Zeitenwende und mehrfache Transformation in der Verteidigungsindustrie am Beispiel der Rheinmetall Air Defense AG

Rheinmetall Air Defence AG is a medium-sized company in Switzerland and a wholly owned subsidiary of the international technology group Rheinmetall AG.

The war in Ukraine has led to a massive increase in demand for military equipment. Together with the megatrends of digitalization and demographic change as well as regulatory requirements, such as export laws for military goods, this has created great pressure to change.

This case study is intended to provide an example of the current goals, challenges, solutions and risks of many mostly medium-sized defense companies. It shows how the company aims to become more agile, innovative and digital and how it intends to shape the necessary change together with its managers and employees.

The case study explains how the “12 Month Challenge” and “P A C E” efficiency improvement programs have already achieved initial success after just 1.5 years. It also describes the major changes still to come in research and development, product design, procurement, production, sales and service. Digital solutions such as IT core systems, artificial intelligence, digital twins, gamification and cyber security are of great importance here.

Organizational changes such as research and development collaborations with various market participants are also addressed. Finally, the risks associated with the transformation are highlighted.