The challenges of Aerospace Supply Chains

Aerospace supply chains are among the most complex in the world. Every engine, sensor, or avionics system is the result of hundreds of suppliers spread across multiple continents. This global ecosystem provides unique expertise but also introduces vulnerabilities that can delay entire programs.

According to the Aerospace Supply Chain Report 2025 by Roland Berger, many Tier 2 and Tier 3 suppliers are still struggling to meet delivery schedules in the post-pandemic environment, leading to program delays of up to two years (Roland Berger, 2025).

These fragilities are not only geographic. The lack of visibility into second- and third-tier suppliers makes it difficult to anticipate risks. On top of this, aerospace logistics remain rigid: high-tech components often require intercontinental transportation, special packaging, and complex customs procedures.

Aerospace Supply Chains and National Security

This vulnerability is not just an industrial issue. It is a matter of national security. In its Defence-Critical Supply Chain Roadmap (2024), NATO emphasized that the unavailability of strategic components directly undermines the deterrence and operational capabilities of member states (NATO, 2024).

It’s not only about spare parts or maintenance. Entire defense programs or space missions can be slowed down by the absence of a single critical component. Dependence on distant suppliers therefore becomes a geopolitical vulnerability.

Nations and alliances are responding with reshoring strategies, strategic stockpiles, and incentives for local production. Yet, stockpiling is not enough. What is truly needed is a production model capable of reacting in real time, close to the point of use.

Distributed Manufacturing: a paradigm shift

The distributed model represents a radical shift: instead of relying on a single central hub, it builds a network of interconnected production nodes, each capable of operating independently if necessary. This approach mitigates the risk of a single-point failure and brings production closer to the end users.

This is no longer theory. Distributed manufacturing is enabled by digital technologies and, most importantly, by additive manufacturing. Industrial 3D printing systems can produce certifiable aerospace components in record time, starting from digital files. Designs can be instantly transferred to production nodes near the operational need, overcoming the logistics bottlenecks of traditional supply chains.

A concrete example: aerospace maintenance hubs or remote bases can 3D print parts on-demand, instead of waiting weeks for delivery. This reduces downtime, transportation costs, and supply risks.

The role of Roboze Additive Manufacturing

Within this new paradigm, additive manufacturing is not just an alternative to traditional processes, it is the enabling technology. Roboze, with its advanced 3D printing platforms for super polymers and high-performance composite materials, has demonstrated the ability to produce functional, flight-ready aerospace components.

• Materials such as PEEK, PEKK, and ULTEM™ 9085, processed with Roboze systems, deliver metal-like performance with significant weight reduction.

• This leads to improved aircraft efficiency and lower maintenance costs.

One notable case is Roboze’s collaboration with Magnaghi Aeronautica, integrating certified additive processes into aerospace supply chains. Here, additive manufacturing is no longer limited to prototyping, it becomes a certified, integral part of production (Roboze, 2024).

Through the Roboze Advanced Manufacturing Network, the company also enables a digital inventory model: files replace physical warehouses, and components are produced only when and where needed. This reduces costs, obsolescence, and logistical complexity.

Outlook for Aerospace Supply Chains

At Roboze, we believe the future of aerospace supply chains will be hybrid. Large, centralized hubs will remain, but they will coexist with distributed networks that ensure continuity during crises. Additive manufacturing, especially with Roboze solutions, will make this vision a reality: not rigid, global chains, but flexible, resilient, and digital ecosystems.

Companies that embrace this approach will transform structural vulnerabilities into competitive advantages. As McKinsey highlights, aerospace in the coming years will face rising demand alongside challenges in quality, regulation, and geopolitical fragmentation. Distributed supply chains will be one of the key levers to overcome this complexity  (McKinsey, 2024).

Roboze’s contribution to Aerospace transformation

Protecting critical supply chains requires a paradigm shift. The distributed model, made possible by additive manufacturing, combines resilience, sovereignty, and sustainability.

Roboze, with its certified materials, advanced printing platforms, and forward-looking vision, demonstrates that the technology to enable this future already exists. The challenge now is to turn awareness into strategy, and strategy into concrete operational impact.

Discover how distributed manufacturing can transform your aerospace supply chain. Contact us today.