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Defence organisation shapes its future
26 May 2011, 14.14 hrs
On 19 May, Minister of Defence Hans Hillen presented the Strategy, Knowledge and Innovation Agenda (SKIA) to the House of Representatives today. With the SKIA, the Defence organisation will enhance its innovative strength and its ability to provide the right response to unexpected events. It also sets out the Defence organisation’s perception of security and of how to deal with knowledge and innovation, taking into account the planned cutback measures.
The SKIA is to ensure that the right choices are made for future security in an ever-changing environment. The government wishes to maintain the added value of high quality and innovation in military contributions, particularly for conflicts with irregular opponents.
Innovation of and by the Defence organisation remains a spearhead. There must therefore be room for new methods, processes and technologies. It must therefore also aim to enhance the competitive position of the Dutch economic top sectors of high-tech, water and chemicals (Maintenance Valley).
In addition, the SKIA guides the specific knowledge development required in this respect. Knowledge management within the Defence organisation will thus receive more structural attention and will be more strongly supervised. The Letter to Parliament on the future of the armed forces therefore contains no further cuts in the area of knowledge and technology development. This will create a stable financial footing for the development and maintenance of specific Defence–related knowledge, the priorities being the following areas of expertise:
- military operations in a complex and dynamic environment;
- new technologies for Defence purposes;
- cyber defence and cyber operations;
- military use of space.
In cooperation with the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Defence organisation will chart (possible) developments on the world stage and political decisions. This new strategic monitor also focuses on international threats to national security. This is done with the assistance of the Military Intelligence and Security Service, diplomats and external experts from knowledge institutions such as the Netherlands Institute of International Relations Clingendael and the Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research TNO.
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