On Friday, 7 August, the Opinion Festival / Arvamusfestival took place in Paide, where the National Defence track hosted a panel discussion titled “Defence Industry in Estonia: Defence Capability or Economic Engine?”. Representing the Estonian Defence and Aerospace Industry Association, Chairman of the Council Taavi Veskimägi joined the discussion.
Veskimägi’s key point: defence industry is inseparable from defence capability — without industry, there is no capability. But he also stressed that a thriving defence industry is essential for Estonia’s broader economic growth, and that without economic growth, defence capability cannot be sustained either. “Economic growth is the cornerstone of Estonia’s defence capability,” Veskimägi noted.
The panel also included Siim Sukles (Deputy Secretary General for Defence Industry and Innovation, Ministry of Defence), Elmar Vaher (Director General, Estonian Centre for Defence Investments), Tormis Saar (CEO, GoCraft), and Major Ivo Peets (Commander, Force Transformation Command), moderated by Joakim Klementi.
