the 15th edition of this defence and security experts’ meeting takes place in the year when the NATO Alliance commemorates 75 years of its existence and the Czech Republic its 25 years’ membership. The current security environment underscores NATO’s vital role as the largest defence alliance in the world, which protects nearly one billion people in 32 nations.  

Unfortunately, the current security development is not optimistic. The world is changing at a high pace and it is becoming increasingly unpredictable and blended with the virtual sphere. Digitization and new technologies are becoming a normal part of our lives. All this also brings new challenges for the Czech Armed Forces.  

 

In order to provide an effective national defence, both national and international cooperation is necessary. Such cooperation is increasingly achieved through collective efforts of the armed forces, the academia, research and scientific institutions, the defence industry and other relevant partners. Their participation is crucial to providing a high level of security, which underlines my frequently used statement that national defence is an endeavour to be pursued by the whole society.

A specific example of a whole-of-the-society approach is the Czech Armed Forces’ cooperation with the Czech Technical University in Prague based on the Memorandum of Cooperation on the Development of Emerging and Disruptive Technologies for the Czech Armed Forces, signed in December 2023. 

The Future Forces Forum has become a unique professional platform for sharing experience among experts of various fields. It provides a venue that fosters new approaches to current challenges as well as to potential future threats. I am glad this takes place with the support of the Czech Armed Forces and its experts.