Skills4ADC+ Policy Roundtable and Workshop. Brussels, 21 October

On 21 October 2026, Skills4ADC+ will host a Policy Roundtable and Workshop in Brussels, bringing together European policymakers, social partners and industry representatives to discuss the transformation of Europe’s defence sector and its implications for workers’ jobs and skills.

The session will provide a forum to:

Improve the understanding of the policy framework provided by the European Commission’s DG DEFIS and DG EMPL to support the transformation in the defence sector and its implications for workers, including on skills
Exchange on the reality of transformation in the defence sector, by taking a closer look at concrete examples of reconversion and ramp up, and their implications for production, workers and skills
Identify challenges and opportunities in the ongoing transformation, and draw recommendations for successful reconversion, training approaches on reskilling and upskilling, including from other sectors
Identify possible areas for follow-up and joint action

PROGRAMME

MAI Meeting Centre (La Maison des Associations Internationales). Room Berlin. 40 Rue Washington. 1050 Brussels

09:30 Welcome and introduction

Isabelle Barthès, industriAll Europe
Delphine Rudelli, Ceemet
Liga Baltina, Fondazione Giacomo Brodolini

10:00 The European Commission’s new vision on defence and its impacts on jobs and skills. Roundtable on the transformation in Europe’s defence sector with a focus on employment, working conditions and skills needs (incl. insights from European Skills Guarantee pilot) Moderated by Isabelle Barthes, industriAll Europe

Followed by a Q&A session

Paraskevi Papantoniou Head of Unit, DG DEFIS, European Commission
Raluca Painter, Head of Unit G.2, DG EMPL, European Commission
Sonia de Melo Xavier, Policy Officer, DG EMPL B5, European Commission

11:30 Coffee break

12:00 The reality of transformation in companies. Presentation of concrete examples: Rheinmetall SAAB. Followed by a Q&A session

Martin Wolfgang Hoffmann, Chair of the European Works Council of Rheinmetall AG, Germany
Emma Paavonen Chief of Staff – Surveillance Saab Technology Center

13:00 Lunch break

14:00 The reality of transformation in companies – Presentation of concrete examples: MBDA Questions and Answers

Dominique Doucet, CFE-CGC, MBDA, France
Jean-Baptiste Ertlé, Human Resources Director, MBDA, France

15:00 Experiences from the transformation and reconversion, including on re-skilling and up-skilling Interactive session with participants Exchange on concrete sectoral cases and drawing up of recommendations

15:45 Conclusions