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Minister Brekelmans reflects on key outcomes of NSDIF
June 24, 19.00
As the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum draws to a close, Netherlands Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans shared a short statement reflecting on the day’s key takeaways.
He addressed two important outcomes of the forum, highlighting their relevance for NATO’s defence industrial cooperation and future readiness.
“It was a great day with good progress. We came to new agreements and specific contracts with the defence industry to ramp up production”, concluded Brekelmans. “Secondly, we announced a new support package for Ukraine.“
Equipping for the present, preparing for the future
June 24, 17.00
The second panel session of the day has just begun, bringing together senior figures from the defence sector, the high-tech industry and government to share their perspectives on readiness and innovation.
The panel includes leaders from a major European semiconductor technology firm, a prominent defence and aerospace company, and a leading producer of advanced missile systems. A Nordic defence minister provide insight into strategic governmental considerations. The session is being moderated by Inge Bryan.
The discussion is focusing on how NATO and its partners can scale up industrial capacity, address immediate operational demands, and maintain a technological edge through sustained investment in innovation and emerging technologies.
Scaling up together: NATO and industry unite at NSDIF
June 24, 16.30
This afternoon, the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum (NSDIF) brought together political and industry leaders for a high-level plenary session.
The session opened with a keynote address by Netherlands Minister of Defence H.E. Mr. Ruben Brekelmans, who emphasized the urgent need to scale up and strengthen Europe’s industrial readiness.
‘Historic day’
“Tomorrow marks a historic day. A historic day for NATO. A historic day for our collective security. And a historic day for our defence industry”, Brekelmans said, urging all 32 NATO Allies to agree on the 5% of GDP Hague Defence Investment Pledge within 24 hours.
Brekelmans: “This week’s events in the Middle East have only underscored the growing instability in our world – and the urgent need to strengthen our defence and scale up our defence industry. Now is the time to deliver.”
Resilience
This was followed by a moderated discussion between NATO Secretary General H.E. Mr. Mark Rutte and European Commission President H.E. Ms. Ursula von der Leyen. Their dialogue focused on the deepening cooperation between NATO and the EU and the critical role of industry in maintaining long-term defence resilience.
“There is an ancient Roman saying: if you want peace, prepare for war. Make your defence so strong, that no one dares to attack you. Today NATO’s military edge is being aggressively challenged by a rapidly rearming Russia, backed by Chinese technology and armed with Iranian and North Korean weapons”, said Rutte. “Therefore we need to unite, innovate and deliver. That is exactly what this Forum is about.”
Frontline in Ukraine
Von der Leyen added: “The future of Europe is being written on the frontline in Ukraine. But not only there, it is also being written in your factories”, directly addressing the many key players from the defence industry in the audience. “In record time you have managed to open new lines and step up production. You are adapting to the new reality of a full-scale war.”
But Rutte also highlighted the barriers that NATO and the EU must tackle in order to strengthen and accelerate the rearming of NATO allies. “What I have learned over the years: NATO and the EU are difficult beasts, because you have unanimity, you have many different point of views. So perfection is not to be achieved. Because for perfection you need too much time and nothing will happen in the meantime. So what we are doing now is working together in the spirit of keeping speed”, the NATO Secretary General explained.
Industry Ambition Statement
The plenary session also featured the presentation of the Industry Ambition Statement to the NATO Secretary General. The statement, signed by industry associations from all 32 NATO member countries, outlines concrete commitments from the transatlantic business community to support NATO’s Defence Industrial Capacity Expansion Pledge.
The statement was presented by Ms. Ingrid Thijssen (President of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers, VNO-NCW), on behalf of Markus Beyrer (Business Europe), Keith Webster (US Chamber of Commerce) and David Pierce (Canadian Chamber of Commerce).
