The European defense industry is seeking to replicate the civilian spin-off success of the Apollo missions, which generated innovations like rechargeable hearing-aid batteries and earthquake-proof buildings now widely used in everyday life. In the UK, defense turnover reached £36.5 billion in 2026, a 42% increase since 2022, while in the EU it stands at 148 billion euros annually, up 60% since 2021. Productivity in the sector can exceed the national average by 25%. Examples of technology transfer include BAE Systems’ Rho-C, an ultrasound technology originally built for submarines now being used in oil, gas, and nuclear sectors. Andy Haldane, former chief economist of the Bank of England, has called for reducing the lag between defense breakthroughs and their spread to the wider economy.
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