We live in a time when technological innovation is no longer just an instrument of modernization — it is today the main driver of the strategic transformation of the armed forces.
At the heart of this change is the integration of unmanned systems — aerial, surface and underwater vehicles — known as drones, which are redefining not only the way missions are conducted, but also the very logic of Defense.
More than new tools, these systems represent a new way of thinking, deciding and operating. And it is in this context that Portugal, through the Navy, takes on a pioneering role.
With the international exercise REPMUS (Robotic Experimentation and Prototyping with Maritime Unmanned Systems) and the construction of an innovation ecosystem centered on the Sea, the country clearly asserts itself as a protagonist in the new era of defense — a time marked by technological autonomy, interoperability and agile strategic thinking.
Technology forces us to rethink doctrine, training, organization, leadership and the essential components for building and maintaining operational capabilities.
Modern warfare demands hybrid profiles — officers who understand engineering, engineers who understand operations — and organizational structures that favor experimentation and decentralized decision-making.
At a time when technological evolution no longer follows predictable linear rhythms like Moore’s Law, building capabilities in the Portuguese naval innovation ecosystem should not be limited to responding to immediate challenges.
To stay ahead, it is essential to adopt a different logic: combining user-centered thinking with future-anticipating methodologies.
This approach — which combines design thinking with futures thinking — allows you to imagine alternatives, experiment with controlled risk and prepare institutions for the unexpected.
The REPMUS exercise is today a paradigmatic example of the transformation underway in defense. In it, the Armed Forces, industry, academia and international partners converge to test and validate new capabilities in a realistic and dynamic environment.
Through interoperability, knowledge sharing and a collaborative and iterative methodology — focused on integration between users and creators — REPMUS asserts itself as a true operational innovation laboratorywhose relevance has aroused the interest of several countries that are already studying the replication of this model of technological and operational experimentation in their own contexts.
Transformation in defense also cannot be seen simply as the adoption of new systems. It involves the creation of sociotechnical networks — systems made up of people, infrastructures, technologies, regulations and practices — that operate in continuous articulation.
A structuring example of this approach is the Navy Operational Experimentation Center (CEOM)which brings together the REPMUS exercise and the Infante D. Henrique Technological Free Zone as pillars of experimentation in a living and collaborative laboratory.
This ecosystem allows testing and validating technologies in an operational context, promoting coordination between civil and military, public and private actors. In this context, Portugal is shaping these networks to its context, making the Sea a space for integrated and systemic innovation.
Co-creation is another central aspect in the Portuguese approach to innovation in defense. At REPMUS, the Navy, as a development partner, works side by side with engineers, scientists and technology companies, in a model that anticipates future operational challenges through multidisciplinary experimentation.
One of the pillars of this approach is the clear commitment to the dual use of technologies developed for defense. Drones and sensors, designed for military contexts, are equally applicable to civilian areas such as environmental monitoring, maritime security, natural disaster management or scientific research.
This versatility not only increases the economic viability of projects, but also increases their social and strategic impact.reinforcing the idea that investing in defense is investing in sovereignty, industry and economic development.
The war in Ukraine reinforced this need for change: the massive use of unmanned vehicles showed that creativity, speed and decentralization are more effective than isolated conventional power.
On this new battlefield, Portugal is demonstrating that it is possible lead through intelligence and innovationin line with European defense trends.
Thus, technology, sea and defense today form an inseparable triad of innovation at the service of European security. And Portugal, by investing in the integration of these dimensions, clearly enters the new era of security and defense, with presence and ambition, strategy and execution capacity.
In this new time, Those who lead are not those who have the most resources — it is those who think bestadapt faster and cooperate more effectively. Portugal is doing it. And it is inspiring Europe to follow the same path.