Digitalisation is at the forefront of the current transformation of the Armed Forces in NATO and the EU. Many new fields of technology will be implemented. With ever new emerging technologies, there is no sign of an imminent end to this deeply disruptive process. Digitalisation is considered to be a vital element of deterrence and of decision dominance in the age of cognitive warfare. Various nations are at different stages of transforming themselves into fully-digitalised Armed Forces, and to keep the Armed Forces integrated into a constantly progressing digitalised society. The examples of disruptive technologies, mostly originating in the private sector, are rapidly increasing: Artificial Intelligence, Autonomy, Next Generation communication, hybrid clouds, edge computing, satellite communication and other space systems, advanced data analytics. Convergence with the advancing digitalisation in the private sector and with IT in combat systems are other challenging characteristics of this fast paced digital journey. 

With the risks of these new technologies and so far, unknown dependencies are emerging: The cyber-attack surface is increasing with every new, interconnected device or piece of technology; Mastering and exploiting the new technologies, such as AI, with the pace of relevance becomes more challenging; a well-trained work-force and intuitively-acting soldiers in the field require special attention; new supply chain shortages highlight global dependencies from (on?) sources; the defence industry needs to keep up with scaling requirements.

Does digitalisation make the Armed Forces more vulnerable than before?

As we agree that a return to analog technologies is no solution, implications of digitalisation, both for the Armed Forces and the society they are embedded in needs to be carefully studied. The effect of disinformation, fake news and products, and hybrid warfare cannot be overstated. Intelligence integration of entire governments is paramount. In essence, sophisticated technology is needed to prepare for potential shortfalls and negative effects of digitalisation when it comes to employing a highly effective Army, in integration/cooperation with allies, on the digital battlespace of today.

Emerging technologies, new solutions and the resulting challenges will be discussed selectively during the two days of TechNet Europe 2024, with special relevance to the European theatre of operations of NATO and EU. Well-versed senior experts from NATO, the EU, and from the host nation will discuss the actual status of digitalisation, their needs and requirements, and debate related challenges and their mitigation. Industry in the C4ISR/Cyber field may showcase its approach and solutions for increased resilience in digital and related technologies. The integration of all governmental agencies, bodies, and forces, and the orchestrated employment of their respective capabilities will also add to resilience in defending a nation and the alliance.

As accelerating digitalisation brings new resilience challenges, the following clusters of technologies may serve as background for discussion. A selection of them, combined in sessions, will form the core structure of TechNet Europe 24:

Examples: 

• Next generation communication network (beyond 5G) and its effects on defense
• Hybrid and Secure cloud
• Digital backbone
• (Border) surveillance and reconnaissance (including open source data)
• Artificial intelligence, autonomy and data: their increasing role in intelligence analysis and decision making.
• Autonomy and autonomous systems (eg. drones, UXS, etc.)  
• Hybrid warfare technologies and countering influence operations (disinformation) 
• Cyber security: new threat vectors and defense capabilities including cryptography
• Supply chain security and stability 
• Critical infrastructure protection