Rising defense budgets, accelerating procurement plans, and a changing security environment are reshaping Europe's industrial landscape. NATO's pledge to invest 5% of GDP annually in defense by 2035 and the EU's Readiness 2030 agenda are creating unprecedented demand; but political ambition and funding alone do not create production capacity. 

This white paper argues that industrial readiness, not funding, is now the decisive bottleneck for Europe's defense expansion. Drawing on co-author Stefan Peintner's experience building an automotive and e-mobility manufacturing site in Slovakia from an empty hall to around 1,000 employees, it translates proven industrialization lessons from automotive into a practical framework for defense: the Defense Industrial Readiness Model™, with six maturity levels and a five-dimension readiness assessment. 
 
It also examines how defense footprint decisions can no longer follow traditional industrial logic alone, and what a more balanced approach looks like when strategic imperatives enter the equation. 

Download the white paper to learn how defense manufacturers and their suppliers can close the gap between political ambition and industrial output through supplier readiness, workforce development, production scalability, and operational leadership.