THE HUMAN FACTOR: CREATIVITY, COMPETENCIES  
AND THE FUTURE OF DEFENSE  
General (ret.) Professor Teodor FRUNZETI, Ph.D  
(Academy of Romanian Scientists, 3 Ilfov Street, 050044, Bucharest,  
Romania, email: secretariat@aosr.ro)  
Colonel Senior Researcher Engineer Tiberius TOMOIAGĂ, Ph.D  
(Academy of Romanian Scientists, 3 Ilfov Street, 050044, Bucharest,  
Romania, email: secretariat@aosr.ro)  
Colonel (ret.) Senior Researcher Engineer Liviu COȘEREANU, Ph.D  
(Academy of Romanian Scientists, 3 Ilfov Street, 050044, Bucharest,  
Romania, email: secretariat@aosr.ro)  
Abstract: In an environment of increasingly fierce geopolitical competition  
and an unprecedented technological revolution, public and strategic focus often  
gravitates towards military hardware: autonomous drones, hypersonic missiles and  
artificial intelligence systems. However, the effectiveness of these advanced  
technologies is fundamentally dependent on a much less visible, yet essential  
element: the human factor. Regardless of the sophistication of a weapon system, its  
value on the battlefield is directly proportional to the ability of personnel to develop,  
produce, operate, maintain, and adapt it. This paper explores the critical dimension  
of human resources in the new era of defense, analyzing the talent crisis, the  
requirement for new competencies, and the collaborative models that will define the  
future of global security.  
Keywords: human factor, weapon systems, talent crisis, global security,  
technological revolution.  
DOI  
10.56082/annalsarscimilit.2026.1.3  
1. INTRODUCTION  
In the context of increasingly fierce geopolitical competition and an  
unprecedented technological revolution, public and strategic attention often  
focuses on military hardware: autonomous drones, hypersonic missiles, and  
artificial intelligence systems. However, the effectiveness of these advanced  
technologies fundamentally depends on a much less visible, but essential  
element: the human factor. No matter how sophisticated a weapon system is,  
its value on the battlefield is directly proportional to the ability of people to  
Entitled Member of the Academy of Romanian Scientists, President of the Military Sciences  
Section, Doctoral Supervisor at "CAROL I" National Defense University, email:  
tfunzeti@gmail.com.  
 Associated member of the Academy of Romanian Scientists, email: t_tibis@yahoo.com.  
 Corresponding Member of the Academy of Romanian Scientists, Scientific Secretary of  
the Military Sciences Section, email: lv.cosereanu@gmail.com.  
3
     
THE HUMAN FACTOR: CREATIVITY, COMPETENCIES AND  
THE FUTURE OF DEFENSE  
develop, produce, operate, maintain, and adapt it. This paper explores the  
critical dimension of human resources in the new era of defense, analyzing  
the talent crisis, the need for new skills, and the collaboration models that will  
define the future of global security.  
2. THE SKILLED LABOR CRISIS: A SILENT THREAT  
The defense industry, in both the United States and Europe, is facing  
a structural labor crisis, a problem that threatens to undermine innovation and  
production capacity at a time of maximum international tension. This crisis is  
not just a matter of numbers, but, more importantly, of skills. As weapon  
systems become increasingly digitized and software-based, the shortage of  
qualified personnel in areas such as embedded software development,  
systems engineering, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence has become a  
strategic bottleneck.  
A landmark 2025 study by the Aerospace Industries Association  
(AIA) in collaboration with McKinsey & Company revealed the alarming  
dimensions of the problem. The attrition rate of personnel in the aerospace  
and defense (A&D) industry reached almost 15%, more than double the  
average of other American industries1. At the same time, 76% of AIA member  
companies reported sustained difficulties in hiring engineers, while 56%  
faced challenges in finding skilled workers in technical trades2. This talent  
drain is all the more dangerous as the sector is in a race against time to meet  
the growing demand generated by the conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle  
East and the need to deter future aggression.  
"A&D organizations have invested heavily to attract and hire  
employees, but the industry-wide attrition rate remains stuck at nearly 15%.  
