Aerospace & Defence
The European civil aerospace sector is a major pillar of the European economy, generating a turnover of approximately €160 billion and employing over 1 million workers throughout the EU and beyond.
Defence industries are major contributors to the European economy with a turnover of €100 billion/year and €1.4 million highly skilled employees. Moreover, they generate spin-off technologies which reinforce also the competitiveness of other sectors such as aviation, space and electronics.
Brussels-based NATO HQ is also a strategic centre for the defence industry together with the EU. Out of the 27 EU member states, 21 are also members of NATO with Finland and Sweden applicant countries. Indeed, the war in Ukraine is massively ramping up defence spending among EU member states, notably in Germany which has agreed to change its constitution to allow for a credit-based special defence fund of 100 billion euros. Inevitably increased defence spending in such a politicised environment is resulting in more lobbying and activity in Brussels.