In cooperation with the Zagreb Office of the Hanns Seidel Foundation and Algebra University, the Institute for Development and International Relations (IRMO) organised a roundtable discussion that was held on 25 April 2025 on the topic “The EU in a Hardened Contemporary Environment: Balancing Security, Dual-Use Technology, Innovation, and Welfare”.
The moderator of the roundtable, Sandro Knezović, PhD, a scientific advisor at the Department of International Economic and Political Relations at IRMO, led the discussion on effective strengthening of the EU’s strategic autonomy while maintaining resilient value chains, the roles of AI and dual-use technology in strengthening Europe’s cybersecurity and defence, as well as on the ways to strike a balance between strengthening the EU’s defence industry and preserving commitments to social welfare. The speakers included numerous policymakers and experts, including, Jakša Puljiz, PhD, Head of the Department of European Policies IRMO. The discussion generated a wealth of new ideas and directions for the future.
One of the main conclusions was that competitiveness is key. It was pointed out that in order to ensure Europe’s strategic autonomy, an internal balance between EU member states, as well as balance between EU values, should be established. Furthermore, one of the main problems mentioned was the EU’s reactive character, when it should strive for proactiveness.
One of the suggestions made by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Robert Kopal was the establishment of an EU army. Another suggestion made by a speaker concerned investing in low-level companies that provide key materials for weapons manufacturing, as well as reducing the standards and norms companies must meet so they can focus more on production. Regarding the use of AI and dual-use technology for defence purposes, a point was made that implementation of DARQ technologies in the future is inevitable, and that investing in the defence sector should be seen as an investment in the civil sector. Speakers added that it is important to clarify that investing in military and technology indeed means investing in the technologies already used by civilians and further improving them.
Finally, regarding the establishment of a balance between strengthening of the defence industry and preserving commitments to social welfare, the conclusion was made that it will be difficult to uphold social security within the EU, and that each member state will have to consider its own budget and decide what can be „sacrificed“.
