Hundreds of Suppliers Join Platform to Link With Defense Firms

Employees work at a production line at a Rheinmetall factory in Unterluess, Germany.

Photographer: Fabian Bimmer/Getty Images

About 500 companies have joined a German government-sponsored platform to connect businesses with the defense industry, and as many as 90% have no previous experience with military products, according to industry associations.

The SVI-Connect platform, launched in December, aims to diversify supply chains by giving major contractors such as Rheinmetall AG more options for components and materials.