Europe’s defence industry is undergoing a fundamental transformation. After many decades of peace, defense readiness through 2029 is now on the agenda. This requires more than increasing production capacity—it demands resilient supply networks, faster supplier integration and greater transparency across increasingly complex ecosystems.
These topics were at the center of the inaugural BME Network Meeting “Procurement in the Security and Defence Industry”, where industry leaders discussed how procurement and supply chain management can enable a successful defence ramp-up.
As part of the pre-event program, SupplyOn hosted the fully booked workshop “Ramp-up Ready: Integrating New Suppliers, Reducing Risk, Increasing Throughput,” moderated by Arvid Holzwarth. Forty procurement, supply chain and management experts from leading German defence companies discussed how to identify bottlenecks, accelerate supplier onboarding, improve end-to-end visibility and establish reliable processes that secure supply throughout the ramp-up.
Following an introductory presentation, participants assessed the maturity of today’s ramp-up capabilities in an interactive Mentimeter survey before developing practical recommendations in four breakout groups covering procurement lead times, standardization, lessons learned from major defence programs and the role of digital supplier networks in regulated industries. The discussions highlighted a common understanding: successful defence ramp-up depends on close collaboration across the entire supplier network.
As new technologies such as autonomous systems and drones reshape the defence landscape, resilient and sovereign supply chains are becoming a strategic advantage. Digital supplier networks help manufacturers onboard new partners faster, detect risks earlier and strengthen collaboration across procurement, quality and logistics.
