Europas Automobilhersteller werden Teil der Verteidigungsindustrie

The war in Ukraine has fundamentally altered Europe’s security landscape and significantly increased demand for industrial capacity within the defence sector. At the same time, competition from China, Trump’s tariff policy and unused production capacity are putting the European automotive industry under considerable pressure to adapt, making the defence sector increasingly attractive to car manufacturers. Several major manufacturers are already exploring or pursuing partnerships with the defence industry – as a pragmatic response to shrinking civilian markets and growing defence budgets. This article analyses this development against the backdrop of intensifying geopolitical competition and shows that selective integration into military supply chains is the most likely outcome, and that industrial capacity in Europe is increasingly being regarded as a strategic security asset.