Bridges without spare ropes: Europe must build resilience

This article provides a profound analysis of contemporary changes in global economic architecture, heralding the end of the era of just-in-time dominance. The author uses the metaphor of a bridge without spare ropes to illustrate the fragility of systems focused solely on short-sighted cost efficiency. The text outlines the need to shift to a just-in-case strategy, in which redundancy and resilience become key values. The role of the strategic state in securing supply chains is discussed, particularly in critical sectors such as semiconductors. The analysis also addresses the skills gap in Industry 5.0 and the challenges of a post-crisis era. Europe faces a strategic imperative to rebuild technological sovereignty and redefine economic success as the ability to maintain business continuity in conditions of geopolitical uncertainty.