Dual-Use and Defence
Dual-use and defence pathways for aerospace and hard-tech ventures.
Some technologies now matter to both commercial and defence markets. Swiss Aerospace Ventures helps founders assess whether that path is real, relevant, and commercially worth pursuing.
Why timing matters
Why this matters now
The European defence and dual-use environment is moving faster than it did a few years ago.
Strategic urgency is higher. Funding and programme activity are broader. More institutions want access to emerging technology. More founders are asking whether their company belongs only in a commercial lane or whether the opportunity is wider.
That creates real opportunity, but it also creates bad positioning.
The question is not whether defence matters more than it used to. It does. The real question is whether your technology fits the demand, the buying logic, the compliance burden, and the time horizon.
What SAV actually does here
What SAV helps with
Is the relevance real, or is the defence angle mostly wishful framing?
Which users, partners, programmes, primes, or procurement-related routes actually matter?
How should the company explain the technology so it is commercially clear without being flattened into clichés?
Should the route be direct, partnership-led, programme-led, or postponed?
Is the company actually ready for DIANA, EDF-linked opportunities, or other ecosystem routes?
Is the company clear enough before it approaches primes, institutions, or specialist stakeholders?
Current public signals
Why founders should pay attention
NATO DIANA's 2026 programme selected 150 innovators and gives participants access to 16 accelerator sites and more than 200 test centres across 32 NATO nations. For the right startup, that makes DIANA a serious pathway worth understanding early.
The European Commission's 2026 European Defence Fund work programme earmarks €1 billion for collaborative defence research and development. That matters even for startups that are not ready to lead a consortium, because it shapes where capability demand, partner search, and innovation attention are moving.
These are not fringe signals. They show a larger system that is increasingly willing to work with new technology.
Technology areas
Where this is most relevant
This is most relevant where commercial and defence demand increasingly overlap.
Fit matters
Aerospace startups with credible dual-use potential. Technical teams testing whether defence relevance is real. Companies that may matter to resilience or critical infrastructure. Selected ecosystem players looking for sharper venture-facing support.
Generic defence consulting requests. Companies with no realistic end-user relevance. Founders looking for shortcut positioning without substance.
A focused engagement to assess relevance, route, and commercial logic.
Sharper language for investors, partners, and external stakeholders.
Help understanding whether DIANA, EDF-linked opportunities, or other routes are worth pursuing.
Getting clearer before conversations with primes, institutions, and specialist stakeholders.
Swiss context
Why Switzerland can still matter
Switzerland combines technical capability, research strength, and relevant public institutions.
armasuisse publicly defines itself as the Federal Office for Defence Procurement, which makes the Swiss context relevant for selected ventures assessing procurement, testing, systems integration, or defence-adjacent capability pathways.
That does not make Switzerland the answer for every company. It does make it a serious part of the map.
Judgment matters
A clear line on judgment
Not every company should pursue defence. Not every use case should be followed because demand exists.
Part of the work is deciding whether the path fits the company, the founders, the end use, and the long-term direction of the venture.
Commercial opportunity matters. Judgment matters too.
Common founder questions
No. Dual-use should be a strategic decision, not a reflex. It changes sales cycles, stakeholder complexity, and sometimes the identity of the company itself.
Yes, where the technology and company are a serious fit and the route is worth pursuing.
In selected cases, yes. The Swiss landscape is credible enough to matter, but the right route depends on the company and target market.
No. Many relevant technologies start in commercial markets and only later assess defence, resilience, or infrastructure relevance.
No. SAV helps founders assess fit, improve positioning, and prepare for the right pathway. It does not guarantee entry, contracts, or institutional adoption.
Early enough to shape company strategy, but not so early that dual-use becomes a substitute for real market logic. The right timing depends on the technology, traction, and target buyer landscape.
Next step
Not every dual-use story is real. That is exactly why it should be assessed properly.
If your technology may matter to defence, resilience, or critical infrastructure, start with a grounded conversation before you reshape the company around that assumption.
Founders
A grounded conversation about whether the dual-use path is real, relevant, and commercially worth pursuing.
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A structured dual-use strategy sprint with SAV. Start with a clear assessment before committing to a path.
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