Health Security Beyond Defense: Building Resilience Against Future Health and Security Threats

Russia’s war on Ukraine and a fracturing geopolitical order have made clear that robust defence is non-negotiable but military strength alone cannot deliver lasting security. Today’s threats from armed conflict and pandemics to climate collapse, supply chain vulnerabilities, and dual-use biotechnology demand a 360 degree all hazard/threat approach: including defence, diplomacy, development and innovation. Recent studies show a critical imbalance: for every dollar spent on diplomacy and development, seven go to defence. This risks trading one set of threats for another, as underfunded crises in governance, health, and climate resilience fuel future instability, displacement, and geopolitical competition.

Meanwhile, biotechnology is emerging as a defining arena of geopolitical competition. Advances in synthetic biology, AI-enabled biological design, and bio industrial manufacturing promise breakthroughs in healthcare and sustainability but also introduce new biosecurity risks, strategic dependencies, and power shifts. The U.S. and China now treat biotech as a strategic technology on par with AI and semiconductors.

With defence priorities dominating, how can Europe ensure long-term threats like climate risks, pandemics, and instability aren’t sidelined? And how can a whole-of-society approach, integrating diplomacy, development, and innovation, be better utilized to resilience and crisis prevention?