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ConceptVersie: 0.9Datum: 2025-10

Ecosystem Elements (Policy Classification)

Purpose: Each element measurably contributes to effects (ISR/Comms/Mobility/Response) and surge capacity. No block is "sacred"—if it doesn't perform, replace it.

Ecosystem Philosophy

Based on Erik Stam's ecosystem theory: entrepreneurship + readiness as the backbone, outcome-based governance, anti-lock-in via open interfaces.

Sources: Stam & Brouwers: Zo laat je ecosystemen floreren

Overview: 10 Elements​

Each element has:

  • Purpose — Why this element is critical
  • Instruments — Concrete policy tools
  • Governance — How we enforce results (sunset, zero-based renewal)
  • KPIs — Measurable objectives
  • First actions (90 days) — What needs to happen now

1. Entrepreneurship & Integrators​

What/Why​

System integration and "effect-as-a-service" (EaaS/HaaS). Integrators orchestrate the SME ecosystem for effects delivery.

Instruments​

  • Ecosystem-SLAs — Outcome-based contracts (availability, MTTR, iteration speed)
  • Parallel integrator slots — Minimum 2 integrators per effect with bonus/malus
  • Zero-based renewal — Each contract sunsets after 2-3 years, renewal only upon performance

Governance​

  • Orchestration = service — Tender every 2-3 years
  • Sunset rule — No automatic renewal
  • Portfolio churn ≥ 20%/year — Minimum 20% new parties annually

KPIs​

Time-to-surge: ≤ 6 weeksIterations: ≥ 1/quarterChurn: ≥ 20%/year

First actions (90 days)​

  1. Tender 2 integrators per effect domain (ISR, Comms, Mobility, Response)
  2. 10-15 pilot SLAs live with outcome-based KPIs
  3. Publish integrator requirements (open interfaces, telemetry, surge commitment)

2. Capital (Public × Private)​

What/Why​

Make readiness and industrialisation bankable. Surge capacity requires pre-financing; traditional VC/PE doesn't fit the availability model.

Instruments​

  • Availability Fees (AF) — Payment for readiness (even without activation)
  • Capacity Credits (CC) — Pre-paid production capacity
  • ACN (Availability & Capacity Notes) — Securitisation of AF/CC for capital market access
  • EPL (Ecosystem Performance Loans) — KPI-linked coupons; defaults upon non-performance
  • Venture debt/convertibles — For scaling SMEs without equity dilution
  • EIB/EDF/EDIP leverage — EU instruments for co-financing

Governance​

  • KPI-linked coupons — Interest/repayments tied to performance
  • Signed releases — Code/firmware escrow upon defaults
  • Checksums — Audit trail for IP protection and compliance

KPIs​

ACN/EPL volume: €X bln in 12 mthsSpread reduction: Lower risk premiumTime-to-market: ≤ 90 days

First actions (90 days)​

  1. Capital Markets Day — Present ACN/EPL to Zuidas (ABN, ING, ASR, APG)
  2. ACN #1 — Sensor/comms labs (€50-100M pilot)
  3. EPL #1 — Backhaul/PNT infrastructure (€100-200M)
  4. EIB/EDF outreach — Leverage structures for EU co-financing

See also: Capital Markets (Zuidas)

3. Talent & Organisational Capacity​

What/Why​

Vocational/bachelor's/master's talent + rotations; surge teams activatable within 72 hours.

Instruments​

  • Training credits in SLAs — Integrators obliged to upskill SMEs
  • Availability fees for surge teams — Pay for readiness even without activation
  • Rota programmes — Cross-company rotations for knowledge sharing

Governance​

  • Skills matrix — Per effect domain: which skills needed, where available
  • Surge team pool — Pre-cleared teams with security clearance
  • Time-to-staff ≤ 72 hours — From call-up to deployment

KPIs​

Surge teams available: N teams certifiedTime-to-staff: ≤ 72 hoursCross-training: ≥ 2 rotations/year

First actions (90 days)​

  1. Skills matrix — Inventory critical competencies per effect
  2. Rota programme — Start 3 pilot rotations between integrators and SMEs
  3. Surge team pool — Certify first 5 surge teams (1 per effect + 1 reserve)

4. Research & Data (→ often at SMEs)​

What/Why​

Datasets, model weights, firmware, test logs often reside with SMEs. IP surrender kills innovation; effects layer telemetry and federated TEVV protect core IP.

