The CEO of Indra Group highlights the strength of European industry

‘Europe has companies with sufficient capacity, but there is still a gap that we must overcome to achieve autonomy. To do so, we need to promote multinational programmes, secure stable investment, reduce bureaucracy, improve financing and strengthen collaboration and innovation,’ said José Vicente de los Mozos, CEO of Indra Group, in his speech at the European Defence & Security Summit. 

The CEO of Indra Group pointed out that ‘Indra is acting as a driving force and promoting Spanish companies, research centres and universities’ to enhance their capabilities and achieve this autonomy. 

After acknowledging the need for greater investment, he stressed first and foremost the need to work harder and better together ‘through flagship programmes that enable us to overcome the skills gap. We need to invest together’. 

De los Mozos also outlined the six areas of work to achieve European autonomy, which he summarised as ‘launching multinational programmes, ensuring long-term visibility of procurement plans, having a clear legislative framework, facilitating access to financing, which is particularly important for small businesses and SMEs, attracting talent, and learning to work as a team’. 

Regarding the need to attract talent, Indra's CEO stated that ‘we have to make our young people want to work in the defence sector. We must reach out to them to show them that we are developing the most advanced technologies in this sector.’ 

Regarding the increase in the defence budget, José Vicente de los Mozos highlighted the importance of the new Industrial and Technological Plan for Security and Defence promoted by the Spanish Ministry of Defence with an additional budget of more than 10 billion euros and more than 30 programmes, stating that ‘Spain is on the right track’ and that the industry must now work to create the necessary ecosystem for innovation, secure talent and improve coordination. He assured that ‘Europe is ready but needs an optimised industry’ and concluded by saying that ‘if political and financial stability is maintained, the industry will know what it has to do’ to achieve the goal of autonomy. 

The European Defence & Security Summit has established itself as one of the leading forums for the sector in Europe. It was opened by the European Commissioner for Defence and Space, Andrius Kubilius, and also featured David Luengo, director of the Indra Group office in Brussels, on behalf of the Indra Group.