Hiraiwa: a startup perspective on European defence

Hiraiwa, a Belgian startup specialising in ultra-portable, tactical defence systems designed for front-line deployment, identifies several key challenges facing new entrants in the European defence market:

Capital-intensive environment: The defence sector requires significant upfront investment to develop battle-ready systems that meet stringent engineering, testing, and certification requirements. This makes it difficult to attract investors who may perceive other sectors as offering quicker returns.

Lengthy procurement processes: Traditional government procurement practices can be difficult to reconcile with the rapid development cycles and agility of startups like Hiraiwa

ASD recognises these challenges, and actively advocates for policies to support a  competitive and agile defence industry that enables innovation from companies of all sizes.

Hiraiwa's experience highlights the need for an agile and responsive European defence procurement system that can effectively harness the innovation potential of smaller companies. ASD actively advocates for European defence and security policies that support the growth and success of European companies of all sizes, especially those developing novel technologies.

ASD’s Security & Defence Director, Burkard Schmitt recently pointed to the market challenges for civil security innovation, particularly for start-ups and SMEs: “The transition from R&I to market uptake in civil security is arduous, especially for start-ups and SMEs” with public buyers often prioritising off-the-shelf, low-cost solutions over long-term investment in research.