Volodymyr Zelenskyy
Later in the session, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine addressed the forum, emphasizing the critical importance of strengthening defence industry cooperation across borders and accelerating production to meet urgent operational needs. He called for continued unity among allies and long-term investment in security and innovation. President Zelenskyy’s appearance underscored the deepening partnership between Ukraine and NATO, highlighting their shared commitment to building a more resilient and responsive defence ecosystem.
Together
He reminded everyone of the importance of cooperation: “We all understand that the source of this war and the long-term threat to the European way of life is Russia. In reality we are facing a network of state and non-state actors. This network includes Russia, North Korea, the current regime in Iran and Chinese companies that produce weapons and carry out operations against our country, our people and our Europe. Only together can we counter this.”
The session marked a clear call to action: aligning industrial capabilities with geopolitical realities requires sustained commitment, shared investment and deeper cooperation between member states, institutions and industry.
Video: Introduction NSDIF
The world is changing, threats are evolving.
Security is no longer a given.
Protecting the future means acting today.
It means strengthening our defence industry fast.
We are bridging expertise, innovation and experience to design, develop and deliver together as one.
Only together can we create a resilient defence ecosystem needed to match NATO's evolving capability demands.
That means aggregating demand, unlocking finance and driving long term investment and accelerating research and innovation to forge secure, agile supply chains over the Atlantic.
And with like minded partners, with breakthrough technologies and innovative solutions, we will detect, prevent and counter all threats underwater, on land and in the skies.
At the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum, we unite, we innovate, we deliver for peace, for freedom, to protect NATO's 1 billion citizens and the generations to come.
Fireside chat with NATO’s strategic commanders
June 24, 16.30
The next session is now in progress: a fireside chat between NATO’s two strategic commanders, Admiral Sir Keith Blount and General Chris Badia. The moderator is Nanda Kellij, Head of NATO’s Innovation Unit.
Admiral Blount, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR), offers an operational perspective from NATO’s military command in Europe, focusing on readiness and cooperation among Allies. General Badia, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation (DSACT), looks ahead to leading NATO’s efforts to innovate and adapt to new and emerging security challenges.
Together, they are discussing how NATO balances short-term needs with long-term transformation. Topics include the lessons from Ukraine, the role of industry in strengthening resilience, and how NATO is preparing for future threats.
This session provides valuable insight into how NATO’s strategic leadership views both today’s challenges and tomorrow’s priorities.
Panel session on strengthening NATO-industry and transatlantic cooperation now underway
June 24, 16.00
The first panel session of the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum is currently under way. The discussion centres on how NATO member states and the defence industry can work together more closely to meet current operational needs and to reinforce transatlantic cooperation.
The panel features senior representatives from one of the world’s largest defence contractors, a major European producer of ammunition and propulsion systems, and a leading defence technology company from a key NATO Ally. Joining them is the Minister of Defence of a Baltic NATO member state, offering a governmental and regional perspective on strengthening collaboration.
The moderator is Ms. Tarja Jaakola, NATO Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment, who oversees key programmes that align NATO’s strategic requirements with industrial capabilities across the Alliance.
This high-level exchange sets the tone for the day’s discussions on defence cooperation and industrial resilience, highlighting shared challenges and opportunities for innovation and integration.
Major signings of multinational agreements
June 24, 14.00
At today’s NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum, various Allied ministers of defence signed major contracts, Letters of Intent and Memorandums of Understanding. Through these signings, they aim to strengthen NATO’s defence capabilities and industry.
Minister Brekelmans shares opening statement ahead of NSDIF
June 24, 13.00
Netherlands Minister of Defence Ruben Brekelmans shares a brief statement looking ahead to the day’s key themes and reaffirming the Netherlands’ commitment to building a strong, resilient and future-ready defence industry.
In his remarks, Minister Brekelmans highlights the urgent need to strengthen NATO’s industrial base and deepen transatlantic cooperation to ensure long-term readiness:
“I expect that the Netherlands Ministry of Defence and defence companies will agree on closer cooperation and new partnerships in order to make sure we scale up and speed up the production of the defence industry. Because we need the materiel. I expect there will be big announcements today. But also some specific contracts, because we need to put big words into big actions.”
