RBI Director at NATO Headquarters
The RBI Director General Danica Ramljak will participate in the NATO conference: Challenges and Opportunities in Trans-Atlantic Defence Industrial Cooperation in 2009 to be held at NATO headquarters in Brussels on 15 - 16 October 2009. Issues on the agenda will include technology transfer, intellectual property, market access and investment policies in the context of an economic downturn and anticipated recovery. Organized by NATO's Defence Investment Division in partnership with the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) of London, the conference will bring together National Armaments Directors as well as government and defence industry leaders from both sides of the Atlantic. During this conference the RBI Director will meet with the high NATO officials, defence ministers and senior representatives of government institutions of NATO member states to discuss the RBI capabilities for joint cooperation on NATO projects.
Dr. Ashton Carter, United States Under-Secretary of Defence for Acquisition, Technology and Logistics, will deliver a keynote speech at today`s formal opening. The conference will continue the following morning at NATO HQ, with welcoming remarks by Mr. Peter C.W. Flory, NATO Assistant Secretary General Defence Investment, and Prof. Michael Clarke, British Royal United Services Institute Director. Ambassador Claudio Bisogniero, Deputy Secretary General of NATO will give the opening address. During a two day conference participants will focus on the challenges associated with the global financial crisis, its impact on defence spending, transatlantic cooperation and technology transfer. It is particularly important to highlight a panel discussion Principles for Applying Restrictions on Technology Transfer: Protecting Technology, Enhancing Interoperability, which will address the question of identifying the appropriate balance between nations’ interests in protecting sensitive technologies while also achieving greater interoperability among NATO forces.
Croatia has been involved in NATO science activities since it joined the Partnership for Peace in 2000. Croatian scientists and experts have had leading roles in around 75 activities, and more joined various cooperative activities as participants. Today, NATO science activities enable close collaboration on the two key priorities of defence against terrorism and countering other threats to security, which are managed under the Science for Peace and Security (SPS) Programme. SPS activities contribute to connecting scientists and experts from NATO countries with their counterparts from Partner and Mediterranean Dialogue countries through workshops, training courses, team collaborations and multi-year projects. The RBI scientists are currently working on three NATO projects.