KPMG, in partnership with New Strategy Center, organized on Tuesday, April 21, the conference “Central and Eastern Europe – A Growing Opportunity for Multinational Defence & Security Investments,” aimed at presenting the study “The Underdog Advantage: Central and Eastern Europe – A Growing Opportunity for Multinational Defence and Security Investments,” developed by KPMG and New Strategy Center. The report analyzes how the current strategic realignment is strengthening Central and Eastern Europe as a priority destination for investments in defense and security, in the context of the security challenges generated by Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine.
Officials, experts, and company representatives commented on a series of conclusions and strategic directions resulting from the report, highlighting that the Central and Eastern European region is becoming increasingly relevant within the Euro-Atlantic security architecture, as well as in terms of industrial production and research capacity, due in part to the advantage of integrating Ukraine’s battlefield-acquired expertise—particularly in unmanned systems. At the same time, the strategic importance of Romania and the Black Sea region was emphasized, along with the steps being taken at the national level to enhance deterrence and defense capabilities. In this context, the need to maintain the growth of Romania’s defense budget, in line with the commitments made at the NATO Summit in The Hague, was highlighted, as well as the harmonization of the legislative framework for military procurement.
The essential role of collaboration between the public and private sectors in developing critical infrastructure and accelerating innovation in the security field was also underlined. Last but not least, participants stressed the importance of learning lessons from the war in Ukraine, particularly regarding the pace and direction of innovation in the defense sector and the use of unmanned systems on the battlefield.
From New Strategy Center, George Scutaru, CEO, participated as a speaker, and Rear Admiral (ret.) Iuri Covaleov, Senior Associate Expert, served as moderator of the second panel.
