Dr. Berti, how can Europe scale and integrate its defense industrial base?
“Europe’s defense industrial base needs to grow. This in turn requires Allies to continue increasing investments in defense and sending a clear and sustained demand signal, backed by tangible contracts. At the same time, while stronger defense budgets are creating the right incentives for industry to expand production, sustained growth also requires greater multinational cooperation through joint procurement, development and acquisition. Reducing fragmentation and aggregating demand are key to achieving scale. At the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, we are supporting these efforts by examining how procurement systems can become faster, more agile, and better suited to today’s security environment, while ensuring accountability and delivering capability at speed.”
What role can private capital and dual use innovation play in financing this effort?
“Private capital is essential to sustainably scaling Europe’s defense industrial capacity. Public investment alone will not be sufficient to finance the scale-up required, so it is important to create the right incentives and remove barriers to investment across the security, defense and resilience sectors. Legislators have a key role to play in streamlining regulation, reducing perceived risks and enacting the incentives needed to help attract more private financing.
At the same time, investing in the broader technology ecosystem is critical. Much of today’s innovation is dual use, with applications in both the civilian and defense sectors. Strengthening cooperation between defence actors, SMEs, start-ups, and technology firms can accelerate innovation and help build a more resilient and competitive defence industrial ecosystem. Legislators and policymakers can support this effort by fostering closer integration between the defense and innovation communities and ensuring that regulatory and financial frameworks enable investment and innovation to flourish.”
How can transatlantic cooperation be sustained and strengthened at a time of shifting geopolitical priorities?
“The transatlantic defense industrial base remains a critical strategic asset for both Europe and North America. It underpins interoperability, reinforces transatlantic cohesion, and provides an essential foundation for NATO’s collective defense. As Europe rightly strengthens its own defense industrial capacity, this should be seen as complementary to, rather than separate from, the broader transatlantic ecosystem. Sustaining and strengthening transatlantic cooperation will require continued joint investment, research and development, and collaborative production efforts. These are mutually beneficial initiatives that enhance resilience, innovation, and military readiness on both sides of the Atlantic. At the same time, defense cooperation should also leverage partnerships beyond the Alliance. It is especially important to continue deepening defense cooperation with Ukraine, whose wartime experience in accelerating innovation, production, and capability development can benefit the wider Alliance.”
Benedetta Berti ist seit Oktober 2025 die Generalsekretärin der Parlamentarischen Versammlung der NATO. Zuvor war sie Direktorin für politische Planung im Büro des NATO-Generalsekretärs. Dieses Kurz-Interview entstand im Nachgang einer Dinner-Diskussion in Kooperation mit dem Milken Institute in Berlin.