The Wake-Up Call
Insights from our EFA365 roundtable on Europe’s strategic vulnerability and the urgency of defence at The Female Founders Experience Vienna 2026.
From Complacency to Strategic Reality
The luxury of passive observation is over. In a dynamic panel moderated by Yuliya Maltseva, Co-Founder of Women in Defense Tech, speakers laid bare a harsh reality: Europe remains deeply and dangerously dependent on external factors for its security and technological resilience. The panelists collectively reiterated that in an era of shifting global alliances, relying on outside powers to guarantee European sovereignty is no longer a viable strategy; it is a critical vulnerability.
Rethinking Stability in a Changing Geopolitical Landscape
Dr. Antonella Mei-Pochtler, Member of the Advisory Board of the European Forum Alpbach and Chairwoman of the Kofi Annan Award for Innovation in Africa, stressed that Europe must immediately shift away from outdated notions of prolonged stability and face the immediate threat of war. She warned that for too long, policy debates have been operating under the false assumption that conflict is a distant possibility. As the current geopolitical landscape proves, the threat of war is a pressing reality demanding an immediate, synchronized response.
Vulnerabilities Beyond Earth: Europe’s Space Dependency
This urgency extends even into space, where Europe's infrastructure is incredibly fragile. Highlighting our orbital vulnerabilities, Claudia Fiorentino, Information Security Officer in the Secure Connectivity Programme Department at the European Space Agency (ESA), discussed the severe satellite dependency that leaves European communications exposed to external coercion.
Securing Space, Data, and Supply Chains
Expanding on this space-sector risk, Dr. Luisa Buinhas, Co-Founder and Chief Program Officer at Vyoma, pointed out that securing our assets in space is now a fundamental pillar of terrestrial defense. This sentiment was echoed by Dr. Ina von Haeften, Co-Founder and Head of Operations at Ewigbyte, who emphasized that protecting critical data infrastructure and eliminating supply chain blind spots must happen immediately if Europe wants to insulate itself from foreign blackmail.
Three fronts for Immediate Action
Ultimately, the panel mapped out three key areas demanding immediate action:
- Defence Autonomy: Europe must rapidly scale up its domestic military production and intelligence capabilities, moving away from a reliance on foreign security umbrellas.
- Supply Chain & Space Sovereignty: As the space and tech experts highlighted, critical infrastructure, from satellite networks to energy grids, must be secured internally.
- Decisive Leadership: Bureaucratic hesitation must be replaced by rapid, unified decision-making. The timeline to prepare is shrinking by the day.
The Bottom Line
To react effectively, Europe must abandon the complacency that has dictated its policy for years. As Maltseva and her panel underscored, the discussion is no longer about preserving a legacy of quiet security; it is about actively building the hard power and technological independence required to deter aggression. The threat is at the doorstep, and the urgency to act is now.