At the 10th Delphi Economic Forum, held April 9–12, 2025, Nikolaos Papatsas, Senior Partner at EFA Group and Vice President of HASDIG (Hellenic Aerospace Security & Defense Industries Group), joined two high-level panels exploring the trajectory of European defense in a shifting geopolitical landscape.
In the panel “The Future of European Defense in a Post-American Europe”, Papatsas stressed the pressing need for Europe to consolidate its fragmented defense landscape. “Two years ago, 68% of European defense spending went to U.S. systems,” he noted. “We have significant ground to cover. Each country operates its own systems and policies, while the U.S. is already on 6th-generation fighters—Europe hasn’t produced its first.”
He joined fellow panelists William Drozdiak (Global Fellow, Woodrow Wilson Center), Thomas Pugh (Chief Economist, RSM UK), and Dimitrios Kottas (CEO, Delian Alliance Industries), in a discussion moderated by journalist Alexandra Fotaki (in.gr). The conversation underscored the need for industrial unification, faster innovation, and a strategic shift toward European defense autonomy.
In a second panel titled “Defense Innovation & Emerging Technologies: Challenges and Prospects”, supported by NCSR Demokritos, Papatsas contributed to a dialogue on innovation and funding in defense technology. Speakers included Konstantinos Karantzalos (Secretary General, Ministry of Digital Governance), Stefan Hefter (Partner, KPMG), Panagiotis Papageorgiou (Board Member, Hellenic Defense Innovation Center), and moderator George Nounesis (Director, NCSR Demokritos and Advisor at EY).
The panelists explored Europe’s innovation potential, satellite strategy, and startup ecosystems. Papatsas highlighted the dual-use potential of emerging technologies and the importance of building bridges between public initiatives and private industrial capabilities—something EFA Group actively pursues through strategic partnerships and investment in advanced technologies.
As geopolitical pressures mount, EFA Group remains committed to driving technological excellence, industrial cooperation, and defense readiness in Europe.