The Economics of Defence - IHEDN team spoke on Wednesday 17 November at the Defence and Aerospace Advanced Training Course (CoPDA).
Jean Belin, holder of the Chiare, Julien Malizard, deputy holder, and Josselin Droff, a researcher, took part in the CoPDA, organised in Massy (Safran University) by the Defence & Aerospace Chair, led by the General (2S) Laurent.
The event provided an opportunity to present the work of the Chair's members to an audience including industrialists from the defence sector.
After outlining the links between the defence economy and the economy of conflict, Jean Belin presented an overview of the French DTIB highlighting the methodological difficulties involved in defining and measuring it. On the basis of his work, he also addressed the specific characteristics of defence companies when compared with companies in the civilian sector. The financing issues for defence companies were also presented, in the technological and financial transformation of the global economy.
Josselin Droff presented the Chair's work on acquisition policies States, through the case of fighter aircraft in Europe since the end of the Cold War. A symbol of prestige and military power, the combat aircraft is also a market subject to both financial constraints and political and diplomatic uncertainties. The issues surrounding the renewal of combat aircraft provided an opportunity to address the questions of’strategic autonomy, of preserving industrial skills within the DTIB as well as the cooperation programmes in Europe.
Julien Malizard presented issues relating to’economic impact defence activities, In this context, the focus is on the link between macroeconomic impact, regional impact and the technological impact on businesses. On the basis of works conducted by the author over the last ten years and the economic literature, it appears that defence generates positive economic spin-offs, but that its usefulness as an instrument of economic policy is questionable.
