INESC TEC takes part in meeting with the European Commissioner for Defence and Space

João Claro, Chairman of the Board of Directors, represented INESC TEC at a roundtable that brought together the main national stakeholders in the fields of defence and space. The meeting took place in Lisbon as part of the first official visit to Portugal by the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, and included meetings with representatives of the Government, academia, the research and innovation ecosystem, and industry.

INESC TEC’s participation stemmed from the current European context of increasing defence capabilities and making strategic investments in space. This context has been shaped by initiatives such as the Readiness 2030 White Paper, the ReArm Europe plan, and the mobilisation of new financial instruments designed to support innovation, preparedness and the European Union’s strategic autonomy.

INESC TEC plays an active role in relevant European programmes in these areas, including the European Defence Fund (EDF) and initiatives of the European Space Agency (ESA), and holds a well-established track record of collaboration with national entities in the defence sector, particularly in the fields of maritime robotics and autonomous systems.

At European level, the Institute participates in strategic research and innovation networks and platforms, namely the European Association of Research and Technology Organisations (EARTO) – through the Security and Defence Working Group – and the European Association of Space Technology Research Organisations (EASTRO), contributing to dialogue and to the implementation of European policies in the areas of defence, space and dual-use technologies.

During the meeting in Lisbon, the importance of Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs), such as INESC TEC, was highlighted as strategic infrastructures for sovereignty, with the capacity to bridge science, industry and public policies, supporting the transfer of knowledge and technology into operational capabilities of European interest.

Within this framework, INESC TEC underlined the contribution in priority areas for the European Union, such as robotics and autonomous systems, Artificial Intelligence, digital technologies and other solutions with potential applications in the civil, security and defence domains.

“A central aspect of our work is the dual-use approach, understood as a responsible synergy between civil and defence applications, guided by European values and objectives of public interest,” said João Claro, Chairman of the Board of Directors of INESC TEC.

The visit of the European Commissioner for Defence and Space to Portugal provided an opportunity to strengthen dialogue between European institutions and national stakeholders, highlighting the role of research and innovation in building a more prepared, secure and resilient Europe.