Meeting with CEOs of the German chemical industry on Wednesday (9 April 2025), Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska said that in today's turbulent world it makes perfect sense that NATO and industry work more closely together. She said that the brutal war in Ukraine and tensions in the Indo-Pacific region are part of an effort to weaken the West, along with acts of arson, sabotage and cyber-attacks, which aim to destabilise both Allied countries and companies.
Against this background, she said, the NATO Secretary General has set out three key priorities for the NATO Summit in The Hague, spending a lot more on defence, producing more capabilities, and doing more together for our security.
Ms Shekerinska said that there is a need to re-energise the defence industry and this means that industry needs to ramp up production and to put in extra shifts and new production lines, stressing that to stay safe, we must ensure we outpace our competitors.
The Deputy Secretary General said that security needs a whole-of-society response together with all NATO Allies across Europe and North America and with NATO's many partners, including other countries, organisations, members of academia, the private sector and citizens.
She highlighted that industry produces essential materials and medicines, and helps ensure the uninterrupted operation of industrial value chains. In turn, she said, industry can count on NATO to ensure industry can continue to operate in a safe environment.
