Dr. Tomka Barnabás

Europe has no shortage of innovative defence and dual-use startups.Many have impressive technologies, talented engineering teams, experienced founders and committed investors.Some have already raised millions.Yet there is one question that too often remains unanswered:👉 Who is actually going to buy their technology?Because developing an outstanding product and building a successful business are two very different challenges.Investors finance innovation because they believe in its commercial potential.But technological progress does not automatically translate into market demand.A successful demonstration is not a purchase...

Europe is not short of ideas. It is increasingly not short of capital either. ✔️ There is technology. ✔️ There is funding. ✔️ There are accelerators, programmes and opportunities to connect. 👉 But more connections don't necessarily mean more business. 20 meetings. 30 pitches. 50 new contacts. None of them matters if the right one isn't among them. Because ultimately, success is not about how many people you meet. 👉 It is about meeting the right people. ✔️ The right...

In defence careers don’t change companies.Conversations do.I’ve seen SMEs transformed by:one introduction,one meeting,one program director saying “Show me what you can do,”one engineer noticing a capability no one else saw,one compliance officer giving a chance,one OEM manager opening a door at the right moment.Sometimes the difference between “unknown supplier” and “strategic partner” is a single conversation with the right person.👉 And the companies that win are those who prepare before that moment arrives.

Becoming a supplier is not a pitch.It’s a process.Here is the simplest, most effective framework we use:STEP 1 — ReadinessDocumentation health-checkTraceability & cyber assessmentCapability articulationCompliance gap mapFirst-tier targets identified👉 Outcome: “Are we actually ready to enter?”STEP 2 — PositioningSupplier profileCapability statementCorrect engineering languageProgram targetingIntroductory mapping👉 Outcome: “Do we look like a future supplier?”STEP 3 — IntegrationIntroductions to OEMs or Tier-1sAudit preparationDocumentation fixesScaling planLong-term supply strategy👉 Outcome: “We are now part of the supply chain.”This is the system that works:Consistently.Predictably.Professionally.

There is no hack for entering defence.But there is a fastest route and most SMEs choose the slow one.The fastest way in is:1. Start with sub-tier positions, not direct OEM entry.Tier-2 and Tier-3 suppliers onboard faster than Tier-1 OEMs.2. Build one “anchor capability.”You don’t need 10 strengths.You need one thing you do better than others.3. Document first, scale second.Most SMEs do this backwards and lose 12–24 months.4. Target programs, not companies.OEMs think in platforms, not products.5. Get introduced don’t cold...

OEMs don’t take hours to decide whether an SME is promising.They take seconds.Here’s what happens in the first 30 seconds of a supplier review:1. Website clarityIf your positioning is unclear → red flag.2. Certifications visible?If not → credibility drops instantly.3. Traceability & cyber compliance visible?If missing → immediate elimination in many programs.4. Core capability clearly stated?OEMs hate guessing what you actually do.5. Engineering depthEven one strong technical reference can change everything.And the insight:👉 In many cases, OEMs decide “yes/no/maybe later”...

While most people focus on headlines, the real industrial shift is happening in EU programs almost nobody reads.Three programs matter most:1. EDIRPAEurope’s joint procurement effort — strengthening cross-border supply capability.2. ASAPAccelerated production of ammunition — massive focus on supply chain scalability.3. EDF (European Defence Fund)Over €8 billion for defence R&D — with specific emphasis on new SMEs entering the ecosystem.Why does this matter for SMEs?Because:👉 The EU has officially recognised that Europe lacks suppliers and is funding the correction.This decade...

Most SMEs don’t fail because they can’t do the work.They fail because they misunderstand the work.Here are the three biggest misconceptions:1. “The OEM will tell us exactly what to do.”No. Defence OEMs assume suppliers already know the standards.2. “Our technology speaks for itself.”It doesn’t. Documentation always speaks louder.3. “We can become a supplier in a few months.”Realistic timelines: 6–18 months for entry, sometimes longer.And the most dangerous misconception of all:👉 “We are too small to matter.”Some of the most critical...

In commercial markets, price wins.In defence, price almost never wins.This is the paradox most SMEs misunderstand.OEMs do not select suppliers based on who is cheapest.They select based on who can:deliver consistently,document every step,trace every material,guarantee repeatability,withstand audits,survive long-term programs,and scale under pressure.Here’s the data:👉 In several major European OEMs unit price accounts for less than 20% of the supplier selection score.The other 80% is:capabilitycomplianceprocess maturitytraceabilityrisk reductionIf you focus on price, you lose.If you focus on capability, you win.

Europe isn’t just rearming.It is rebuilding its industrial identity.Defence & Aerospace is the one sector where Europe can still:export globallylead technologicallycreate long-term jobsmaintain strategic sovereigntyavoid offshoringcompete with the US and AsiaBut none of this will work unless Europe builds:its own supplier baseits own capacityits own capabilityits own compliance ecosystemits own industrial backbone👉 This is where the next decade will be decided: in the supply chain.👉 And this is the space where DANS works: helping companies step into the future Europe...