Strengthening the supply chain and supporting SMEs are key to a resilient Spanish economic defense.

 

Madrid has been the scene of the AESMIDE 2025 Forum, a key meeting that has focused on the challenges and opportunities of the productive ecosystem of defense. The conference, held at the Rafael del Pino Auditorium, highlighted the close connection between national defense capacity and the strength of its industrial fabric, an essential factor for foreign trade and international alliances.

 

The Secretary of State for Industry, Jordi García Brustenga, opened the event by stressing that the new Defense Technology and Industry Plan It is a "strategic challenge" to boost industrial autonomy and reindustrialization from Spain. He stressed the need to expand and qualify the sector, encouraging the innovation, the Development and a greater collaboration between the Administration and companies, especially with those SMEs.

 

The president of AESMIDE, Gerardo Sánchez Revenga, articulated the central message of the forum: “the defense of a country is built from its industrial fabric and that a strong and self-sufficient supply chain is key to ensuring the true strategic autonomy”. This vision highlights how logistics and component availability have a direct impact on technological and defense sovereignty.

 

Representatives of the Administration, the Armed Forces and industry have agreed on the need to promote innovation and investment to consolidate an agile and sovereign productive ecosystem.

 

A high-level dialogue between Lieutenant General José Antonio Herrera Llamas (Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff) and Admiral Aniceto Rosique Nieto (General Director of Armament and Material), moderated by Sánchez Revenga, delved into the investment priorities and planning. The emphasis was on synergy between the different organizations and the importance of the industry and AESMIDE in the supply chain, reaffirming the Spain's international leadership in technological capabilities reinforced with resources and coordination.

 

Closing the event, the Secretary of State for Defense, Maria Amparo Valcarce, emphasized the ministerial commitment with the strengthening of the supply chain and the consolidation of a innovative and competitive industrial base. He recognized the role of AESMIDE to promote alliances and a clear industrial protection strategy. Valcarce highlighted the Industrial and Technological Plan for Security and Defense, approved in April, which provides for 31 modernization programs to integrate the value chain and ensure the strategic autonomy. In addition, he stressed the essential role of SMEs, which make up the 85% of the Spanish defense industry and they are the engine of innovation.

 

The Secretary of State also highlighted the transversal economic benefits of these industrial plans: they not only boost competitiveness, but also "They generate employment, strengthen the national productive fabric, and consolidate a solid and resilient defense ecosystem.". The public-private partnership and strategic alliances were identified as vital to access European programs and ensure success in international business.

 

The day was complemented with three round tables strategic initiatives that addressed fundamental issues for the international Business of the sector:

 

"The supply chain as the backbone of defense"The need for a chain was debated resilient, highlighting the collaboration between large contractors and the SMEs for strategic autonomy.

 

"Innovation: an agile, dual and competitive industry": The impact of the digitalization, the Artificial Intelligence and autonomous systems in the competitiveness and the need for an industry agile y adaptable.

 

"The strategic narrative: making visible the industry that sustains defense": The importance of building a narrative that shows the value of the defense industry to society and the public decision-makers.