Arteaga
- Daniel Fiott | @DanielFiott (he will speak in English)
- Carlota García Encina | @EncinaCharlie
- Luis Simón | @LuisSimn
– The event will be held in Spanish and English without simultaneous translation.
– If you would like to attend in-person, please send RSVP to confirmaciones@rielcano.org.
– In-person event. The video recording will be available on our website the following day.
Image: Two aircraft from the Patrulla Águila during an air show held as part of the Aire 25 Festival at the General Air and Space Academy (04/04/2025).
Photo: Chen Peng – Spanish Air and Space Force, Ministry of Defence of Spain (CC BY-NC 2.0).
