Defence Policy and Innovation Expert in Dual-Use technologies – market analysis (M / W)

Expertise France, the French agency for international technical cooperation, is a key actor in supporting sustainable public policy development worldwide. It designs and implements projects that strengthen governance, security, climate, health, and education systems in developing and emerging countries, contributing to the achievement of the 2030 Agenda.

Greece has requested the support of the European Commission to assist in the capacity-building of the Hellenic Centre for Defence Innovation (HCDI). Through the Technical Support Instrument (TSI), SG REFORM is financing Expertise France to provide expertise and ensure the strengthening of HCDI’s capacities.

The HCDI was created with the primary purpose of developing the innovation ecosystem in the dual-use and defence research and development (R&D) sector, stimulating technological progress, and implementing structural reforms aimed at enhancing resilience. Furthermore, the EU’s “ReArm Europe” initiative emphasizes the need to strengthen military preparedness and effectiveness, in line with objectives to translate the operational needs of the Greek Armed Forces into concrete solutions. Additionally, the future of European defence, as defined by the European Commission in the White Paper on the Future of European Defence, involves developing strategic autonomy and collaborative defence strategies within the EU.

As a key entity tasked with transforming the operational needs of the Greek Armed Forces into concrete solutions, HCDI faces several challenges, including the underdevelopment of dual-use technologies, the absence of a comprehensive government-wide innovation strategy, and limited access to financial instruments. These gaps hinder innovation, weaken national security preparedness, and create inefficiencies in resource allocation.

To address these issues, the project will strengthen Greece’s defence innovation ecosystem by enhancing HCDI’s capabilities.

Within this framework, under the ELKAK DEFENCE INNOVATION project, Expertise France is hiring an expert to implement the Output 2 of the project : Dual-use technologies ecosystem market study and contribute to the Output 4 : Roadmap to align HCDI’s operations to the EU legislative requirements and good practices in defence innovation.

As part of the output 2, the Expert will assess how EU defence legislation and policy initiatives affect HCDI’s missions, operations, and strategic role within the defence innovation ecosystem, with a focus on operational relevance, defence capability development, and ensuring that regulatory alignment strengthens, rather than constrains, HCDI’s effectiveness and impact. In parallel, the expert will lead and contribute to an in-depth market study of the Greek defence and dual-use technologies ecosystem. This role is critical in defining HCDI’s strategic priorities, positioning, and value proposition by analysing defence market trends, GAF operational requirements, and national and European competitive landscapes, ensuring that HCDI’s activities maximise impact on national security, industrial development, and innovation competitiveness.

The expert will benefit from the initial analyses and observations conducted during the inception phase, as documented in deliverable 1 : the Inception Report (Output 1). All documentation collected during this phase will also be made available to support the expert’s work.

Additionally, the expert will collaborate with a legal expert on Output 4 to contribute to the drafting of the Roadmap deliverable.

• The expected results within the framework of this assignment :
• Definition of HCDI’s priorities and orientation
• Strategic Orientation and Priority Setting
• Analysis of Greek Armed Forces (GAF) Requirements
• Defence and Dual-Use Market & Technology Analysis (benchmark)
• Stakeholder Engagement and Reporting
• Development of an operation Alignment Roadmap
• Monitoring Framework Development
• Evaluation Framework Development
• Finalisation and Validation of the Roadmap

The expert, acting as the person responsible for the technical monitoring and oversight of activities, will carry out the following tasks :

Activity 1 : Draft of a document analysis that determine HCDI’s priorities and orientation (Output 2)

Activity 2 : Presentation of the deliverables of O2 and O4 during the Steering Committee

1. Defence Policy and Ecosystem Analysis (Activities 4.1 & 4.2)

2. Operational Impact Assessment

3. Roadmap Design – Defence & Operations Perspective

4. Monitoring and Evaluation – Defence Impact

5. Stakeholder Engagement and Validation

A high-level Steering Committee convenes every two months to review the progress of outputs. Deliverables are presented, discussed, and submitted for validation by the Committee. The expert, supported by the project manager and the other expert, is responsible for presenting the findings of their work along with recommendations to HCDI.