Some of the biggest talent gaps are in roles essential for production."3  
The problem is exacerbated by fierce competition for talent with the  
commercial technology sector. Giants like Google, Amazon, and Apple offer  
salary packages and an organizational culture that the defense industry, with  
its long development cycles and bureaucratic constraints, can hardly match.  
Moreover, a 2026 Deloitte report highlights a demographic shift: an  
impending wave of retirements among an aging workforce, which is not being  
replaced quickly enough by new generations4. It is estimated that the global  
shortage of semiconductor engineers, a vital component for almost all modern  
military systems, could exceed one million people by 20305.  
1 McKinsey & Company. (2025, June 16).  
2 Idem.  
3 Idem.  
4 Deloitte. (2026).  
5 ISG. (n.d.). Aerospace and Defense.  
4
         
General (ret.) Professor Teodor FRUNZETI, Ph.D  
Colonel Senior Researcher Engineer Tiberius TOMOIAGĂ, Ph.D  
Colonel (ret.) Senior Researcher Engineer Liviu COȘEREANU, Ph.D  
3. THE COMPETENCIES OF THE FUTURE:  
RECALIBRATING HUMAN CAPITAL  
Modern warfare is no longer waged only with steel and explosives,  
but increasingly with algorithms and data. This transformation requires a  
fundamental redefinition of the skills needed not only in research laboratories,  
but also on the production line and on the battlefield. The soldier of the future  
will not only be a combatant, but also an operator of complex systems, a data  
analyst, and, in some cases, a technician capable of performing basic repairs  
on robotic equipment.  
The Deloitte report identifies data science, data engineering, artificial  
intelligence, and machine learning as the skills with the fastest growing  
demand in the 2024-2028 period6. This trend reflects a transition from  
hardware-centric platforms to software-defined systems, where the ability to  
process massive volumes of sensor data and transform it into actionable  
information in real time becomes a decisive advantage.  
Aware of this strategic gap, the European Union has launched  
ambitious initiatives to retrain the workforce. Through the "EU Defence  
Industry Transformation Roadmap", the European Commission has set a goal  
to support the retraining of 600,000 people for the defense industry by 2030  
and to increase the skills of about 12% of the existing workforce each year7.  
Time  
Horizon  
EU Initiative  
Main Objective  
Supporting forecasting, upskilling, and  
reskilling programs.  
Pact for Skills (A&D)  
Continuous  
EU Defence Industry  
Talent Platform  
Facilitating internships for young  
professionals in defense SMEs.  
Q4 2026  
EU Defence Industry  
Skills Academy  
Creating a dedicated academy for defense  
skills.  
From 2028  
Table 1: Actions proposed by the European Commission to generate  
skills and talent in the defense sector.  
Source: EU Defence Industry Transformation Roadmap.8  
These programs aim to create a continuous training ecosystem capable  
of adapting to the rapid pace of technological innovation. Initiatives such as  
6 Deloitte. (2026).  
7 European Commission. (2025, November 19).  
8 European Commission. (2025, November 19).  
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THE HUMAN FACTOR: CREATIVITY, COMPETENCIES AND  
THE FUTURE OF DEFENSE  
online academies and talent platforms are designed to reduce barriers to entry  
and make careers in defense more attractive to new generations, including by  
increasing the representation of women, who are currently underrepresented  
in the sector9.  
Figure 1: Maintenance of modern weapon systems requires advanced skills in  
electronics, software, and networking.  
Source: Army.mil.  
4. CIVIL-MILITARY COLLABORATION: INNOVATION  
ECOSYSTEMS AND THE UKRAINIAN MODEL  
In the face of a talent crisis and rigid and slow procurement cycles, a  
new innovation paradigm has begun to take shape: close collaboration  
between the civil and military sectors. The war in Ukraine has become a  
catalyst and a living laboratory for this new model, demonstrating how the  
agility and innovation culture of technology startups can provide a decisive  
advantage on the battlefield.  
