Small and medium-sized businesses

We need strong, globally successful systems manufacturers and German small and medium-sized companies need to be better integrated in accordance with the new business environment. Small and medium-sized enterprises make a valuable and essential contribution to the excellent position of the German security and defence industry. They achieve this through, amongst other things, innovative force, flexibility, efficiency and reliable performance in many fields, both independently and as partners of systems manufacturers. The sub-systems and supplies industry is largely made up of small and medium-sized companies. Together with German system manufacturers the sub-systems and supplies industry has managed to maintain a robust development and supply chain, offering the world’s top-range products in many fields. However, in light of the imminent severe cuts in equipment and personnel within the Bundeswehr, this performance chain is now in danger of being disrupted. Without supporting measures, the afore-mentioned strengths of small and medium-sized businesses will in future not be able to be fully utilised.

The key to maintaining the efficiency of small and medium-sized companies lies in creating a sound environment for innovative and internationally successful companies to work in. For small and medium-sized companies this includes, for example, sufficient financial backup to compensate for programme risks or delays or being considered as partners in research and technology projects. Therefore, there must be consistent political support for creating framework conditions that are key for the competitiveness of all businesses focused on the domestic and/or international market. This should open up new opportunities for success on foreign markets as well. It will also ensure that the unique performance chain, which consists of systems and sub-systems manufacturers and suppliers in Germany, is used effectively and in a sustainable manner. Even today systems manufacturers and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) act as mutual market openers – they are strategic partners on the domestic and export markets.