Territories: Competitiveness, defence and preparedness

A shifting geostrategic landscape — driven by Russia's war of aggression against Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East, disrupted supply corridors, hybrid threats and transatlantic uncertainty — has converged on a single imperative: Europe must assume responsibility for its own security and defence, extending beyond equipment to innovation and preparedness while overcoming defence-market fragmentation. NATO allies are committing to 5% of GDP by 2035, and the EU is mobilising resources on an unprecedented scale — in the order of €800 billion — yet the territorial dimension of this challenge remains uncertain: how place-based innovation policies can foster dual-use ecosystems that strengthen strategic autonomy, sustainable territorial competitiveness and preparedness, particularly in European border regions. REGDUALOSA (Regions Dual-Use Open Strategic Autonomy), a JRC exploratory research activity, addresses this question across three case studies — Estonia (cyber defence), Podkarpackie, Poland (UAVs) and Andalusia, Spain (space) — showing that territorial administrations act as strategic facilitators, setting framework conditions, orchestrating innovation ecosystems, bridging levels of government and driving civil security and preparedness. Dual-use industrial hubs drive regional economic complexity and quality employment, yet territories, in particular peripheral ones, face shared vulnerabilities: an absence of system integrators, human-capital shortages, restricted SME access to the defence market, and weak mechanisms linking civil innovation to defence planning. Conversely, whole-of-government coordination, a whole-of-society approach, clusters, shared testing infrastructures, regulatory experimentation and venture capital prove to be factors of success in the cases analysed. The recommendations underline the value of a dual-use lens in territorial strategies, territorial industrial policy portfolios and cross-regional cooperation. Positioning territorial preparedness as a strategic lever for European resilience and sustainable competitiveness, the brief argues that the forthcoming MFF (2028–2034) should enable regional and national actors to mobilise these ecosystems through improved funding access, simplification and a strengthened human capital.