The Brave1 platform10, a Ukrainian government initiative, has  
become the epicenter of this ecosystem. It functions as a single interface  
between technology developers, end-users (the military), and investors,  
dramatically accelerating the cycle from idea to operational product. Over  
230 defense technology startups have been founded in Europe since the  
beginning of the invasion, and private investment in this sector reached a  
record level in 202411. The Brave1 model is based on several key principles:  
9 European Commission. (2025, November 19).  
10 BRAVE1 Platform. (n.d.).  
11 European Commission. (2025, November 19).  
6
     
General (ret.) Professor Teodor FRUNZETI, Ph.D  
Colonel Senior Researcher Engineer Tiberius TOMOIAGĂ, Ph.D  
Colonel (ret.) Senior Researcher Engineer Liviu COȘEREANU, Ph.D  
•
Real-time feedback: Developers receive direct feedback from the  
front, allowing them to iterate and improve their products in cycles of  
weeks, not years.  
•
•
Rapid testing: New technologies are tested in real combat conditions,  
quickly validating their effectiveness.  
Dual-use innovation: Many solutions, especially in the field of  
drones and software, come from the civilian sector and are quickly  
adapted for military use.  
Figure 2: The widespread use of modified commercial drones in  
Ukraine illustrates the power of civil-military innovation.  
Source: Atlantic Council.  
This model contrasts sharply with the traditional Western defense  
ecosystem, dominated by a few major contractors ("primes") such as  
Lockheed Martin or BAE Systems. In Silicon Valley, however, a new  
generation of companies, called "neoprimes" (such as Anduril Industries and  
Palantir), are trying to import agility and a software-first culture into the  
defense sector. These companies attract billions of dollars in venture capital  
funding and challenge the dominance of traditional giants, being faster,  
leaner, and focused on developing dual-use technologies12.  
"The battlefield is changing and new technologies are needed... war is no  
longer limited to land, sea, and air. There are also the cyber and space  
domains that have become contested."  
Ernestine Fu Mak, Co-founder, MilVet Angels13  
The success of these new models highlights a fundamental shift: the  
technological advantage is no longer held exclusively by the traditional  
12 CNBC. (2025, October 3).  
13 CNBC. (2025, October 3).  
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THE HUMAN FACTOR: CREATIVITY, COMPETENCIES AND  
THE FUTURE OF DEFENSE  
military-industrial complex. The ability to rapidly integrate innovations from  
the commercial sector and create a collaborative ecosystem between  
engineers, soldiers, and investors is becoming a top-tier strategic factor.  
5. MANAGERIALAND PLANNING DEFICIENCIES:  
THE ACHILLES' HEEL OF DEFENSE PROCUREMENT  
Despite recognizing the urgency, efforts to modernize the workforce  
and accelerate innovation are hitting a formidable obstacle: the defense  
procurement system, especially that of the Pentagon. Characterized by rigid  
bureaucracy, linear processes, and an extreme aversion to risk, this system is  
often described as being "built to serve the process, not the warrior"14 .  
A Government Accountability Office (GAO) report from June 2025  
found that the Department of Defense (DoD) needs, on average, almost 12  
years to deliver the first version of a weapon system15. These extremely long  
development cycles, in which requirements are fixed years in advance, lead  
to absurd situations where equipment is already obsolete by the time it  
becomes operational. Costs also frequently spiral out of control. The DoD  
plans to invest nearly $2.4 trillion in 106 of its most expensive weapon  
programs, many of which are plagued by delays and budget overruns16.  
"Despite recent reforms, the DoD remains plagued by rising costs,  
prolonged development cycles, and structural inefficiencies that hinder its  
ability to acquire and deploy innovative technologies with speed."  
GAO-25-108528, Defense Acquisition Reform17  
Numerous reform attempts have largely failed to solve the  
fundamental problems, often resulting in mere "workarounds" that do not  
change the basic system. The Pentagon's managerial culture prioritizes fraud  
prevention and procedural compliance over speed and innovation. This  
mentality creates a risk aversion that discourages experimentation and  
punishes failure, essential elements for any real innovation process.  
