ICDS Research Fellows Eerik Marmei and Tomas Jermalavičius contributed, as panel moderators, to “eESTi in Defence—Event for European Science, Technology & Innovation“, which took place on November 29th-December 1st in Tallinn as part of Estonia‘s EU Presidency programme.
The forum, which was organised by the Estonian Defence Industry Association and the Estonian Ministry of Defence, brought together around two hundred representatives of industry, science, governments and armed forces of eighteen nations as well as NATO and the EU. The event focused on ways of boosting defence innovation across Europe and increasing multinational cooperation in developing cutting edge military capabilities. Eerik Marmei chaired a session exploring future of defence science, technology and innovation, where panellists from Tallinn University of Technology, the Dutch applied research organisation TNO as well as the leading Swedish defence industry company, SAAB, shared their thoughts on the subject. Tomas Jermalavičius led the discussion on the EU role in enhancing defence innovation, with the senior representatives of the European Defence Agency, Estonian Ministry of Defence and ADS—trade organisation representing the aerospace, defence, security and space industries in the United Kingdom—as session panellists.