Juhani Matinlassi, Partner at Waselius, recently took part with Finnish delegation at a series of defence and dual-use sector meetings in Hamburg, Linstow and Berlin, including the German Defence Forum: Innovation Drivers AI and Unmanned Systems, at which Finland participated as an official partner country.
Accelerating defence procurement and innovation
Discussions at the forum focused on field-tested artificial intelligence, unmanned systems and societal resilience. A recurring theme was how defence authorities can shorten procurement timelines while maintaining effective research and development feedback loops. Exchanges with senior representatives of the Bundeswehr provided valuable insight into Germany’s developing approach to expedited defence procurement—an issue that is also increasingly relevant in Finland.
Market entry requires more than technology
As part of the Finnish delegation, Juhani delivered a presentation entitled “Inside Finland’s Defence Innovation Ecosystem: From Emerging Technologies to International Partnerships.” Drawing on his extensive work in advising businesses operating in the defence sector, he highlighted the practical requirements for effective market entry during the current period of rapid sector growth.
For defence and dual-use companies, success depends not only on the quality of the technology but also on a clear understanding of the target country’s business, procurement and regulatory environment. Identifying credible opportunities, selecting suitable local partners and building relationships with end users are essential steps. Establishing a local presence and developing strategic partnerships therefore remain central to securing defence-sector contracts.
From defence budgets to operational capability
For European governments, increased defence expenditure raises a broader question: to what extent will spending translate into operational capability and strengthen national defence?
Well-planned procurement is one of three interdependent foundations of national defence. The others are public willingness to resist external aggression—supported by social cohesion—and a sufficiently resourced military with an effective training system capable of producing well-trained personnel and reserves. Weakness in any one of these areas can limit the practical effect of higher defence budgets.
This distinction between “budget defence” and actual defensive capability is also commercially significant. Capability choices create concrete demand, which drives development and innovation and, in turn, generates further operational requirements. Understanding this cycle is critical for companies seeking sustainable opportunities in the European defence market, says Juhani Matinlassi.