Analysts at the Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) argue that by  
over-indexing on perfection, which it then fails to deliver, the Pentagon has  
unintentionally accepted a greater operational and strategic risk. An "85%  
solution" delivered quickly to the battlefield is infinitely better than a "100%  
solution" that never arrives or arrives too late18.  
14 Council on Foreign Relations. (2025, November 10).  
15 U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2025, June 11).  
16 U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2025, June 11).  
17 U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2025, June 11).  
18 Council on Foreign Relations. (2025, November 10).  
8
         
General (ret.) Professor Teodor FRUNZETI, Ph.D  
Colonel Senior Researcher Engineer Tiberius TOMOIAGĂ, Ph.D  
Colonel (ret.) Senior Researcher Engineer Liviu COȘEREANU, Ph.D  
Figure 3: Fragmentation, bureaucracy, and lack of long-term vision affect not only US  
procurement, but also European defense cooperation efforts.  
Source: CSIS.  
6. THE GLOBAL DIMENSION OF THE SKILLED LABOR  
CRISIS  
6.1 Transatlantic competition for skilled labor  
The skilled labor crisis in the defense industry is not an isolated  
phenomenon, but a systemic problem that affects the entire West and, to a  
different extent, its strategic adversaries. This section analyzes in detail the  
geographical and sectoral dimensions of the skills gap, offering a comparative  
perspective on how different states and regions are addressing this challenge.  
In the United States, the aerospace and defense industry workforce  
grew by only 2.9% in 2024, reaching approximately 2.23 million  
employees19. This modest growth is insufficient to meet the expanding  
demand generated by military modernization programs and the need to  
respond to emerging threats from China and Russia. The problem is  
exacerbated by the fact that the industry is losing employees faster than it can  
replace them, especially among mid-level managers and experienced  
specialists, who are twice as likely to leave their employer than the average  
in other sectors20.  
19 McKinsey & Company. (2025, June 16).  
20 Aerospace America. (2025, July 1).  
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THE HUMAN FACTOR: CREATIVITY, COMPETENCIES AND  
THE FUTURE OF DEFENSE  
Europe faces similar, but also some specific challenges. The  
fragmentation of the European defense market, with 27 member states having  
different procurement policies and standards, creates additional barriers to  
labor mobility. Security clearance requirements, which often include  
citizenship conditions, severely limit the ability of companies to recruit talent  
from outside national borders or from outside the EU21. This rigidity contrasts  
with the fluidity of the labor market in the commercial technology sector,  
where programmers and engineers can move freely between companies and  
countries.  
6.2 Skills gap by professional category  
A detailed analysis of the skills gap reveals that the problem is not  
uniform, but concentrated in certain critical professional categories. The table  
below presents a summary of the most affected areas:  
Professional  
Category  
Percentage of companies  
with recruitment difficulties  
Key skills in deficit  
Embedded software,  
guidance systems, AI/ML  
Engineering  
76%  
Welding, CNC machining,  
precision mechanics  
Skilled Trades  
Cybersecurity  
Data Science  
56%  
Threat analysis, network  
security, cryptography  
~65%  
~50%  
Big data analysis, predictive  
modeling, visualization  
Table 2: Skills gap by professional category in the defense industry.  
Sources: AIA-McKinsey, Deloitte.22 23  
The shortage of engineers is particularly acute in the field of  
embedded software, where modern weapon systems require millions of lines  
of code to function. An F-35 fighter jet, for example, contains over 8 million  
lines of code, and this complexity increases exponentially as artificial  
intelligence and network connectivity capabilities are integrated. Finding  
programmers capable of writing reliable, secure, and efficient code for safety-  
critical systems is a major challenge, especially when the same specialists are  
aggressively courted by Silicon Valley giants.  
21 European Commission. (2025, November 19).  
22 McKinsey & Company. (2025, June 16).  
23 Deloitte. (2026).  
10  
     
General (ret.) Professor Teodor FRUNZETI, Ph.D  
Colonel Senior Researcher Engineer Tiberius TOMOIAGĂ, Ph.D  
Colonel (ret.) Senior Researcher Engineer Liviu COȘEREANU, Ph.D  
6.3 The demographic impact: the aging workforce  
A structural factor that aggravates the crisis is the aging of the existing  
workforce. A significant proportion of experienced engineers and technicians  
in the defense industry are approaching retirement age, and their tacit  
knowledge, accumulated over decades, is at risk of being lost. This  
phenomenon, sometimes called the "generational brain drain" is particularly  
problematic in niche areas, such as the design of propulsion systems for  
missiles or the maintenance of older generation fighter jets.  
