As the Vice-President responsible for the strategy of the Defence and Security Industry Association of the Czech Republic (DSIA), for the last few months I have been trying to figure out how to update the DSIA Strategy adopted for 2012-2020.
My task was to present a new document valid for the next ten years, until 2030, by the end of March this year. While in a normal situation it would be enough to dust off the current strategy a little, COVID-19 suddenly appeared and we are all now wondering what will happen once it is over. It is already clear that many things will have to completely change. Let’s not rush, as it is still too early to say anything. First, we have to calmly evaluate the past months, when the whole world has lived in a completely different rhythm. The damage will be huge in every area. From the absence of first-graders at school, through the huge decline in industrial production and services, to the turmoil in the global financial market.
In points two and three, the current DSIA Strategy refers to the protection of Czech companies on both domestic and foreign markets. Protection from whom? And from what…? I think the very difficult weeks and months with COVID-19 have perhaps opened all of our eyes and pushed us back towards common sense. No country can produce all it needs to run a society, but it must have the critical infrastructure to survive the first few days of any imaginable crisis. By this I don’t mean only the defence and security industry, I speak in general. The stupid cliché that the cheapest is best for us, because that’s what the law of the market states, has already crushed quite a few decent domestic companies. As well as the belief that the right thing for our needs is just what we see in this or that exercise or mission, and moreover when it is used by one of our coalition partners. Even this has managed to liquidate a few companies. Equally so when such a need is sometimes defined in the right places by a private in basic training – no offence to the private…
So at the beginning of the difficult times ahead after COVID-19, let’s remain calm and face what is actually important for the operation of our country… In any area!