MADE IN EUROPE #3: Scaling Defense From EU Strategy to Battlefield Innovation

EMS@C-LEVEL · 6 Jun 2025 · 23m

What this episode covers

Kitron Group's President and CEO Peter Nilsson and Managing Director Hans Petter Thomassen discuss the urgent scaling of Europe's defense industrial base, highlighting the disparity between rapid electronics manufacturing and slow chemical permitting. They detail how Kitron is leveraging its multi-site European footprint to provide agility for defense tech startups, particularly in drone and laser targeting systems, while navigating complex cross-border security clearances. The conversation emphasizes the need for combined national procurement to justify massive investments in munitions production, contrasting the €15 million cost of an electronics site with the €5 billion required for chemical facilities.

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