Defence Industrial Policy in Belgium and The Netherlands

The French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS) is one of the main independent European Think Tanks on geopolitical and strategic issues.

IRIS, a public-interest association created in 1991, is a French think tank on geopolitical and strategic issues. It is the only international think tank to have been set up as a totally private initiative in an independent approach. IRIS activities can be divided into four fields: research, organisation of events and meetings, publishing and training.

The Armament Industry European Research Group (Ares Group) was created in 2016 by The French Institute for International and Strategic Affairs (IRIS), who coordinates the Group. The aim of the Ares Group, a high-level network of security and defence specialists across Europe, is to provide a forum to the European armament community, bringing together top defence industrial policy specialists, to encourage fresh strategic thinking in the field, develop innovative policy proposals and conduct studies for public and private actors.Abstract:

This paper endeavours to uncover the drivers of defence and industrial policy in Belgium and the Netherlands. It brings out convergences, divergences, as well as the main features of the defence industry across the two countries. In doing so it brings to bear upon both countries a similar set of parameters, which will be used to compare defence industrial policy across other key European countries.

IRIS: ARES – Armament Industry European Research Group http://www.iris-france.org/ares/

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