For fifteen years the geopolitical context has been constantly evolving, and the Europeans’ determination jointly to procure the means to assure their security and defence has become increasingly apparent. At the same time, European industry has seen a broad move to consolidate in the field of aerospace and electronics. Numerous obstacles still stand in the way of the development of the Defence Technological and Industrial Base, however. That is why the AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe is backing several European defence R&T projects: a strategic research agenda, more cooperative projects, the creation of technological centres of excellence and a technology ‘incubator’. Moreover, the setting up of a true European defence market is necessary to guarantee European industry’s competitiveness. And the emergence of a security market is now a real possibility, given the increasingly important place occupied by technologies in both the security and defence domains.