Young Leaders and the Future of Defense at FEINDEF 2025

As part of our commitment to enhancing public awareness of global change - including shifting geopolitics and evolving international security challenges, we participated in FEINDEF 2025 (the International Defense and Security Fair of Spain) with our FEINDEF Experience 25: Youth and the Defense of the Future initiative, organized in collaboration with Airbus Defence and Space. 

We work to bridge the gap between Gen Z and the defense sector during a time of major global shifts, when strategic policy decisions will require broad-based support. For three days, we led groups of twenty young adults, aged 18 to 35, on a tour of the fair, facilitating dialogues with various stakeholders in the defense sector. This allowed participants to learn more about current technological innovations in the sector and the role these innovations play in Europe’s path towards strategic autonomy.

The experience culminated in a panel discussion  presented by CGC’s director Irene Blázquez and moderated by journalist Emilio Doménech, featuring  insights from leading youth representatives and security and defense experts and practitioners:

• Alejandra Fernández, Founder and President, Junior Female Leaders
• Elsa Arnaiz, President and CEO, Talento para el Futuro
• Captain Santiago García, NH90 Pilot, Spanish Air and Space Force
• María Escribano, Aeronautical Engineer, Airbus Defence and Space
• Michele Testoni, Associate Professor, IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs

Participants discussed strategies to enhance the engagement of younger Europeans in the defense sector. Key points included the importance of framing defense as a means to protect democracy and fundamental human rights, both at home and abroad; the need to research and understand young people’s concerns and aspirations before crafting messages; and the imperative for the sector to become more transparent about its activities and security threats, while also being more inclusive of diverse profiles.

The initiative was carried out as a continuation of our report “Next Generation Security: A Study on How Young Europeans Perceive the Defense Sector” which revealed a significant disconnect between the youth and the defense sector. Learn more about it here.