P L A T F O R M Together for A SAFER SOCIETY AFEW weeks ago the first International Exhibition of its kind in Spain, FEINDEF, was held at IFEMA in Madrid. The exhibition was organised and promoted by the two business associations of the sector, TEDAE and AESMIDE, and received institutional support from the Ministry of Defence at all times. The result was highly satisfactory for all involved, particularly for the exhibitors who showcased their products to over 10,000 professional visitors and 48 official delegates from 32 countries. Spain thus joins the reduced group of countries that regularly hold defence and security exhibitions. The aim was to give the exhibition a Mediterranean flair and a dash of Spanish culture, while also touching on key items of particular importance to Spanish society, such as advanced technology and employment. The industrial sector of defence and security is going through a series of changes which, as in other industrial sectors, will soon accelerate as a result of corporate restructuring processes at both European and global level due to the speed of technological change, sustainability and the commercial activity the world will experience in the coming years. The emergence of new threats and risk areas gives rise to the permanent need to adapt as quickly as possible, strengthening operational and industrial capabilities, Ángel Olivares Ramírez State Secretary of Defence taking into account the unstoppable process of digitalisation we are experiencing and the unavoidable undertakings we must assume in sustainable development, as a commitment to the future generations of our society. This cannot be tackled in an isolated manner; it must be done through international agreements and cooperation programmes, in which Spain as a country must do its bit so that society can feel, and be, safer. As the Minister said during her opening speech, «It is not possible to conceive of defence outside the frameworks of the EU and NATO», in which «the role of the defence industry in the creation of employment and in investment in R&D is fundamental. That is the future». On the other hand, it is impossible to envisage a national defence system that is credible and shows solidary without a powerful industry that provides and sustains the equipment and systems needed by the Armed Forces for improved and more efficient accomplishment of their missions, thus ensuring peace, freedom and the well-being of our society. Within the framework of a State policy, such as the defence and security policy, the Ministry of Defence is a crucial actor, fully undertaking to cooperate with other public, private, national and international entities to make progress in achieving a safer society together. The FEINDEF conference and debate programme has been a good example of this. Another aspect that should be highlighted is the Chief of Defence Staff’s initiative to organise and invite his Latin American counterparts to a seminar on peace-keeping operations which was held at the same time as FEINDEF. The representatives from these countries were thus able to have a look at FEINDEF and learn, in a unique space, of the novelties presented by our companies, from the biggest and best known companies down to the SMEs, which constitute a particularly dynamic and innovative framework of this industrial sector which is a strategic actor of our Defence. FEINDEF 2019 has also been a good example of how interaction with universities and research centres has brought about merging in «military» and «civilian» R&D+i developments, in a broad and dual sense. It is necessary to work closely with the civilian sector, encouraging innovation and the dual nature of technology for the benefit of the whole of society. This joint work makes better use of investments, adapting technological developments to multiple applications. From the Ministry of Defence we wish to thank all those who have participated in any way in the exhibition, in particular the companies and delegations from countries that have visited us, who we invite to accompany us in the second edition, on which we have already started work. We are open to any improvements which, having experienced this first exhibition, you may wish to raise in order to cater for everyone. I wish to extend this gratitude to the General Headquarters of the Army, the Air Force and the Navy, who have made this Exhibition their own, achieving perfect harmony with the companies from the sector. We want the second edition of FEINDEF, planned for May 2021, to be a leap forward in the internationalisation of companies and with regard to the presence of foreign delegations, making progress in dynamic exhibitions, with an express invitation to set up national exhibition halls and design an extensive programme of forums and conferences in which, as well as dual innovation as a key technological mechanism for the industry and the Armed Forces, matters of security and defence of interest to our society are dealt with. Spain is a modern, dynamic and welcoming country which, thanks to its size, history and conviction, must be one of the main players called upon to lead a safer and fairer European society. With FEINDEF 2019 we have started to fill an inexplicable void. Our success is everyone’s success. July/August 2019 Revista Española de Defensa 21
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