Sustainability issues are manageable: Policymakers and industry initiatives are clearing sustainability obstacles, but – although vital – these are usually not the main obstacle to defence investment in Europe.

Due diligence challenges remain: Human rights and end-use risks cannot be fully eliminated, and governments and investors need to work hard to manage them.

Commercial hurdles persist: The real barriers are commercial: for example, slow procurement, unclear demand signals, and lack of long-term contracts.

Links:

https://www.investeurope.eu/publications-policy/publications/2026/model-limited-partnership-agreement-lpa-language-for-defence-dual-use-investment/

https://eiriscrn.net/grid/

https://www.rusi.org/explore-our-research/publications/insights-papers/private-capital-uk-defence

https://www.ft.com/content/72878c3e-a4c6-4e4d-86c1-6df11593e4ac?syn-25a6b1a6=1

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-defence-investment-plan

https://www.traverssmith.com/knowledge/knowledge-container/backing-british-can-the-uk-become-the-leading-destination-for-defence-investment/