Video: opening statement Brekelmans
Livestream of the public NSDIF programme begins in 30 minutes
June 24, 13.00
Starting in just 30 minutes, the public part of the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum (NSDIF) will be broadcast live from The Hague. The livestream will cover the official plenary sessions of the afternoon programme, where key political and defence leaders will take the stage.
The livestream programme includes:
- Opening by the Master of Ceremonies
- Keynote address by H.E. Mr. Ruben Brekelmans, Netherlands Minister of Defence
- Keynote remarks and NATO-EU conversation featuring
- H.E. Mr. Mark Rutte, Secretary General of NATO
- H.E. Ms. Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission - Presentation of the Industry Ambition Statement to NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte
- Keynote address by H.E. Mr. Volodymyr Zelensky, President of Ukraine
This public session represents a key moment in the Forum, as stakeholders come together to discuss strategic industrial ambitions and forge high-level alignment between NATO and industry.
Participants delve into six strategic topical sessions
June 24, 12.00
Following the plenary opening, participants of the NSDIF morning programme have spread out across six topical break-out sessions. These working groups bring together leaders from industry, defence, and government to develop shared insights and shape policy recommendations. The topics are:
- Measures to meet NATO’s capability needs
Addressing rapid changes in capability requirements and industry approach to meet the challenge. - Ensuring sustainable transatlantic production capacity and supply chains
Ensuring a sustainable and flexible transatlantic defence industry and secure defence supply chains that are able to deliver in a volatile environment. - Access to finance
Measures taken or that need to be taken to ensure industry’s access to finance in order to support the development of industrial bases and increase industrial output. - Rapid adoption of innovative solutions
Case study: Accelerating the adoption of unmanned and counter-unmanned technologies. - The role of new technologies in countering hybrid threats, including in protection of critical undersea infrastructure
Examining how emerging tech can strengthen resilience against evolving hybrid threats. - NATO and the growing role of the commercial space sector
Identifying threats to and building resilience in the space domain.
The outcomes of these sessions will inform the high-level afternoon discussions and help shape NATO’s approach to defence industrial readiness.
NSDIF 2025 opens with strong call for industrial cooperation
June 24, 10.45
The NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum (NSDIF) officially kicked off this morning in The Hague with an invitation-only session for 150 participants. This opening marks the start of a full day of high-level discussions focused on strengthening and expanding NATO’s defence industry.
The opening remarks, delivered by speakers Ms. Ingrid Thijssen (President of the Confederation of Netherlands Industry and Employers, VNO-NCW), H.E. Mr. Gijs Tuinman (Netherlands Minister for Arms Procurement and Personnel), and Ms. Tarja Jaakkola (Assistant Secretary General for Defence Investment, NATO) emphasised the urgency of reinforcing the Alliance’s industrial base.
Deeds
“Today is about both: intention and action,” said Ingrid Thijssen. “And we will prove this in the contracts, statements of intention and memorandums of understanding that will be signed today by governments and their partners in our defence industries. Together, we are turning words into deeds.”
Minister Tuinman added: “If we want to move as fast as the threats emerging around us, we need to redraw the battlefield. And in such a way that no one is part of the audience. We are all in the arena.”
Innovate
Assistant Secretary General Jaakkola shared an inspiring message: “There is no defence without defence industry. We need each and every one of you! What I ask you to do is to be bold, challenge each other and think outside of the box. So my message to you: let’s work together, let’s unite, let’s innovate and let’s deliver for the Alliance.”
The morning programme will now continue with smaller, strategic working sessions where participants will exchange insights and formulate concrete proposals across six key topics. Outcomes will be shared and discussed with ministers, NATO officials and industry leaders joining the forum later today.