DEFIS

Watch on DEFIS Channel the new episode of “QBox” with Carlos Arsuaga-Carreras. Every other week a colleague sits in the purple chair and is asked random (and mostly non-work related) questions, allowing us to get to know each other on a light note.

DIGIT has gradually started the upgrade of all Commission staff to a new digital environment called WELCOME. It will replace the current NET1 as the foundation of our digital workplace. It is better suited for remote and hybrid work, more resilient to cyberattacks and offers enhanced collaboration features.

Do not miss the exclusive interview by DG DEFIS Director for Defence Industry François Arbault on European defence cooperation! As the College recently discussed the forthcoming ‘Strategic Compass’, Commission en direct asked Director Arbault why Europe needs a common defence policy, and how the European Commission can foster cross-border cooperation to develop together the capabilities needed to help establish the EU as a global security provider.

Copernicus has set its 'eyes' on La Palma eruption to help authorities and residents speed up the recovery and return to normal life. Commission en direct speaks with DG DEFIS’ Policy Officer Attilio Gambardella (C3 Unit), responsible for the Copernicus Emergency Management Service.

On Thursday, DEFIS Lab discussed the opportunities and interactions between drones and satellites in Space and Defence capacities with Mr Miguel Angel García Primo, CEO of HISDESAT. HISDESAT is a government satellite operator acting primarily in the areas of Defence & Security, and operating GOVSATCOM and Earth Observation satellites.

The “EU SME week’” took place in Portorož, with the participation of DG DEFIS. Commissioner Thierry Breton gave the opening keynote on Wednesday. The 2021 annual SME Assembly is the go-to event for SMEs in Europe and those that support them. It was co-hosted by the Slovenian Presidency and the Commission.

The two-day workshop dealt with the Copernicus Contributing Missions’ activity: commercial satellite data provided by the so-called Copernicus Contributing Missions to answer to the VHR data needs of the Copernicus services in the first place, implying also the possible re-use of these data by the Copernicus participating states’ public authorities.

Aside from the best-known products and datasets developed by the Copernicus Services, Copernicus data have many other useful, and sometimes surprising, applications. Copernicus contributes to the safe transport of gas in the North Sea; to the forecasting of allergy symptoms; to the use of biopesticides in agriculture; even to the brewing and coffee plantation sectors; to the impact of climate change on birds.

Daniel Fiott, a Defence analyst at the EU Institute for Security Studies, has created a neat metro map to help people understand EU Defence and all the different parts involved in it.

The European Health and Digital Executive Agency is currently looking for new colleagues to fill 16 vacancies. Click on the link of each position available to see the vacancy notice in detail: 1 Budget Manager - Apply until 29 November, and 15 Project Officers - Apply until 23 November noon CET. Do not hesitate to contact the HaDEA C3 Unit for further information

We greatly value your feedback to this ongoing HR survey, now open until 26 November. So far 35% of DG DEFIS colleagues have responded to the Staff Survey 2021 (see the live participation rate for all DGs, with a current average of 45% EC response rate). The deadline to fill it in has been extended for just a week. The last EC Staff survey took place in 2018, so every voice counts to make the Commission a better place to work. Thank you all for your input and collaboration!

As astronauts aboard the International Space Station were forced to temporarily shelter when the spacecraft passed close to a debris field, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton declared in a written statement that: “Such an event is a reminder that space is increasingly contested and must become a fully-fledged dimension of our European defence strategy”.

On Thursday, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton had a “productive exchange” with Romanian President Klaus Iohannis. He also met with Romanian Defence Minister Nicolae Ciucă, with whom he discussed the Strategic Compass and regional geopolitical situation. “With its assets in cybersecurity, Romania has an important role to play in the defence strategy of Europe, notably against cyber and hybrid threats.

President von der Leyen, Executive Vice President Vestager, and Internal Market Commissioner Breton visited the headquarters of the Dutch company Advanced Semiconductor Materials Lithography (ASML) in Eindhoven, the Netherlands, together with Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte.

On Monday evening, Commissioner Breton participated in a Jumbo meeting, attended by both Foreign Affairs and Defence Ministers. They discussed the first draft of the Strategic Compass. Overall, Member States supported the approach of defence capabilities, addressing hybrid challenges and engaging with partners.

The clock happens to have the very last word in negotiations. The agreement on the 2022 budget did not depart from this common practice. Co-legislators managed to seal the deal just before midnight on Monday, sparing then a relaunch of the procedure from scratch.

On Tuesday, Defence Ministers endorsed the 4th wave of PESCO projects, adding 14 new projects in five domains: land, maritime, air, cyber and space. 20 Member States will participate in these projects, which are of a more operational nature, as asked for by the PESCO Strategic Review 2020.

“Funding Space Forum” is a joint online panel session organised by EUSPA together with the European Business Angel Network (EBAN). The event is part of the CASSINI initiative: start-ups working with space data will pitch in front of Business angels, receive feedback and raise interest for funding.

Setting out with the aim of 'shaping our digital future with open data', the EU Open Data Days will highlight the benefits of open data, its visualisation and its reuse for the EU public sector, citizens and businesses. The event's rich programme is designed to benefit a broad audience, including experts, open data enthusiasts and the public.

Make sure to register to next Thursday’s virtual High Level Seminar for Irish industry and research institutions, organised by the Irish Department of Defence. The event will focus on R&D funding opportunities in Security and Defence under the European Defence Fund instrument.

Next week, join the European Commission, the Japan Cabinet Office and representatives of the private sector in the EU and Japan to discuss how to make the most of our evolving GNSS assets to boost industrial cooperation and technological innovation, and to deliver jointly on the Sustainable Development Goals and climate objectives.

Save the dates for the four EUSA online talks scheduled between Monday 22 November and Thursday 25 November, from 12:30 until 14:00. Topics are “The demographics of Europe”, “Speechwriting 101”, “Engaging faith communities: what role for the EU?”, “Quantum Theory as Critical Theory - Entanglement and the Politics of Social Physics”.