Beyond the Dual-Use Label: The Case for Defence Space Investment

The "dual-use" label has had its day. For too long it's been political cover and a way for investors to back defence assets while keeping civilian LPs comfortable. The honest thesis is simpler: the urgent demand is in defence, the monetisation is in defence, and civilian markets follow. The question is whether Europe is willing to say that out loud. With a 3–5-year window to secure a competitive advantage, and Ukraine as proof that space is now where wars are fought and won, this investor-led panel lifts the veil. What is actually getting funded? Where is the gap between government announcements and real new money? And what does it take to shift European defence space investment from rhetoric to reality?