Promoting the spirit of Defence, strengthening the Armed Forces-Nation link and fostering the emergence of a European strategic culture: this is the ambition of the 1era edition of this unique event in Europe, which was held on 17 and 18 January 2020 at the Paris Event Center, with attendance well above expectations.
The aim of the Defence Factory, sums up Nicolas Bronard, Head of the «Foresight, Research and Innovation» unit at the Directorate General for International Relations and Strategy (DGRIS) and head of the Defence Factory project, is to « talking to young people we don't talk to or don't talk to any more ».
154 public and private players, including the Chair in Defence Economics - IHEDN have offered workshops, lectures and presented « serious games »The aim is to encourage vocations and raise awareness among a public that is sometimes distant because it lacks information.
This was an opportunity for Julien Malizard and Josselin Droff present the Chair's activities on the joint stand with the’IHEDN and Jeunes-IHEDN, in particular to Mrs Geneviève Darrieussecq, Secretary of State to the Minister for the Armed Forces.
The Chair also contributed to the events on both days, in particular by organising a round table on 17 January on the theme of «the sinews of war: the defence economy» with Hélène Masson, Senior Research Fellow at the Defence & Industry Unit of the FRS.
This round table addressed the place of defence in industry (Hélène Masson), its role in innovation (Jean Belin, Chairholder), and the economic cost of conflict (Julien Malizard, Deputy Chairholder).
