Event Recap | Navigating Tomorrow: Transatlantic Outlooks on the Future Security Landscape and its Implications for the Netherlands

‘We're in a time where old models and rules and norms are not quite applicable or sufficient for the challenges we're facing. But maybe this is an interregnum period. And to mold something new, we also have to add a period of blocks. And where things, you know, potentially fall apart.’

Climate change, the energy transition, artificial intelligence, war. Multiple challenges face the European continent and with instability as the only constant in the European environment, there is an ever-growing need for a future-proof Europe and the Netherlands.

To address these challenges, The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies organised the very first The Hague Strategic Foresight Forum Talks last week, titled: ‘Navigating Tomorrow: Transatlantic Outlooks on the Future Security Landscape and its Implications for the Netherlands’.

The Hague Centre for Strategic Studies invited foresight experts from NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT) , the Office of the Director of National Intelligence and the EU Institute for Security Studies to establish a shared vision on the future drivers of change and the broader challenges of tomorrow.

This forum offered a unique opportunity to gain insights into the future forces that will shape our world. Experts, policymakers, and thinkers came together to engage in in-depth discussions on how the Netherlands can navigate an increasingly complex global landscape.

Event Recap

HCSS Director of Research Dr. T. (Tim) Sweijs set the scene for the event with some opening remarks ‘Establishing a Baseline in Foresight’

Vice chair for analysis for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence Maria Langan-Riekhof, joined us online to speak about ‘Global Trends in 2040’

Gergely Németh , Head of Strategic Foresight for the NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT) presented an assessment of the ‘Security Environment in 2040’

Nad'a Kovalcikova, PhD. , Senior Analyst Transnational Security for the EU Institute for Security Studies spoke about ‘European Challenges in 2040’

The second half of the day then moved into the panels. The first panel highlighted the latest trends and developments in international security, with renowned experts sharing their visions. The second panel focused on what these trends mean for the Netherlands and Europe, with an emphasis on the strategic policy actions that need to be taken in response to these global dynamics.

Moderator: Dr. T. (Tim) Sweijs , HCSS Director of Research

Panelists: Maria Langan-Riekhof, Vice chair for analysis for the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, Gergely Németh , Head of Strategic Foresight for the NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT) , Nad'a Kovalcikova, PhD., Senior Analyst Transnational Security for the EU Institute for Security Studies

Moderator: Davis H. Ellison , HCSS Strategic Analyst

Panelists: Colonel Hans Klinkenberg, Deputy Head of Strategy, Ministerie van Defensie & Robert Dresen , Strategic Advisor to the Director General for Political Affairs, Ministerie van Buitenlandse Zaken

Organised by Pieter-Jan Vandoren , the event was part of the Strategic Monitoring and Foresight Program that HCSS is conducting in collaboration with the Clingendael Institute at the request of the Dutch Ministries of Foreign Affairs and Defense.

Just before HCSS hosted this event, HCSS Strategic Analyst Davis H. Ellison spoke to Dr. Gergely Németh , Head of Strategic Foresight for the NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT) . Dr. Németh was kind enough to provide additional remarks about the work being done in Strategic Foresight at NATO ACT, specifically the 2023 Strategic Foresight Analysis (SFA) report. Watch the full interview here: