Future Force Conference 2017

The Dutch Minister of Defence and the Dutch Chief of Defence will host the Future Force Conference in The Hague, the Netherlands. The Future Force Conference is a highly innovative international networking conference addressing the theme:

‘From partnerships to ecosystems: combining our efforts for a more secure world’.

Why this interest? Military personnel can help to protect our society against internal and external threats to create a safer world. But the military alone can never be the sole answer. In these times of geopolitical shifts and technological change, nobody can do it alone – certainly not the defence organisation of a small country such as the Netherlands. The efforts of a huge array of actors are all necessary in order to achieve a more secure, stable and just world. We are all part of multiple, often regional and/or subject-oriented ‘ecosystems’, in which we depend on each other.

But the proof isn’t in the theory, it’s in the practice… That is why the Dutch ministry of Defence is inviting up to a thousand cutting-edge thinkers and practitioners from all walks of life, who can further explore areas related to the defence and security world. We have in mind leaders and experts from various IOs, NGOs, social impact companies, as well as CEOs, international policy-makers, researchers, high-ranking military personnel from NATO, white hat hackers, academics, students, architects, cultural anthropologists, economists, experts and so on.

By bringing together such a diverse gathering in an inspiring setting that promotes dialogue, we believe that we can come up with innovative approaches to dealing with today’s challenging security environment. We would like to hear others’ views , share best practices, and synchronize efforts. We want to know how we can reach the goal of a more stable and secure world by working together. How can we make use of new technologies, for instance? Or how can we rely on others, and at the same time provide value for others?

Some of the ideas may stretch people’s comfort levels, but we want people to leave the Future Force Conference inspired and full of stimulating new ideas. We want deliverables and concrete actions. That is what we need in this fast-evolving world!