Almost akin to a law of nature, as the ingredients converge, we are starting to see a Cambrian explosion of Vertical Integrators. Yet many white-spots are untapped, many investors still avoid the category, and many VIs fail for avoidable reasons or at least fail to reach their full potential.

The gaping problems in our industrial base have been clear for many years, the solution clear for a few, what has changed is the urgency. The current geopolitical reality requires us to upgrade and scale our industrial base within a short 3-5 years. We need Vertical Integrators with GDP-level impact - and many of them. A herculean task, but with the tools at hand and our brightest minds committed, success is part of the set of possible outcomes and I am cautiously optimistic. The urgency drives innovation and scale and at the end of the tunnel we can see an abundant, safe, and prosperous future for the West. In a best-case scenario, rebuilding a sovereign industrial base will usher in an age of stability, prosperity, and abundance. In a worst-case scenario, it will determine our relevance on the world stage.

If science fiction has taught us anything, it’s that moments of existential pressure often precede eras of extraordinary progress. In Star Trek, the devastation of World War III catalyzes the invention of warp technology and the birth of a united, exploratory civilization. In The Expanse, Earth’s ecological collapse gives rise to a multi-planetary economy sustained by new energy sources and engineering feats once thought impossible. Even in Interstellar, climate catastrophe forces humanity to rediscover its scientific ambition and reach beyond the confines of its dying home. Each of these timelines imagines a future where crisis becomes the crucible for renewal - where the line between survival and abundance is drawn by the willingness to invest in hard technology, with urgency, long-term thinking, and collective mobilisation. That is the opportunity before us now.