Who does not know them, the flashy personnel advertisements for Defence: 'Fit V Unfit X', 'One team one task' and 'You just have to be able to do it' .... Despite all the promises about wonderful and socially relevant work, seeing the world, camaraderie and working with high-quality and advanced technology, the staff shortage remains huge. Working irregularly in evenings, weekends, abroad and in dangerous conditions is becoming less and less popular.

Where are the solutions that contribute to lower staffing requirements? And where is the role of technology in this. How far along are we in remote working, the use of robots and the application of artificial intelligence? And where does this yield the most profit? In manpower deployment or rather in support tasks? What are the advantages and disadvantages of such a low-personnel armed forces?

At the upcoming Kooy symposium, we look at the problems of personnel shortages. We discuss how technology can contribute to the realisation of a low-personnel armed forces without losing focus on people and the original task. Where does defence currently stand, what is the policy and vision of sectors with similar problems and which technologies from Dutch industry can already make a difference? We also look at the possibilities of European cooperation