Brussels, 05 May 2026 - The first International Procurement Cooperation (IPC) Field Trip brought together representatives from European institutions, national authorities, defence agencies, and industry. The event welcomed an audience of civilian and military professionals engaged in European defence policy, procurement law, capability development, and innovation.
Organised by the Center for Postgraduate Studies (ZWW) of Helmut Schmidt University / University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg (HSU/UniBw H), the event was hosted at the Hanse-Office, a Brussels-based regional EU liaison organisation that supports IPC activities.
As a key platform for international exchange, the IPC contributes to Helmut Schmidt University’s strategic priority of internationalisation, while strengthening expertise in European defence procurement—a central pillar of Europe’s common security architecture.
OCCAR-EA Highlights Its Role in European Defence Cooperation
During the field trip, OCCAR-EA Director Mr. Joachim Sucker presented the organisation’s mission, structure, and business model. He highlighted OCCAR as an effective and pragmatic solution enabling EU Member States to navigate the complexity of the European defence landscape, fostering cooperation and delivering capabilities efficiently and on time.
Mr. Sucker also provided an overview of OCCAR’s growing portfolio, outlining key trends and future challenges linked to the increasing number and complexity of programmes managed by the organisation.
MMPC Programme Showcases Collaborative Success
As part of the programme, Mr.Andrea Millerani, Programme Manager of the Modular and Multirole Patrol Corvette (MMPC), presented the MMPC Programme as a flagship example of European defence cooperation. The programme involves key stakeholders including the European Defence Agency (EDA), the European Commission (EC), participating Member States, and industry partners.
Mr. Millerani emphasised OCCAR’s pivotal role as a bridge-builder, ensuring alignment between stakeholders and establishing flexible contractual frameworks to support the efficient delivery of next-generation corvettes.
Strong Engagement from Participants
The OCCAR presentations generated strong interest among participants and sparked an engaging question-and-answer session, underlining the growing recognition of OCCAR’s role in advancing collaborative European defence programmes.