Compliance & Regulations

The EU Cyber Resilience Act (CRA) is the first binding European law that requires manufacturers to build cybersecurity into connected products from day one. What is the CRA, who and what does it affect, and why is SBOM critical? Here is a summary, especially for industrial equipment manufacturers.

Businesses commonly consider all regulations a cumbersome hurdle. However, every product manufacturing company should realize the business value of complying with the European Union Cyber Resilience Act, CRA. Already now, compliance gives a first-mover advantage that won’t vanish anytime soon. What is CRA, how does it connect with AI, and how can Etteplan help your company?

For many years, extending a product’s lifecycle was mainly a business choice. Companies did it to keep products on the market longer, control development costs, and maximize the return on existing investments. From 2026 this changes. Product lifecycle extension is no longer just an optimization – it becomes a condition for staying in the game.

Product End of Life (EoL) is one of the biggest challenges in the electronics industry, with consequences that often ripple into other sectors. Imagine being unable to manufacture a device because a critical component from ten years ago is no longer available. Does this mean production must stop and the product be redesigned from scratch? Not necessarily. Mateusz Osada, Hardware Department Manager at Etteplan, explains how lifetime extension can keep your products moving.

The year 2026 marks a pivotal moment in global manufacturing. Stability is no longer guaranteed in industrial planning. Ongoing economic uncertainty, supply chain disruptions, and geopolitical fragmentation have reshaped the industrial landscape. For companies producing complex, long-lifecycle products – such as industrial equipment, medical systems, and critical infrastructure electronics – this uncertainty is not just a fleeting condition. It is the new market norm.

Prevent Fragmented Responsibilities Around Safety and Cybersecurity

Why Restructuring is Now Strategically Necessary

A future-proof data structure is essential to meet new EU regulations, implement scalable AI, and remain competitive.

Artificial Intelligence is reshaping how people interact with embedded and electronic devices; from the tools that power factories and monitor energy systems, to the instruments that assist doctors and guide autonomous technologies. But as AI moves from cloud servers to physical devices, new regulatory and security challenges emerge.