idD Portugal Defence was in Brussels last week to participate in the plenary meetings of the NATO Industrial Advisory Group (NIAG), where it represents the national defence industry.
The main focus of the plenary meetings was the implementation of the Defence Production Action Plan (DPAP), which seeks to enhance the relationship between NATO and the industry, with NIAG being a fundamental instrument for the execution of the planned measures for this purpose. Thus, the results of the first meeting of the Defence Industrial Production Board (DIPB) were presented to us, as well as developments in some High Visibility Projects (HVPs) and new initiatives such as NIAGSPACENET and the Digital Ocean Industry Symposium, the new activities of the STO, and NIAG studies for 2024.
In the context of NIAG studies, it is worth highlighting the recognition of Pedro Cunha, from Loft Journey, who received a certificate for his work as Chair of the NIAG study on countermobility, the results of which he presented during the plenary meetings.
On the sidelines of NIAG, the idD Portugal Defence President met with the Permanent Representative of Portugal to NATO, Ambassador Pedro Costa Pereira. Given the Alliance’s ongoing rhetoric, particularly over the past two years, to boost the transatlantic Defence Technological and Industrial Base (DTIB) and the need to increase industrial production capacity, discussions focused on NATO’s recent initiatives in these areas, as well as the potential contribution of the portuguese DTIB to meet the needs of the Armed Forces.
idD Portugal Defence also met with the Deputy Permanent Representative to the European Union, Ambassador Manuela Teixeira Pinto, and the Director for the markets of Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands at aicep Portugal Global, Dr. Rui Paulo Almas. Discussions with them focused respectively on the European Union’s Strategy for the Defence Industry and other European initiatives impacting the DTIB, and potential initiatives to foster cooperation and business opportunities for Portugal with the technological and defence industrial fabric of Belgium, Luxembourg, and the Netherlands.
For more information on the initiatives identified above and other NATO initiatives, contact NATO[@]iddportugal.pt.
