Entries by Patrick Willemsen

Military and Security Leaders urge Europe to treat Clean Energy as a Defence Priority

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“Investing in green fuels is investing in stability and sovereignty”: a coalition of security leaders, including HCSS experts Richard Nugee, Laura Birkman and Tom Middendorp, urge Europe to treat clean energy as core to national defence. In an open letter, they call for counting low-carbon energy investments toward NATO’s 1.5% resilience target, warning that fossil-fuel dependence undermines sovereignty. Their message is clear: renewable energy is now a strategic security imperative.

The Draghi Report Revisited | Defence

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In the eighth and final edition of the HCSS Draghi Report Revisited series, strategic analyst Davis Ellison examines the EU’s struggle to turn sovereignty into capability, as he explores how far Europe has come on Defence — and how far it still has to go. Europe’s defence ambitions are rising — but progress remains fragmented, warns Ellison: “Defence remains largely outside EU competences, so ambition often exceeds what Brussels can actually deliver.”

Annales des Mines | The current state of the European Union’s dependency and its policies

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In an article for Les Annales des Mines, HCSS strategic advisor Peter Handley examines how the EU’s efforts to reduce strategic dependencies — from energy to defence — have paradoxically coincided with rising import reliance. As China tightens export controls and the US races ahead with industrial policy, Handley argues that Europe must urgently shift from awareness to action to secure critical raw materials — and with them, its strategic autonomy.

New report | Securing Europe’s Clean Tech Future: Supporting Industry Stockpiles of Critical Raw Materials in the Netherlands

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From batteries to hydrogen: Europe’s clean tech future depends on secure, sustainable material supply. A new HCSS report explores how public-private collaboration on voluntary critical raw material stockpiles can strengthen the resilience and sustainability of the Dutch and European clean tech sectors. The study by Irina Patrahau and Ron Stoop proposes a four-step model and actionable recommendations for building voluntary stockpiles that support SMEs, promote ESG sourcing, and align with EU strategic autonomy goals.

HCSS en KNB versterken notariële weerbaarheid met Strategic Capability Game

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Op 16 oktober organiseerde HCSS ism de Koninklijke Notariële Beroepsorganisatie (KNB) een Tabletop Strategic Capability Game over weerbaarheid in tijden van crisis en onzekerheid, om te verkennen hoe de KNB kan blijven functioneren in een wereld waarin dreigingen snel complexer en realistischer worden. De simulatie, ontwikkeld door HCSS, plaatste deelnemers in een scenario waarin het Nederlandse notariaat te maken kreeg met een opeenstapeling van calamiteiten: van cyberaanvallen en desinformatiecampagnes tot verstoringen in vitale infrastructuur en internationale spanningen.

The Draghi Report Revisited | Energy-Intensive Industries (EII)

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In our Draghi Report Revisited series, HCSS analysts Ron Stoop and Berend Kwak examine how far Europe has come in securing its industrial and economic sovereignty since Draghi’s landmark report was published. For the latest edition they focus on Energy-Intensive Industries (EII): what steps has the EU taken to protect and decarbonise its most critical industrial sectors? Their analysis reveals progress — but also persistent gaps between ambition and implementation. “Europe has a policy roadmap, but trails in execution, capital mobilisation, and implementation speed.”

Responsible Bytes Podcast | Responsible by design: An overview of the GC REAIM strategic guidance report with Sofia Romansky

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In the latest Responsible Bytes podcast, host Dr. Zena Assaad speaks with HCSS analyst Sofia Romansky, project coordinator for the Global Commission on Responsible AI in the Military Domain (GC REAIM). Together, they explore how to ensure human-centred, ethical and responsible integration of AI in military contexts, drawing on insights from the newly launched GC REAIM Strategic Guidance Report. Listen the episode here now, or on Spotify, YouTube or Apple Podcasts.

FFF Lab-sessie | De invloed van de huidige geopolitiek en desinformatie op toezicht, opsporing en bedrijven

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Op donderdag 6 november spreekt HCSS-strategisch analist Laura Jasper tijdens het Fraude Film Festival in Koninklijk Theater Tuschinski, Amsterdam. In haar inleiding over desinformatie en geopolitiek gaat zij in op de tanende macht van Europa, de veranderende wereldorde en de toenemende dreiging van desinformatie. Wat betekent dit voor toezicht, opsporing en bedrijfsleven?

Dag van Progress 2025: Europese soevereiniteit en kennis in tijden van trans-Atlantische spanning

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Op 13 november organiseren Instituut Clingendael en het Den Haag Centrum voor Strategische Studies (HCSS) gezamenlijk de ‘Dag van Progress’, een jaarlijkse conferentie rond het onderzoeksprogramma PROGRESS, dat de beide denktanks uitvoeren in opdracht van de ministeries van Defensie en Buitenlandse Zaken. Tijdens deze middag staat het thema Europese soevereiniteit en kennis centraal, met inspirerende sprekers, panels en workshops die ingaan op de uitdagingen en kansen voor Europa in tijden van trans-Atlantische spanningen. Deze bijeenkomst is alleen voor genodigden.

RSIS Roundtable with Tim Sweijs on the Future of War: Implications for Small and Middle Powers

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On October 31, HCSS director of research Dr. Tim Sweijs will join a roundtable discussion on ‘The Future of War: Implications for Small and Middle Powers’, at the S. Rajaratnam School of International Studies (RSIS) in Singapore, chaired by Dr. Michael Raska. Drawing on insights from visits to Armenia, Taiwan, and Ukraine, this roundtable explores the challenges of contemporary warfare and their implications for SMPs.