Policy brief
Published:
From spending to delivery: Coalition-based governance to scale Europe’s defence industry at speed
Written by
John Karlsrud
Research Professor
Yf Reykers
Associate Professor, Maastricht University
Ed.
Summary:
Europe’s defence landscape is entering a new and decisive phase – not only in spending, but in how spending is translated into capability. After years of underinvestment, governments are now committing resources at levels once deemed politically impossible, driven by Russia's threat and shifting US priorities. In this brief, we argue that the current model underpinning European defence procurement, production and innovation is ill-suited to a rapidly evolving threat landscape. Instead, Europe needs a governance model built for speed, flexibility and scale.
- Published year: 2026
- Publisher: Norwegian Institute of International Affairs
- Page count: 4
- Language: English
- Volume: 2026
- Booklet: 10