On 24-25 February 2026, the Security of Supply Symposium 2026 took place in Karlskoga, Sweden, bringing together representatives from government, industry, academia, and the armed forces to discuss how to strengthen resilient and secure supply chains in a rapidly evolving geopolitical environment.
The programme addressed key strategic issues, including defence industrial base resilience, the role of alliances such as NATO, critical raw materials, transport and logistics security, and technological autonomy. An important theme was how Europe can better secure essential inputs and reinforce its upstream industrial capacity.
During the session on critical raw materials, Katarzyna Palaczanis spoke on behalf of the European Carbon and Graphite Association (ECGA), highlighting graphite’s defence-related applications and the strategic role of European producers. She stressed that while Europe possesses industrial capacity and expertise, stronger policy coordination and concrete support mechanisms are needed to secure upstream production and integrate it into Europe’s broader security and defence planning.
The key message was clear: security of supply starts upstream – with raw materials, industrial capacity, and European know-how.