Danish defense group aims for more responsibility within the defense supply chain 

“Necas A/S has held the AS9100 certification for more than a decade. I joined Necas, as CEO in 2021 and after a few months, I thought; Why not gather all the certified partners in one group? We should know one another! A group where we can join forces and pull all our experience and dedication to improve the industry, by offering customers a complete solution that lives up to the high-quality standard”, says Peter Ladefoged, CEO Necas A/S.

A shift in the defense industry
Ladefoged talks of a shift in the defense industry, where the focus has moved from purely prioritizing price and benchmarking to focusing on the importance of approved and certified suppliers. He highlights why this change in focus is particularly timely for the AS9100 Nordic group.

“While price remains an important factor for defense customers, the priority is increasing on securing certified suppliers, meeting stringent demands, and ensuring greater control and traceability, all factors supported by the AS9100 certification, thus the members of AS9100 Nordic. Strong relationships and trust are also essential,” says Ladefoged.

Torben Hajslund, Sales Manager Denmark agrees on the above.
“I completely agree with Peter. There are changes happening in the industry. The geopolitical situation, enrollment of new regulatory demands like CMMC (Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certificate) and an increased focus on supply chain security, simply underlines that we all share a common responsibility in the defense supply chain”, Hajslund adds.

“As a group, we stand united. When asked if we can recommend a reliable supplier for high-quality parts needed in a defense product, it’s natural for us to endorse one of our trusted group members.”, says Ladefoged.

The name of the group is no coincidence, even if most companies are Danish, the name embraces the Nordic opportunities.

“We named the group AS9100 Nordic from the start, because we aimed for a Nordic consortium, outside of Denmark, a genuine Nordic companionship. We are so pleased to have Confidee onboard, as the first non-Danish company, their focus on compliance and traceability is just in line with our goals”, says Ladefoged.

“At Confidee we are humble to be part of the group and embrace all Nordic initiative towards a more structured, compliant and certified defense supply chain, this is completely in line with our strategy to embrace compliance, traceability and transparency. This initiative is in line with our strategy to embrace compliance, traceability, and transparency, and why we were one of the first to achieve the AS9120 certification”, says Hajslund.

“We prioritize ensuring that our customers’ customers are satisfied, which is why it’s essential to partner with those who are trustworthy. We invite our Swedish, Finnish and Norwegian defense stakeholders to collaborate with us, as our slogan proudly states: Together, we ARE stronger”, says Ladefoged.

The list of dedicated companies in the AS9100 group is growing, and more members are wanted.