Instruments​

  • Effects layer licences — Telemetry/metrics available without core IP surrender
  • Federated TEVV — Test & evaluation without central data extraction
  • Model/data cards — Transparency about training, bias, limitations
  • Audit without core IP surrender — Conformance checks via attestation

Governance​

  • Escrow on interface/model card — Upon defaults: access to specs, not to core IP
  • TEVV coverage ≥ 95% — All scenarios tested
  • Bias reporting — Mandatory reporting of edge cases

KPIs​

TEVV coverage: ≥ 95% scenariosAudit pass rate: 100%Bias reports: Publicly available

First actions (90 days)​

  1. Standard model/data cards — Publish template + examples
  2. TEVV script — Federated test framework (no central data dump)
  3. Escrow template — Interface/card in escrow upon failures

5. Production (MRL/IRL)​

What/Why​

Shared manufacturing for speed and cost. Surge capacity requires pre-allocated production slots.

Instruments​

  • Shared lines — Composite/AM/battery packs/sensor pilots with capacity credits
  • Availability fees for surge slots — Pay for readiness even without activation
  • Reference process packs — Standard processes for rapid qualification
  • MRL audits — Manufacturing Readiness Level 6→8 within 6 months

Governance​

  • OEE tracking — Overall Equipment Effectiveness as KPI
  • MRL audit calendar — Quarterly reviews per line
  • Scrap rate reduction — Target < 5%

KPIs​

MRL 6→8: ≤ 6 monthsOEE: ≥ 85%Scrap rate: < 5%

First actions (90 days)​

  1. Open 3 lines — Composite, AM, battery assembly
  2. Qualification lots — First productions for MRL certification
  3. MRL audit calendar — Publish schedule for 2025-2026

See also: Surge Capacity

6. Test & Certification (Safety = Performance)​

What/Why​

Testing as safety enhancer, not as bureaucratic obstacle. Performance-based modes replace BVLOS/VLOS.

Instruments​

  • Performance modes — SLOS-DAA, ELOS-COOP, GEO-ASSURED, PROC-SEG (instead of BVLOS/VLOS)
  • Airspace & Littoral Cell — Publishes AUP/UUP, geozone API, NAVWARN
  • TEVV logging mandatory — Telemetry for audit trail

Governance​

  • Calendar fixed windows — Predictable test slots
  • Time-to-activate L1/L2 ≤ 5 min — From request to approval
  • Geofence compliance ≥ 99.5% — Zero tolerance for violations

KPIs​

Time-to-activate: ≤ 5 min (L1/L2)Geofence compliance: ≥ 99.5%Class A/B conflicts: 0

First actions (90 days)​

  1. Calendar fixed windows — Publish 2025 test windows
  2. TEVV telemetry format live — Standard logging for audit
  3. L1/L2 fast-track — 5-min approval process operational

See also: Performance Modes

7. Market Access & Demand Certainty​

What/Why​

Predictable demand on the effects side. SMEs cannot invest without visibility on future contracts.

Instruments​

  • Multi-year ecosystem SLAs — 3-5 year contracts with outcome-based KPIs
  • AF/CC — Availability fees and capacity credits for readiness
  • SoS MoUs — System-of-Systems Memoranda of Understanding
  • DEFPORT/G2G — Government-to-Government facilitation

Governance​

  • Avail ≥ 95% — Minimum availability
  • Time-to-surge ≤ 6 weeks — From cold start to surge
  • % multi-year contract value — Target ≥ 60% of portfolio

KPIs​

Availability: ≥ 95%Time-to-surge: ≤ 6 weeksMulti-year %: ≥ 60%

First actions (90 days)​

  1. 3 multi-year SLAs per effect domain
  2. SoS MoU template — Standard template for cross-border
  3. DEFPORT launch — Public-private platform operational

8. Standards & Security (Open Interfaces)​

What/Why​

Interoperability & anti-lock-in. Open interfaces prevent vendor lock-in and accelerate innovation.

