The Defense and Aeronautics Industry Commission of AECIM has taken another step in its roadmap. After five months of work and with the map of industrial capabilities increasingly complete, the focus now shifts to a more concrete question: what can Madrid-based companies do to be ready when opportunities arise in the defense value chain.
The Commission reviewed at its latest meeting the actions undertaken since its inception and has defined an agenda for the coming months that emphasizes business-to-business meetings, financing, internationalization, quality, and understanding the needs of the prime contractors.
The shift marks a meaningful change. The work is no longer so much about knowing who is in the room and what they can do, but about creating the conditions for the companies themselves to identify where their capabilities fit, to understand the sector’s requirements, and to assess new activity opportunities.
Now comes the readiness phase
During the last quarter of the year, the Commission plans to advance in B2B meetings, outreach actions, identification of funding opportunities and selective missions. It will also continue working with prime contractors to better understand the needs arising at different levels of the value chain.
Quality will play an especially important role. The requirements tied to ISO 9001, EN 9100, and PECAL, together with digitalization and cybersecurity, are among the areas that companies should keep in mind to advance in this market.
Internationalization will be another line of work. The Commission has analyzed 15 international trade fairs and has selected four to study potential actions aimed at Madrid-based companies.
In addition, it seeks funding programs and European projects, with the aim of giving SMEs information to assess which opportunities might fit with their own projects.
SMEs account for around 80% of the companies in the defense value chain, although their share of revenue sits between 5% and 30%. For Madrid’s industry, the challenge now is to translate that potential into a greater, more effective presence in the sector.
