DE3 | The Challenges for the Defense Industry in the New International Order: Three Comparative Perspectives

This document includes the presentations of the Second Sea Lord of the British Royal Navy, Vice Admiral Martin Connell; the senior researcher at AthenaLab, Marcelo Masalleras; and the senior researcher at the Royal United Services Institute, Dr. Phillip Shelter-Jones at the Exponaval 2024 fair held in Valparaíso from December 3 to 6.

The increase in geopolitical risk worldwide is generating new demands for the defense industry, necessitating both an increase in production pace and the search for innovative solutions to meet the sector’s needs. This is urgent for countries at war and imperative for those wishing to maintain peace.

As we did two years ago, AthenaLab decided to participate as a sponsor of Exponaval 2024 by organizing discussion panels on “The Challenges for the Defense Industry in the New International Order,” the title of the congress. This time, we took on additional tasks, which included moderating panels, presentations, and managing an exhibition stand for our publications.

Due to the quality of the presentations, we requested some of their authors to share them so that they would be available to our readers. This document includes the presentations of the Second Sea Lord of the British Royal Navy, Vice Admiral Martin Connell; the senior researcher at AthenaLab, Marcelo Masalleras; and the senior researcher at the Royal United Services Institute, Dr. Phillip Shelter-Jones.

We trust that these texts will be useful for a country that is not exempt from these debates and must make greater efforts to develop its own defense industry, where both the public and private sectors come together. This always requires political will committed to long-term resource allocation, so that innovators, technicians, contractors, and workers, in general, find the appropriate space to contribute to national security through their projects.

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