Less than two months since his appointment as EDA Chief Executive, André Denk has begun touring Member States to discuss their respective defence priorities and EDA’s pivotal role in serving Member States’ interests, leveraging defence and capability development cooperation in the European Union.
Earlier this week, Chief Executive Denk visited Sweden and Italy – where he met with the Ministers of Defence of both countries, as well as top national defence authorities.
Sweden
In Stockholm, he met with Minister of Defence Pål Jonson and with the Chief of Defence, General Michael Claesson. Denk also visited the Swedish Defence Research Agency (FOI), the Swedish Defence Material Administration (FMV), and the Swedish Armed Forces. Discussions revolved around Sweden’s ongoing priorities and EDA’s concrete support to Member States in innovation, capability development, and joint procurement.
Italy
In Rome, he met with Minister of Defence Guido Crosetto, National Armaments Director Admiral Giacinto Ottaviani, Chief of Defence General Luciano Portolano, and Deputy Chief of Defence General Del Bene. Discussions focused on reinforcing cooperation in defence, aligning industrial and technological priorities, and advancing European strategic autonomy.
During his trip to Rome, Denk also presented the results of the first-ever Operational Experimentation (OPEX) campaign dedicated to unmanned systems – i.e. UAVs and UGVs - for cross-domain logistics at the Italian Army's multifunctional experimentation centre, CEPOLISPE.
EDA's Chief Executive will travel to other Member States in the coming weeks.
General Michael Claesson, Sweden's Chief of Defence
General Carl-Johan Edström, Sweden's Chief of the Defence Staff
Guido Crosetto, Italian Minister of Defence - and his delegation
Admiral Giacinto Ottaviani, Italy's National Armaments Director
Main photo: Guido Crosetto, Italy's Defence Minister; Pål Jonson, Sweden's Defence Minister
EDA’s broader role
Founded in 2004, the Agency helps foster defence cooperation across Europe. It serves as the central hub for EU countries aiming to develop their defence capabilities together. EDA’s activities span from harmonising requirements and developing operational capabilities to research, technology, innovation, training, and supporting Common Security and Defence Policy operations. The agency also works closely with the European defence industry to strengthen Europe’s technological and industrial base.