Visit of the French Institute for Advanced Studies in National Defence (IHEDN)

On 30 May 2025, the European Union Satellite Centre (SatCen) had the honour of welcoming a delegation from the 73rd cohort of the French Institute for Advanced Studies in National Defence (l’Institut des Hautes Études de Défense Nationale (IHEDN)). The visit formed part of the IHEDN’s broader engagement with European institutions and focused on enhancing understanding of the EU’s security and defence architecture. The delegation was received by SatCen Director Mr. Louis Tillier, who offered welcoming remarks and underlined the Centre’s strategic importance in the European Union’s Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) and Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP). Mr. Tillier highlighted SatCen’s unique role in delivering timely, accurate, and actionable geospatial intelligence, directly contributing to the EU’s security and situational awareness. Following the welcome address, Ms. Theodora Filip, Senior Communications Officer at SatCen, provided a comprehensive overview of the Centre’s history and evolution. The presentation placed particular emphasis on SatCen’s mission in support of the CFSP/CSDP, as well as its contributions beyond these frameworks. Attendees were briefed on the Centre’s wide-ranging activities—from geospatial intelligence to capability development, training and development of operational AI and language processing tools. The visit concluded with a hands-on session, where the IHEDN participants engaged directly with operational...