BDVA has officially relaunched its Task Force Security under a new name: Task Force Security and Defence, marking a strategic shift to reflect Europe’s rapidly evolving Data and AI ecosystem. The task force was officially revamped last week and signals a broadened scope aligned with emerging geopolitical and technological realities.
The revamping comes at a time when the security and defence landscape across Europe is becoming increasingly complex. Stakeholders are facing a convergence of cyber, physical, and hybrid threats, all of which demand interoperable, trustworthy, and data-centric solutions. These solutions must not only be technically robust but also consistent with EU ethical principles and societal values.
The updated mandate of the Task Force builds on the foundations laid by the EU Security Union Strategy (2020–2025), while also aligning with more recent policy developments. Notably, the European Commission’s ProtectEU Internal Security Strategy, published in April 2025, responds to new challenges arising from rapid technological change—particularly the widespread deployment of artificial intelligence.
Both strategic frameworks are reflected in the Horizon Europe Strategic Plan (2025–2027), which outlines several key expected impacts. These include reducing losses from disasters and crises, strengthening the resilience of critical infrastructure, enhancing cybersecurity capabilities, improving the effectiveness of law enforcement, and enabling secure border management alongside lawful movement.
Within this context, advancements in big data, artificial intelligence, and high-performance computing are expected to play a decisive role. The BDVA’s newly relaunched Task Force aims to guide future technological trends and define roadmaps for defence-related, data-driven innovation. A central objective is to reduce fragmentation across the European ecosystem and foster greater trust among stakeholders in the sharing and use of data.
The initiative will also support long-term AI innovation, adoption, and deployment across critical sectors. Members of the BDVA community engaged in security and defence will focus on addressing challenges linked to AI integration in real-world scenarios. These include applications involving law enforcement authorities, operators of critical infrastructure, national defence forces, first responders, and disaster management bodies.
By expanding its scope and reinforcing its strategic alignment with EU priorities, the Task Force Security and Defence is positioned to play a key role in shaping Europe’s data-driven security future.