Manufacturers and end users of durable capital goods, in particular, are currently experiencing on a daily basis just how vulnerable supply chains - which were long believed to be secure - can be in today’s reality. Institutions such as the International Institute of Obsolescence Management (IIOM), founded in 1997 by leading representatives of the defense, aviation und railway industries in the United Kingdom, and the Component Obsolescence Group (COGD) Deutschland e.V., founded in 2005, support affected companies during these challenging times in minimizing, as much as possible, the risks arising from various forms of obsolescence. For some time now, a particular focus has been on obsolescence management in the defense supply chain. In their search for the most efficient solutions for the defense industry worldwide, the IIOM and the COGD - as the German chapter of the IIOM - work closely with key national and international authorities, organizations, and standards bodies, including the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) and the British Ministry of Defense (MOD). Among other topics, the presentation will also address current NATO and DoD programs on “Diminishing Manufacturing Sources and Material Shortages” (DMSMS) and “Parts, Materials, and Processes” (PM&M), as well as IEC 62402 (obsolescence management), which is closely linked to the U.S. DoD standard SD-22 and several NATO standards.

The risk of counterfeit electronic components in the defense supply chain is a growing concern, threatening system reliability, operational safety, and security. Counterfeit parts may not meet required specifications, leading to premature failures or vulnerabilities in mission-critical applications. Rigorous testing and inspection processes are essential to identify and prevent the integration of such components. By employing advanced analytical techniques, including electrical, physical, and material analysis, it is possible to verify authenticity and ensure compliance with industry standards.

Europe’s defence-industrial challenge is no longer only about increasing budgets or developing new technologies. It is about execution: how to bring more companies into defence supply chains, shorten the journey from dual-use capability to qualified defence supplier, and convert rising demand into dependable industrial capacity.

This presentation will explore how smaller industrial ecosystems can contribute to that goal, using Lithuania as a practical case study. It will examine the main barriers faced by new suppliers, including certification, procurement, testing, financing, security requirements and access to established defence contractors. Europe will not close its defence-capacity gap through large prime contractors alone. It will also need specialised suppliers, dual-use technology companies and smaller industrial ecosystems that can integrate quickly, meet demanding standards and contribute resilient production capacity across Europe.

Defence capabilities are not only enabled by hardware, but also by software that operates quickly, securely and scalably. In many aerospace and defence companies, however, legacy systems are holding back digitalisation: they are difficult to integrate, costly to modify and critical to day-to-day operations. At the same time, demands for security, traceability and quality-assured implementation in accordance with standards such as AQAP are increasing. The focus is on a tried-and-tested approach to the secure modernisation of legacy software: from an initial assessment, through automated code and architecture analysis, to prioritised refactoring, quality gates and auditable documentation. This makes technical risks manageable and enables modernisation projects to be implemented more quickly. Participants will learn how organisations can modernise more quickly without lengthy in-house development phases, reduce the time-to-market for their software modernisation projects by up to 50 per cent, and lay the foundations for harmonised system landscapes, controlled update management and AI-supported decision-making processes.