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This article discusses the changing landscape of the European defense industry in response to various global crises and security concerns. It highlights the need for increased integration and expansion of the defense industry at the European level, including the establishment of the European Defense Fund (EDF) and the Permanent Structured Cooperation (PESCO). The article also addresses key issues such as the status of the defense market, technological innovation, military-civilian connections, and the role of outer space, cyber, and critical infrastructure in the European defense architecture. The special issue provides a comprehensive exploration of the European defense landscape, offering unique perspectives on data collection, market fragmentation, industrial structure, innovation incentives, demand-supply dynamics, regulatory frameworks, and technology securitization. [Extracted from the article]

State defence and security policies rely mostly on their military capabilities. The latter are ensured through research and development (R&D) as well as procurement, which are subject to defence industry dynamics. Furthermore the defence sector is heavily dependent on public funds; the latter can be more easily allocated if related R&D has a spill-over effect on the civilian sector, creating the potential for a bigger and more globally (or regionally) integrated market. This article investigates, then, how technology moves, and whether defence sector innovations create spin-offs in the civilian sector in the Netherlands. We aim to provide an industry-centred perspective on defence sector dynamics and potentials. For this, the article attempts to answer the following questions: Are defence technologies transferred to the civilian sector? What lessons can be derived from the Dutch case? To address these research puzzles the article's theoretical framework builds on the technology-transfer literature in analysing the case study of the Netherlands. The basis for this is 23 interviews with representatives of Dutch defence companies that were carried out both in a workshop and in one-to-one settings in May and June 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]