Instruments​

  • Open payload/power/timing/PNT/link/data — Standard interfaces
  • SBOM — Software Bill of Materials mandatory
  • Secure boot, attestation — Zero-trust architecture
  • Audit rights — Government may always check conformance

Governance​

  • Conformance rate 100% — All platforms must be conformant
  • # lock-in findings = 0 — Zero tolerance for proprietary lock-in
  • Audit pass — Annual security/conformance audits

KPIs​

Conformance rate: 100%Lock-in findings: 0Audit pass: 100%

First actions (90 days)​

  1. Open Interface Set v1.0 publish
  2. Conformance tooling — Automated testing framework
  3. SBOM template — Standard format for supply chain transparency

See also: Tech Sovereignty

9. Infrastructure (Comms/LEO/FSO, PNT, Energy)​

What/Why​

Backbone for effects. Without reliable comms, PNT, and power: no effects delivery.

Instruments​

  • MANET/LEO/FSO backhaul — Multi-layer communications (resilience)
  • Alt-PNT — Alternative Positioning, Navigation, Timing (GPS denial)
  • Energy supply — Distributed power (solar, batteries, generators)
  • Availability zones — Geographic redundancy

Governance​

  • Backhaul avail ≥ 99.9% — Triple-nines uptime
  • PNT holdover — Minimum X hours GPS-denial tolerance
  • Failover < 5 sec — Automatic switchover upon failures

KPIs​

Backhaul availability: ≥ 99.9%PNT holdover: X hoursFailover: < 5 sec

First actions (90 days)​

  1. 2 backhaul corridors — North Sea + Baltic test routes
  2. Alt-PNT pilots — eLoran, IMU/GNSS fusion, LEO-based
  3. Energy audit — Identify power bottlenecks per effect domain

See also: Effects Tech Layer

10. Orchestration & Governance​

What/Why​

Results governance instead of monument preservation. Without governance, ecosystems devolve into vendor lock-in and rent-seeking.

Instruments​

  • Surge Authority — Central decision-making upon surge activation
  • Airspace & Littoral Cell — AUP/UUP/geozone management
  • Performance Board — Quarterly KPI reviews
  • Sunset/zero-based renewal — No automatic renewals
  • Kill-switch/claw-back — Upon non-performance: contract termination
  • Portfolio churn ≥ 20% — Minimum 20% new parties annually

Governance​

  • Quarterly KPI review — Public dashboards
  • % contracts on outcomes — Target 100% outcome-based within 2 years
  • Time-to-decision — From proposal to approval ≤ 2 weeks

KPIs​

KPI review frequency: 1x/quarterOutcome-based %: 100% (target)Time-to-decision: ≤ 2 weeks

First actions (90 days)​

  1. Establish three bodies — Surge Authority, Airspace & Littoral Cell, Performance Board
  2. Publish L1-L4 + mode requirements — Transparent criteria
  3. Moratorium on bill of materials — Stop platform counting; focus on effects

Mini Scorecard (Per Element)​

Use this scorecard to evaluate each element (quarterly reviews):

CriterionStatusExplanation
✅ Instrument(s) activated🟢/🟡/🔴Are the instruments operational?
✅ Governance secured🟢/🟡/🔴Sunset/renewal/killswitch active?
✅ KPIs met🟢/🟡/🔴Last quarter targets reached?
✅ Churn/inflow🟢/🟡/🔴≥ 20% new parties per year?
✅ Open interfaces conform v1.0🟢/🟡/🔴Conformance rate 100%?
✅ SME knowledge base secured🟢/🟡/🔴Effects layer telemetry, federated TEVV, advance?

Legend:

  • 🟢 Green — On track, targets met
  • 🟡 Yellow — Risks, action needed
  • 🔴 Red — Non-performance, escalation/exit

How This Fits in Part I​

These 10 elements form the core of Part I. The complete structure:

  1. Mission & Principles — Internationally anchored in JEF + Baltics/Drone Wall
  2. Operating Model L1-L4 — Performance modes (SLOS-DAA/ELOS-COOP/GEO-ASSURED/PROC-SEG)
  3. Ecosystem Elements — These 10 blocks ← THIS SECTION
  4. Effects Tech Layer — Architecture, open interfaces, control points
  5. Contracts & Financing — SLAs, AF/CC → ACN/EPL
  6. KPI Dashboard — Time-to-surge, availability, redundancy, iterations
  7. Implementation — 90 d / 180 d / 12 mth roadmap
Ecosystem Philosophy in Action

Each element has instruments, governance, KPIs and actions. If an element doesn't perform? Replace it. No sacred cows, no monument preservation. Outcomes > Inputs.

Sources: