Ladies and Gentlemen,

We tend to take security for granted when we have it. We assume that we have a sufficient energy supply, that our communication networks are working, that goods reach their intended destinations, that businesses can continue production and that the state is able to respond when needed. It is only when one of these things stops working that we begin to understand how closely interconnected they really are.

The past few years have demonstrated this to us in particularly clear terms.

Today, security depends on more than the number of soldiers we have or the equipment we procure. It also depends on our ability to manufacture, innovate and maintain critical capabilities at home. We need not only to procure military equipment, but also to develop, manufacture, repair, modernise and sustain it over the long term. It is in times of crisis that we discover whether we have our own industrial and technological capabilities and whether we can respond when supply chains are disrupted.

The Czech Republic, however, is not starting from scratch when it comes to the defence and security industry. We have a long industrial tradition, our own research and development capabilities, and companies that have proven their strengths in international competition. They are able to take technologically advanced solutions from development into production, adapt them to emerging needs, and provide long-term maintenance and further development. These capabilities are essential to our country's resilience, and we must continue to strengthen them.

That is why it is not enough to look solely at the level of defence spending. Its composition also matters, as does our ability to translate that spending into tangible defence capabilities and lasting strength for Czech industry. Well-targeted defence investment can simultaneously strengthen domestic research and development and generate technologies that can also be applied in the civilian sector. Businesses, however, need predictability. They need to know well in advance which capabilities the state and the armed forces intend to develop so that they can plan production capacity, workforce requirements, development activities, maintenance and further investment.

Current conflicts also demonstrate how rapidly the nature of warfare is changing. Uncrewed systems, electronic warfare and artificial intelligence are shortening the period during which individual technologies can maintain a competitive advantage. This makes it all the more important to bring together the armed forces, government, businesses, universities and research institutions so that new knowledge can be translated more quickly into tangible defence capabilities.

I therefore see Future Forces Forum above all as a platform where these worlds must come together. The state and the armed forces need to articulate their requirements in a timely manner. Businesses and research institutions must have the opportunity to respond through development, investment, manufacturing and maintenance. It is precisely this kind of cooperation that gives a forum of this nature its practical value.

What will ultimately matter is whether we can turn our discussions into concrete, long-term decisions: a more predictable defence procurement system, investment in research and development, and cooperation that will ensure the Czech Republic retains key capabilities in equipment development, manufacturing, repair, maintenance and modernisation.

Security and prosperity are closely interconnected. Defence readiness also rests on a strong economy, indigenous technologies and an industrial base capable of responding to the needs of the armed forces in both peacetime and crisis. The Czech Republic has a solid foundation on which to build. If we develop it systematically and with a long-term perspective, we will strengthen our security, resilience and competitiveness at the same time.

I wish this year's Future Forces Forum every success in fostering as many concrete projects, partnerships and practical solutions as possible.