Volver a Blog Javier Pardo de Santayana Gómez de Olea 1 June, 2022 32 years serving as artillery and staff officer in a variety of military units and operations as well as international organizations: NATO, UE and OSCE. Currently, as Head of the Multilateral Cooperation Branch of the National Armament Directorate at the Spanish Ministry of Defence, in charge the relations on armament with international organizations: NATO, UE, OCCAR and others. Focusing on EU, the Commission, in particular with the Direction General on Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS), is financing the defence industry through the European Defence Fund (EDF). The aim is to create links in a fragmented EU’s Defence Technological and Industrial Base (EDTIB) through cooperation in research and development of military capabilities, including cyber technologies. The way is providing grants to consortia made up from three or more companies from at least three different European countries. The consortia need the support of their MoD. This implies intense coordination with the Comission, the industry and inside the Ministry, in order to match military and industrial needs. This multifaceted coordination is the role of my team.