Security and Defence

Deep sector expertise led by experienced professionals with proven know-how, supporting companies and institutions within the new Defence ecosystem.

Defence has become one of the strategic engines of the European economy. In Spain, it already represents 1.4% of GDP, with more than €16 billion in revenue in 2024 and an industrial fabric of over 500 companies that will grow rapidly in the coming years.

The EU and its Member States are activating an unprecedented flow of investment that will expand the industry, bring new players into the ecosystem and require organisations to position themselves in an increasingly competitive and regulated environment.

The Grey,
your best ally

In this environment, organisations that want to position themselves need a partner who understands:

  • The institutional ecosystem of Security and Defence (Spain, EU, NATO).
  • The logic of dual innovation and deep tech.
  • The new funding rules, European consortia and Security and Defence funds.
  • Political and regulatory decision-making cycles.
  • The strategic narrative that legitimises the entry of new players.

Spain and Europe need new capabilities, and companies are looking for ways to access a complex sector. The Grey provides the bridge: intelligence, positioning and strategic guidance to enter and grow within the universe of New Defence.

Diego Mazón, General Director at The Grey.

Extended
Defence

Defence is no longer just military. The European Commission defines structural integration between Defence + Security + Critical Civilian Capabilities, where strategic autonomy depends on infrastructure, innovation, technology and sovereign industrial chains.

 

The four drivers of the new paradigm are:
  1. Disruptive innovation (AI, AI, FPV drones, electronic warfare, autonomous systems, quantum).
  2. Dual-use and deep tech (civilian technology used in security and defence — software, data, sensors, advanced materials).
  3. Sovereign industrial capabilities (fast, scalable, certifiable production).
  4. Civilian resilience (energy, critical infrastructure, space, cybersecurity, logistics mobility).

AI, autonomous systems, software, space and quantum technologies are irreversibly connecting Defence with innovation.

Marta Plana, Executive Advisor at The Grey.

Security and
Defence,
an extended
ecosystem

Integration of defence, security and strategic civil capabilities.

Defence

  • System manufacturers
  • Integrators and contractors
  • Defence electronics
  • Simulation, training and MRO
  • Space and military satellites

Security

  • Cybersecurity
  • Secure telecommunications
  • Critical infrastructure operations
  • Advanced private security / Corporate intelligence
  • Emergencies, civil protection and resilience

Extended Defence

  • Energy and utilities
  • Infrastructure and mobility
  • Technology and innovation (Deep Tech)
  • Aerospace / Space
  • Dual industrial and advanced manufacturing
  • Telecommunications
  • AI and data
  • Finance and insurance (new key player)
  • Technology start-ups and scale-ups

Europe and the
geopolitical framework

The European Commission calls for “a new mindset” and an industrial defence capable of generating capabilities at the speed, scale and cost required by the new strategic landscape.

 

European geopolitical context
  • The new geostrategic paradigm has accelerated the integration of military, technological and industrial capabilities.
  • NATO incorporates cyber, space and disruptive technologies as pillars of collective defence.
  • The EU is promoting new mechanisms to accelerate joint procurement, industrial production and access to private capital.
  • Deep tech and civil companies are now considered essential to European security.
  • The EU recognises that industrial competitiveness is a prerequisite for Security and Defence.

In a European environment where defence depends as much on industry as it does on politics, The Grey provides intelligence, judgement and institutional support to connect innovation, strategy and public action.

Jordi Cañas, Director of The Grey’s Brussels Office.

Europe is moving towards “Extended Defence”

The Commission has incorporated the following into the defence perimeter:

  • Energy
  • Dual technologies
  • Space
  • Data, AI and secure connectivity
  • Critical infrastructures
  • Strategic mobility
  • Industrial value chains

Why this matters
for companies

Companies —whether or not they are in the security and defence sector— are entering programmes such as:

  • EDF, EDIP, EUDIS, SAFE
  • BraveTech EU (innovation transfer from Ukraine)
  • Funds for deep tech and dual-use
  • Rapid acquisition for disruptive capabilities (AGILE)

This opens up opportunities for energy, infrastructure, innovation, AI, advanced manufacturing, space, logistics, mobility, telecommunications, dual industry, and technology start-ups.

The role of
The Grey

The Grey helps companies and institutions position themselves for the new European Security and Defence agenda:

  • Regulatory participation
  • Alignment with programmes and funds
  • Political and institutional analysis
  • Building relationships with the Commission, EDA and Parliament
  • Strategic narrative focused on autonomy and resilience
  • Translating technological capabilities into political decision-making language