The Deloitte report points out that this demographic transition  
coincides with a period of accelerated demand growth, creating dangerous  
„scissors” between the supply and demand for talent24. Companies face the  
dilemma of investing in training new employees, knowing that they might  
leave for the competition, or trying to retain older employees through deferred  
retirement packages, an unsustainable solution in the long run.  
7. THE "NEOPRIME" MODELAND THE SILICON VALLEY  
REVOLUTION  
7.1 The rise of advanced military technology companies  
The defense industry landscape is being reshaped by a new generation  
of companies, called "neoprimes," which bring a radically different culture  
and business model from traditional contractors. These companies, many of  
them founded by Silicon Valley entrepreneurs, apply the principles of agile  
software development and technology startups to the defense sector.  
Anduril Industries, founded in 2017 by Palmer Luckey (creator of the  
Oculus virtual reality headset), is perhaps the most emblematic example. The  
company reached a valuation of $30.5 billion in 2025 and is developing a  
wide range of autonomous systems, from surveillance drones to anti-drone  
defense systems25. Its business model is based on developing its own  
products, financed by venture capital, which it then sells to the Pentagon,  
instead of waiting for government contracts to begin development.  
24 Deloitte. (2026).  
25 CNBC. (2025, October 3).  
11  
   
THE HUMAN FACTOR: CREATIVITY, COMPETENCIES AND  
THE FUTURE OF DEFENSE  
Figure 4: Anduril Industries develops advanced autonomous systems, challenging the  
dominance of traditional contractors.  
Source: WIRED.  
Other notable companies in this ecosystem include:  
Estimated valuation  
(2025)  
Company  
Specialization  
SpaceX  
Space launches, Starlink satellites  
Data analysis, AI for intelligence  
>$200 billion  
Palantir  
Technologies  
~$50 billion  
~$5 billion  
~$1 billion  
Autonomous pilots for drones and  
aircraft  
Shield AI  
Hermeus  
Hypersonic aircraft  
Table 3: Main "neoprime" companies and their areas of specialization.  
Sources: CNBC, market reports.  
7.2 The advantages of the Start-Up model  
The success of these companies is based on several structural  
advantages over traditional contractors. First, they operate with much shorter  
development cycles, measured in months, not years or decades. This agility  
allows them to iterate quickly, test products in real conditions, and improve  
them based on feedback. Second, they attract talent from the commercial  
technology sector, offering a more dynamic work culture, competitive  
compensation packages (including stock), and projects perceived as being at  
the forefront of innovation.  
Venture capital financing also plays a crucial role. Venture capital  
investment in US defense technology startups totaled approximately $38  
12  
General (ret.) Professor Teodor FRUNZETI, Ph.D  
Colonel Senior Researcher Engineer Tiberius TOMOIAGĂ, Ph.D  
Colonel (ret.) Senior Researcher Engineer Liviu COȘEREANU, Ph.D  
billion in the first half of 2025, a pace that could surpass the 2021 record26.  
This infusion of private capital allows companies to develop products before  
having guaranteed government contracts, taking risks that traditional  
contractors, dependent on public funding, cannot afford.  
7.3 Limitations and challenges  
However, the "neoprime" model is not without its challenges. Critics  
warn that these companies have not yet been tested in mass production or in  
supporting long-term programs. Developing an innovative prototype is  
different from producing thousands of units to military standards of quality  
and reliability. There is also the risk that the incentive structures that led to  
the problems in the traditional industry will be replicated in the new firms as  
they grow and become dependent on government contracts27.  
