Reference · Defence:Connect · 26 Sep 2026
References
Defence:Connect

Defence:Connect:turning regulationinto a work plan

Many civilian manufacturers already deliver the quality that defence contracts demand. What they lack is evidence, licensing know-how and a predictable route in. This reference shows how Defence:Connect structures that route and where AI helps along the way.

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Reference · Defence:Connect

Defence:Connect helps mid-sized manufacturing and technology companies enter the security and defence industry, with certification roadmaps, filtered tenders and interim coaches who accompany audits. The platform turns requirements such as EN 9100, Germany’s war weapons control rules and BAFA export control into steps a company can actually work through. Scalableloops supports the project with its AI implementation.

In brief
  • The offer targets automotive suppliers, machine and plant builders, electronics manufacturers and specialist metalworkers.
  • Entry follows three phases: assessment, implementation and qualification, market entry.
  • A marketplace connects companies, suppliers and vetted interim experts.
  • AI supports the work where evidence is produced, and its results stay traceable.
Published 26 Sep 2026Nikolai Schöbel and Jeremias Burger7 min read
Nikolai SchöbelJeremias Burger

Nikolai Schöbel and Jeremias Burger

Co-founders of Scalableloops GmbH. Nikolai Schöbel leads online marketing and AI strategy, Jeremias Burger the AI architecture. Both build AI systems and train teams on them in their own agency work.

On this page
  1. Why do capable suppliers struggle to enter the defence market?
  2. How does Defence:Connect make market entry predictable?
  3. Which standards and evidence matter when you enter?
  4. Where does AI help companies on this route?
  5. What do confidentiality and AI law require here?
  6. What can other companies learn from the project?
  7. Frequently asked questions
  8. How to check whether entry makes sense for your company
  9. Where the information on this page comes from
The problem

Why do capable suppliers struggle to enter the defence market?

Plenty of mid-sized firms in automotive supply or mechanical engineering have worked to demanding quality standards with robust supply chains for years. The defence industry still often stays closed to them. The Defence:Connect website names three reasons: civilian orders are disappearing while price pressure grows, defence customers require certified processes and complete documentation, and procurement channels are fragmented, with tight deadlines and complex eligibility criteria.

On top of that sits a legal framework few civilian firms know well. Under Article 26(2) of the German Basic Law, weapons designed for warfare may only be manufactured, transported and marketed with the permission of the Federal Government. The War Weapons Control Act puts this into practice: section 2 states that anyone who intends to manufacture war weapons requires a licence. Dual-use items are subject to their own licensing requirements under the EU Dual-Use Regulation, handled in Germany by the Federal Office for Economic Affairs and Export Control, BAFA.

Companies that tackle this alone lose time searching, reading and asking around. Traditional consulting tends to deliver slide decks rather than a plan that a business can follow step by step.

The solution

How does Defence:Connect make market entry predictable?

Defence:Connect replaces trial and error with a structured route. According to the project website, the offer rests on three pillars: a qualification portal with tenders filtered to the company’s eligibility profile, a certification roadmap built on sector guides that keeps every step traceable, and hands-on support from interim coaches who steer the process change, accompany audits and secure formal eligibility for the first bid.

The route has three phases. It starts with an on-site review of processes, quality management and security infrastructure to identify the gaps against customer requirements. Next come audit-ready processes to EN 9100, upgraded IT security and site protection. The final phase is market entry, with support on pricing and contract law.

A marketplace completes the offer. Companies describe what they need, for example an interim auditor for EN 9100 or help with export control. Experts apply with their profile, and suppliers find partners for defence projects.

  1. 01

    Assessment and strategy

    Review

    On-site review of processes, quality management and security infrastructure. The result is a clear list of gaps against customer requirements.

  2. 02

    Implementation and qualification

    Build

    Audit-ready processes to EN 9100, upgraded IT security and site protection, with financing plans for the upfront investment prepared in parallel.

  3. 03

    Market entry and contract

    Bid

    Positioning with prime contractors and support on pricing and contract law up to the signed contract.

Standards

Which standards and evidence matter when you enter?

According to Defence:Connect, the starting point is often ISO 9001. Aerospace and defence frequently require EN 9100, which builds on ISO 9001 and adds sector-specific requirements, as the German Society for Quality explains. Depending on the customer, AQAP requirements may apply as well.

Beyond quality management, the platform lists further areas where companies need evidence: information security, site protection, export control and internal control systems for defence goods. The overview below groups the topics that appear on the project website.

