Every European OEM I speak with says the same thing:
“We don’t lack contracts. We lack qualified suppliers.”
Some facts:
- Several major OEMs report supply chain shortages on 30–70% of components;
- Many programs now run months or years behind schedule due to supplier gaps;
- Up to 60% of potential SMEs fail at certification or documentation requirements.
This is why the bottleneck is not political.
Not financial.
Not technological.
It’s operational.
And it’s exactly why the next decade will be defined by one thing:
Which European SMEs enter and succeed in the defence & aerospace supply chain.
