Inside the southwestern Dordogne region, where medieval history meets modern industry, the Eurenco explosives company has brought back a long-lost expertise, signaling Europe's ability to rebuild its defense manufacturing sector. Automated machines churn out high-energy pellets, soon to be packed into thousands of French-made artillery shells, many destined for Ukraine.

Defense Minister Sébastien Lecornu criticized the nation’s past decision to abandon domestic gunpowder production in the early 2000s, leaving France dependent on external suppliers, some even outside the EU. "We could manufacture the bomb casing and modular charge, but not the crucial powder inside," he remarked.

Now, with €100 million in funding—half provided by an EU defense initiative—Eurenco has built new facilities in under a year. The factory will initially produce 1,200 tonnes of gunpowder annually, scaling up to 1,800 tonnes, enough for approximately 100,000 shells, including NATO-standard 155mm rounds used in Caesar howitzers. However, Europe still lags far behind Russia, which manufactures 30 times more.

France, with a gunpowder-making tradition stretching back to the 14th century, once prided itself on self-sufficiency in arms production. Eurenco played a role in this legacy, supplying explosives since World War I. But after the Cold War, priorities shifted—defense industries shrank, and the focus turned to high-value military hardware like Rafale fighter jets. Less lucrative segments, such as gunpowder manufacturing, were outsourced. By 2007, Eurenco had ceased domestic powder production, relying on affiliates in Sweden and Germany.

With this revival, France is not just reclaiming a lost industry but reinforcing its strategic autonomy in an increasingly volatile geopolitical landscape.