8. PROCUREMENT REFORM - BETWEEN NECESSITY AND  
RESISTANCE  
8.1 The anatomy of bureaucratic failure  
The Pentagon's procurement system, largely built during the Cold  
War, was designed to manage large, complex, and long-term programs, such  
as aircraft carriers or fighter jets. This system prioritizes control,  
predictability, and fraud prevention, but at the expense of speed and  
flexibility. In an era where technologies are evolving at an unprecedented  
speed, this rigidity has become a strategic vulnerability.  
The typical procurement process for a major weapon system involves  
several sequential stages, each with its own documentation, review, and  
approval requirements. Technical requirements are fixed early in the process,  
often years before the system is delivered. This "waterfall" approach contrasts  
sharply with the agile methodologies used in the commercial software  
industry, where products are developed iteratively, with continuous feedback  
from users.  
The 2025 GAO report identifies several causes of these chronic  
delays28:  
1 Excessive and rigid requirements: Technical specifications are  
often too detailed and inflexible, leaving little room for innovation or  
adaptation.  
2 Institutional risk aversion: Procurement officers are punished for  
failures, but rarely rewarded for success, creating a culture of risk  
avoidance.  
26 CNBC. (2025, October 3).  
27 Council on Foreign Relations. (2025, November 10).  
28 U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2025, June 11).  
13  
     
THE HUMAN FACTOR: CREATIVITY, COMPETENCIES AND  
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3 Organizational fragmentation: Responsibilities are divided among  
multiple agencies and offices, without clear decision-making  
authority.  
4 Lack of technical expertise: The personnel involved in the  
procurement processes do not always have the necessary technical  
skills to evaluate innovative solutions.  
8.2 Reform initiatives and their limitations  
The Pentagon has tried to address these problems through various  
initiatives, such as the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU), created to facilitate  
the adoption of commercial technologies, or by using more flexible  
contracting mechanisms, such as the Other Transaction Authority (OTA).  
However, these initiatives remain largely "workarounds" that do not change  
the basic system29.  
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth announced in November 2025 a  
series of ambitious reforms aimed at accelerating procurement and reducing  
bureaucracy. Among the proposed measures are the creation of "Portfolio  
Acquisition Executives" with the authority to reallocate funds between  
programs, the use of "scorecards" to measure performance, and the reduction  
of contract award times. However, analysts are skeptical about the ability of  
these reforms to produce lasting change, given the structural obstacles and  
institutional resistance.  
"The reforms will fail if the pitfalls of today's industrial base are  
repeated with different firms and new capabilities. The Pentagon will have  
to ensure that the incentive structures that undermined today's defense  
industrial base are not replicated in the newer firms."  
Council on Foreign Relations30  
8.3 The European dimension: fragmentation and  
coordination efforts  
The European Union faces similar challenges, amplified by the  
fragmentation of the defense market among 27 member states. Each country  
has its own procurement procedures, technical standards, and security  
requirements, which makes it extremely difficult to develop joint programs  
and create a single market for defense equipment.  
The "EU Defence Industry Transformation Roadmap" proposes a  
series of measures to address these problems, including the revision of the  
Defense Procurement Directive (2009/81/EC) to facilitate faster and more  
transparent procedures, especially for SMEs and startups31. It also proposes  
29 U.S. Government Accountability Office. (2025, June 11).  
30 Council on Foreign Relations. (2025, November 10).  
31 European Commission. (2025, November 19).  
14  
     
General (ret.) Professor Teodor FRUNZETI, Ph.D  
Colonel Senior Researcher Engineer Tiberius TOMOIAGĂ, Ph.D  
Colonel (ret.) Senior Researcher Engineer Liviu COȘEREANU, Ph.D  
the creation of a "marketplace" for EU-funded technologies, which would  
allow member states to purchase directly from innovative companies.  
9. LONG-TERM STRATEGIC PLANNING - A NEGLECTED  
NECESSITY  
9.1 Lack of vision and its consequences  
One of the most serious deficiencies of the current defense system,  
both in the US and in Europe, is the lack of a coherent long-term strategic  
plan for the development of the workforce and the industrial base. Decisions  
are often reactive, driven by immediate crises or annual budget cycles, instead  
of being part of a 10-20 year vision.  
