Hardware Podcasts

How Vertical Integration Builds Smarter Defense Supply Chains with HANZA CSO Mattias Lindhe

EMS@C-LEVEL · 29 Apr 2026 · 6m

What this episode covers

Mattias Lindhe, Chief Strategy Officer at HANZA, discusses the company's 'Lynx program' designed to support Ukraine and strengthen European defense manufacturing through vertical integration. He explains how HANZA's ability to span heavy mechanics to electronics allows them to rewire supply chains for speed and flexibility, advising customers to focus on needs rather than wants. Lindhe also analyzes the drone market, comparing it to solar panels as a consolidating industry where standardization and scale are key, and outlines the conditions under which HANZA might expand into complete vehicle assembly.

Most relevant to

companies scaling up

Topics

Mentioned

Companies
HANZA, Orbit One, Mitsubishi, Koh Young, Global Electronics Association
Products
Lynx program

Related episodes from other shows

Other shows on the same ground, closest first.

  • OnTrack · 42m

    Drones, Robots & the Low-Altitude Economy: A New Industry Is Born

    Gabriel Guglielmi, VP of Global Product Management at Infinite Electronics, discusses the rapid rise of the unmanned systems industry, comparing its current disruption to SpaceX's impact on aerospace. He explains how interconnect technology has become as critical as semiconductors in drones and robots, and highlights the urgent need to rebuild a 'friendly-nation' supply chain to replace Chinese components due to FCC bans and defense requirements. Guglielmi details the convergence of military and commercial drone designs, citing the Department of War's Drone Dominance program and companies like Neros and Wing as key players in this emerging low-altitude economy.

    Wireless & RFSourcing & supply chain
    6 chapters

  • Lights Out · 52m

    Automation, Machining, and a Coal Mine: What Vertical Integration Buys You | Ep. 51

    Michael McHale, founder of PSA Systems, explains how his vertically integrated automation integrator and machine shop in Pennsylvania grew from $900,000 in revenue to over $30 million by owning fabrication, machining, and engineering capabilities in-house. He discusses the capital-intensive nature of modern manufacturing, citing an $800,000 five-axis mill that cost nearly a million to install, and advocates for a five-year strategic plan over short-term EBITDA chasing. McHale also details PSA's rollout of IBM Watson for enterprise AI workflow automation, emphasizing the need for data guardrails when handling Department of Defense contracts, and shares his philosophy that employee prosperity is the true measure of business success.

    Scaling productionAI & machine learning
    9 chapters

  • The Circuit · 33m

    Episode 2: The Business of Going Vertical

    Ben Bajarin and Jay Goldberg discuss the strategic drivers behind technology companies like Apple, Google, and Amazon designing their own silicon, arguing that vertical integration is driven by competitive advantage and roadmap control rather than simple cost savings. They highlight how semiconductor giants like Broadcom, AMD, and MediaTek are responding by offering semi-custom services to retain these high-value customers, while noting that Chinese automotive companies are aggressively pursuing in-house chip design for autonomy due to US sanctions. The conversation explores the shift from commodity merchant silicon to specialized, high-ASP custom chips, emphasizing the role of software-defined hardware and the democratization of chip design tools.

    Chips, FPGAs & semiconductorsPricing, margins & unit economics
    11 chapters

  • Being an Engineer · 51m

    Darragh Hudson | How to Set up A Manufacturing Supply Chain

    Darragh Hudson, founder of KD Product Development, explains how to set up a manufacturing supply chain, emphasizing the need to bridge the gap between industrial design firms and factories. He details the process of vetting suppliers, managing tooling ownership to avoid IP traps, and the critical importance of Design for Manufacturing (DFM) in China. Hudson also discusses the shift toward low-volume high-mix production and the emerging manufacturing ecosystems in Southeast Asia, such as Vietnam.

    Manufacturing partners & offshoringSourcing & supply chain
    8 chapters

  • The Manufacturing Executive · 30m

    What the U.S. Can Learn From the German Manufacturing Model w/ Jon DeSouza

    Jon DeSouza, President and CEO of HARTING Americas, explains how German manufacturers like HARTING remained competitive by keeping production local and embracing deep automation, contrasting this with the US trend of offshoring. He details HARTING's 'in the region for the region' strategy, which uses standardized, automated factories to ensure consistent quality and reduce carbon footprints across the Americas, Europe, and Asia. DeSouza also discusses the shift toward modular, configurable products that enable on-demand manufacturing and the critical infrastructure challenges facing the transition to an all-electric society.

    Scaling productionManufacturing partners & offshoring
    6 chapters

The summary, chapters and topics are generated from the episode’s audio by this directory, not written by EMS@C-LEVEL. The episode itself belongs to its publisher.