On November 21, 2025, the University of Tartu’s Johan Skytte Institute of Political Studies hosted a REMIT town hall event titled “Defending Tomorrow Today: AI, Tech, and Europe’s Security Frontier”, moderated by Timothy McGuire, former Head of Rapid Adoption at NATO DIANA and lead for Hacking 4 Defence Europe. McGuire, alongside host Louis Wierenga, guided participants through a wide-ranging discussion on Europe’s evolving defense-innovation landscape, highlighting the critical role of emerging technologies and AI in shaping future security.
He outlined the structure and dynamics of the wider innovation ecosystem, explaining how technological breakthroughs move from concept to deployment through the tech innovation pipeline. The conversation explored technology readiness and dual-use readiness levels, emphasizing their importance in evaluating solutions with both civilian and military applications. McGuire also underscored the value of military intrapreneurship—cultivating innovators within defense institutions—and broke down the defense-tech development cycle, shedding light on the challenges and opportunities facing European security stakeholders.
Throughout the town hall, attendees engaged with the practical realities of accelerating responsible innovation in a rapidly shifting geopolitical environment, leaving with a deeper understanding of how Europe can better harness technology to defend tomorrow’s security challenges today.
Photos by University of Tartu (Maria Kristiina Prass)