Geopolitical crises and global dependencies—such as for raw materials or rare earths—are threatening stability in aerospace and defence. This dossier explores how the industry is counteracting this: supply chains are being secured through nearshoring, strategic warehousing, and the integration of SMEs into the defence cycle. On the technological front, digitised intralogistics systems, fail-safe precision components, and stringent cybersecurity standards (Zero Trust, NIS2, AI guardrails) ensure maximum process reliability, transparency, and resilience from raw material to the finished platform.

In this white paper, you will learn:

• Strategic Procurement & Raw Material Independence: Managing supply risks for rare earths and magnets in Europe, and integrating small caps into the defence cycle.
• Secure Intralogistics & Physical Resilience: Compact small-parts storage (vertical lift modules) and precise storage solutions (e.g. for mobile radar systems) to maximise performance and time efficiency.
• Software & Cyber Resilience: Protecting connected platforms and supply chains through zero-trust architectures, NIS2 compliance, and AI/LLM security guardrails.
• Diversification & Local Value Creation: Reducing global dependencies through nearshoring and closer partnerships with regional suppliers and system houses.
• Operational Technological Robustness: Minimising failures through maintenance-free precision components and digital, barcode-supported picking processes.