Reflecting on AFCEA Europe’s Helsinki Event: Unity, Collaboration, and Resilience in a New NATO Nation

Last week’s AFCEA Europe event in Helsinki was a remarkable gathering of minds, bringing together professionals and thought leaders from across the defence and technology sectors. It was a true pleasure to reconnect with familiar faces and meet new colleagues, particularly in Finland, a nation stepping into its role as a new member of NATO.

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The event, hosted by the AFCEA Chapters of Helsinki, Tallinn, and Stockholm, set the stage for critical discussions on the future of defence, cooperation, and technological advancement. Maj. Gen. Erich Staudacher kicked things off by emphasising several key points:

• Unity and cooperation?must remain common goals.
• Achieving?better outcomes?requires closer collaboration and mutual support.
• We must enhance?resilience through advanced digitisation.
• Defence and critical infrastructures?need stronger resilience to adapt to evolving threats.

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In her welcome address, Lt. Gen. Susan Lawrence, CEO of AFCEA, echoed these sentiments with a powerful message on the role of digitisation in modern warfare. She highlighted that:

• Digitisation is the new face of warfare—we must understand its profound impact on how we fight.
• The?winning edge?lies in new technologies and leveraging innovation.
• We need to constantly ask ourselves, "What is new to our customer?"—as what’s innovative for some may already be in practice elsewhere.
• Cybersecurity?must be the North Star, guiding everything we do.

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The keynote speech by Finland’s MoD Permanent Secretary, Lt. Gen. Esa Pulkkinen, was a thought-provoking exploration of Finland’s evolving defence posture in the context of its NATO membership. His insights included:

• Finnish democracy is strong, and the country is highly?technically capable.
• There is a recognition that Finland needs to?build military capabilities?as a new NATO nation.
• The Finnish?will to defend?is historically deep and remains robust.
• In 2024, Finland has observed a rise in?hybrid threats, reinforcing the need for vigilance.
• Finland’s conscription model and?“comprehensive security”?approach are gaining attention from other NATO allies.
• Their proactive stance means they are?quick to recognise and adopt new technologies.

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This event underscored the importance of unity, innovation, and resilience as we navigate an increasingly complex and digital global security environment. The collaboration across borders and industries is key to ensuring that we are prepared for the challenges of tomorrow.