European defence industry transformation roadmap

Practical Information:

• Administrator: Ioannis DIAMANTOPOULOS /Joana LOPES VILELA
• Contact: e-mail

The EU Youth Test at the EESC is being applied to this opinion. The ESDN Youth  was chosen by a group of interested youth organisations to represent all of them during the opinion-making process.

Background

The European Commission adopted the Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030 on 16 October 2025 as a follow-up to the Joint white paper for European Defence Readiness 2030 and the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) legislative initiative adopted in March 2025.

In the Defence Readiness Roadmap, the European Commission signalled that it will present the European Defence Transformation Roadmap in November 2025, as one of the milestones of the Defence Readiness Roadmap.

Europe must ensure it stays ahead of the defence tech curve. Development and manufacturing of critical and novel technologies are crucial to enhance defence capabilities.

Disruptive technologies, their fast testing and embedding in defence capabilities and agile engagement with the tech community are essentials for modern warfare. We must strengthen investment and innovation in Europe’s defence-tech-industrial base, in particular regarding the production of critical systems for modern warfare – whether drones, satellites command and control or a secured European cloud.

The defence industry transformation roadmap was adopted by the College of Commissioners on 19 November 2025.