This short-term approach has serious consequences. Companies  
hesitate to invest in employee training or in expanding production capacity  
without the guarantee of long-term contracts. Universities and technical  
schools cannot adapt their curricula without clear signals from industry and  
government about the future skills needed. And young professionals are  
discouraged from pursuing careers in defense if they perceive the sector as  
unstable or lacking in prospects.  
The war in Ukraine has brutally exposed these deficiencies. The  
production capacity of ammunition and weapon systems in the West has  
proved insufficient to sustain a high-intensity, long-duration conflict.  
Rebuilding this capacity requires years of investment and, more importantly,  
a skilled workforce that cannot be created overnight.  
9.2 Towards an integrated strategic approach  
An effective reform of the defense sector requires an integrated  
approach that aligns workforce, procurement, and industrial development  
policies into a coherent strategic vision.  
This should include:  
•
Workforce forecasting and planning: Developing predictive  
models to anticipate long-term skills needs, based on threat scenarios  
and technological evolution. These forecasts should inform  
educational policies and training programs.  
•
Public-private partnerships for training: Creating apprenticeship  
and internship programs in partnership with industry, which would  
provide young people with practical experience and facilitate the  
transition from education to employment.  
•
•
Incentives for retention: Developing competitive compensation  
packages and career development opportunities that reduce the  
attrition rate and retain talent in the sector.  
Flexibility in procurement: Reforming procurement procedures to  
allow for shorter cycles, iterative feedback, and faster integration of  
emerging technologies.  
15  
THE HUMAN FACTOR: CREATIVITY, COMPETENCIES AND  
THE FUTURE OF DEFENSE  
•
Investment in training infrastructure: Modernizing training  
facilities and equipment to reflect the current technologies used in the  
industry.  
10. CONCLUSIONS  
The human factor is, ultimately, the foundation on which any  
technological or military advantage is built. The most advanced weapon  
systems are useless without the people capable of designing, producing,  
operating, and adapting them to the changing realities of the battlefield. The  
current talent crisis in the defense industry is not just a human resources  
problem, but a top-tier strategic vulnerability.  
The human factor has, paradoxically, become both the greatest  
vulnerability and the greatest potential for the future of defense in the  
technological era. The talent crisis, characterized by a high attrition rate and  
an acute shortage of skills in critical areas such as software and systems  
engineering, represents a direct threat to Western technological superiority.  
At the same time, agile innovation models, based on close collaboration  
between the civilian and military sectors, as demonstrated by the Ukrainian  
ecosystem and the rise of the "neoprimes," offer a promising way forward.  
Solutions exist, but their implementation requires a fundamental  
change in mentality and organizational culture. The agile innovation models  
in Ukraine and in the defense technology startup ecosystem demonstrate that  
it is possible to develop and deliver military capabilities with much greater  
speed and efficiency than those of the traditional system. However,  
harnessing this potential requires profound reforms of procurement systems,  
long-term strategic planning, and a sustained investment in human capital.  
However, harnessing this human potential is hampered by  
anachronistic managerial and bureaucratic structures. Slow procurement  
systems, risk aversion, and the lack of long-term strategic planning for the  
workforce and the industrial base nullify many of the technological advances.  
The transition from a culture of compliance to one of innovation and agility  
is not just an option, but a strategic necessity.  
There is a great need to explore and understand the economic and  
industrial dimensions of this transformation, analyzing how material  
resources and production infrastructure can be mobilized to meet the  
challenges of the technological era and be aligned with the new realities of  
technological competition and the modern battlefield. But, no matter how  
large the investments in equipment and factories, success will ultimately  
depend on the people who will bring them to life.  
16  
General (ret.) Professor Teodor FRUNZETI, Ph.D  
Colonel Senior Researcher Engineer Tiberius TOMOIAGĂ, Ph.D  
Colonel (ret.) Senior Researcher Engineer Liviu COȘEREANU, Ph.D  
BIBLIOGRAPHY  
Aerospace America. (2025, July 1). Addressing the U.S. Aerospace  
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THE HUMAN FACTOR: CREATIVITY, COMPETENCIES AND  
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