Arming Europe - Reconceptualizing European Defence Production

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has jump-started a European re-armament process that lay dormant for nearly three decades. This paper examines how Europe is reconceptualizing its defence production at a fundamental level - redefining the role, purpose, agency, and remit of the sector. Such a shift marks a significant departure from Europe’s established "peace project" identity. Through the lens of "coordinated sovereignty," we interrogate the evolving balance between national actors and EU institutions. We argue that this transformation is not merely a temporary, crisis-driven reaction but a profound and durable shift in the core cognitive model and definition of the field. This reconceptualization is driven by three primary shifts: the transition of purpose from an export-oriented economic asset to a vital security foundation; the expansion of boundaries to include dual-use technology ecosystems ; and the alteration of roles, wherein the European Commission emerges as an active industrial policy entrepreneur. Ultimately, we describe an emerging hybrid governance model where Member States retain constitutional authority over the use of force while operationally pooling industrial agency with supranational institutions to ensure strategic autonomy. This paper identifies the key drivers of this process and structures their impact on Europe’s future re-armament architecture.