TopicWhat it coversSupport listed on the marketplace
EN 9100Quality management for aerospace and defence, built on ISO 9001Interim auditor to prepare and accompany the first audit
War weapons controlLicences to manufacture, transport and transfer war weaponsCompliance advice on the War Weapons Control Act and the Foreign Trade Act, internal control systems
Export controlLicensing requirements for dual-use items, handled by BAFAExport control specialists for classification and applications
Information securitySecurity concepts, for example to ISO 27001Security officers for IT security concepts
Site protectionPhysical security of premises and productionConcept and implementation by security experts
AI in the project

Where does AI help companies on this route?

Entering the defence industry is above all documentation work. Process descriptions, test records and eligibility documents must be complete and consistent. That is where the project uses AI: in review steps around audits. The aim is that companies see earlier where evidence is still missing, instead of finding out during the audit.

The guiding principle is traceability. In a field where auditors question every record, a result without a reasoning trail is not enough. The AI is set up so that it can later be shown what an assessment was based on. The judgement stays with people: the interim coaches and the company itself.

For security-critical areas, the AI can run on the company’s own servers rather than sending confidential documents to a cloud service. Our article on local AI for business explains this option. For a look at how records are produced in a very different field, see the JourF’x reference.

Law

What do confidentiality and AI law require here?

Confidentiality is a basic condition in the defence industry. According to its website, Defence:Connect works under non-disclosure agreements and clear access concepts as standard, so that company and process data stay protected.

AI use falls under the EU AI Act. It excludes AI systems placed on the market, put into service or used exclusively for military, defence or national security purposes. A tool that helps civilian firms with certification and documentation does not serve those purposes exclusively. For businesses, that means the usual obligations apply, including Article 4, which since 27 July 2026 applies in amended form: providers and deployers must take measures that support the development of AI literacy among their staff, without having to guarantee a specific level of competence for any individual. Our guide to the AI literacy obligation under Article 4 explains what that involves.

Lessons

What can other companies learn from the project?

Treat regulation as a work plan. Standards and statutes feel daunting as long as they are a pile of text. Broken into steps with a clear order and clear owners, they become manageable. The same applies to medical devices, food safety or information security.

Use AI where documents are produced. Most of the effort rarely sits in the decision itself but in the preparation: collecting, cross-checking, filing without gaps. AI can take load off here as long as a person reviews the result. Our guides on using AI for project management and using AI for meeting minutes show how to approach such work.

Keep confidential material in-house. Where documents must not leave the company, the question of where the AI runs belongs at the start, not at the end. Our article on AI for SMEs gives a wider picture.

Frequently asked questions

Frequently asked questions

What is Defence:Connect?

Defence:Connect helps mid-sized manufacturing and technology companies enter the security and defence industry. Its offer combines certification roadmaps, filtered tenders, interim coaching and a marketplace for experts and suppliers.

Which companies is it for?

According to the project website: automotive suppliers, machine and plant builders, electronics manufacturers and specialist metalworkers that want to bring their civilian capabilities into the defence sector.

Which standard do I need for defence contracts?

The starting point is often ISO 9001. Aerospace and defence frequently require EN 9100, which builds on ISO 9001. Further requirements may apply depending on the customer. The specific roadmap follows from reviewing the company.

Do defence goods require a licence in Germany?

For war weapons, yes: section 2 of the War Weapons Control Act requires a licence for anyone who intends to manufacture them. Dual-use items are subject to licensing under the EU Dual-Use Regulation, handled by BAFA. Individual cases belong with a specialist lawyer or the authority.

What role does AI play at Defence:Connect?

AI supports review steps around evidence and documents, set up so that it remains clear how a result came about. For security-critical areas it can run on the company’s own servers. The judgement stays with people.

Does the AI Act apply in a defence context?

It excludes AI systems used exclusively for military, defence or national security purposes. Tools for certification and documentation in civilian companies generally fall outside that exclusion, so the usual obligations such as AI literacy under Article 4 apply.

Next steps

How to check whether entry makes sense for your company

  1. 01

    Take stock

    Record which certificates, evidence and security concepts your company already holds, for example ISO 9001 or IATF 16949.

  2. 02

    Clarify requirements

    Check which standards and licences could apply to your products, from EN 9100 to export control.

  3. 03

    Talk to specialists

    Use an initial conversation with experts, for example via the Defence:Connect website, to assess the gaps.

  4. 04

    Ease the documentation load

    Consider where AI can help collect and cross-check evidence. We can help with AI training or an AI agent system tailored to your business.

The route into the defence industry rarely fails on manufacturing quality. It fails on evidence and licensing know-how. Defence:Connect turns that into a work plan, and AI helps where most of the documentation work arises, without taking responsibility away from people.

or call: +49 151 1576 5566

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