Structural Bottlenecks in Europe’s Quest for Strategic Autonomy
A Comprehensive Technological and Industrial Mapping
Europe’s rearmament is now defined less by procurement targets and more by the bottlenecks that determine what can actually be produced, when, and at what scale. Across the continent, pressures on explosive materials, propellants, missile components, microelectronics and specialised manufacturing capacity have revealed how thin the industrial base has become after decades of contraction. These constraints have practical implications for timelines, output levels and the broader debate on readiness and autonomy. The war in Ukraine has simply accelerated a reality that was already emerging: strategic intent is constrained at each step by the weakest link in the supply chain. As demand surges, long-neglected segments—from energetics to advanced subsystems—struggle to expand quickly enough to meet operational needs. These bottlenecks affect governments seeking to rebuild stockpiles, companies trying to scale production and investors assessing where capabilities can realistically grow. Understanding where the pressure points lie, why they persist and how they interact has become essential for anyone operating in the defence, industrial or policy domains. This report examines how Europe’s security environment is increasingly shaped by these constraints and why resolving them will be central to any credible long-term rearmament effort. The full analysis is available exclusively to subscribers.
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