Programmes in the aeronautics and defence sectors combine sovereignty requirements, export constraints, enhanced cybersecurity and schedule pressure, in a complex subcontracting and international cooperation environment.
ELA works with aeronautical manufacturers, defence prime contractors, equipment manufacturers and start-ups to secure architectures, contracts and interfaces with authorities (DGA, DGAC, CNES, SGDSN, ANSSI), while preserving the agility required for programmes and financing.
In a context of growing sovereignty requirements, national defence secrecy, cybersecurity and financing controls, ELA helps actors in the defence and civil aeronautics industrial and technological base to build governance and compliance frameworks that meet the expectations of the State and major contracting authorities.
This approach combines a detailed understanding of the life cycles of aeronautical and armament programmes, the constraints of the war economy and civil certifications (EASA, FAA), in order to transform compliance into a sustainable lever for securing contracts and relationships with authorities.
Export and customs classifications of aeronautical equipment, management of licences and specific authorisations (LGT, AEPE, AIPE), compliance with prime contractor export clauses (Airbus, Safran, Thales), AEO support and HS/DUG customs audits.
Support on cross-border flows, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) operations, technology transfers and management of international subcontractors in compliance with ITAR/EAR and European regulations.
ELA supports French defence and dual-use industrials in securing their sensitive programmes, aligning their contractual, organisational and technical practices with the requirements of IGI 1300, LPM, NIS2 and the export control and sanctions regimes applicable to the sector.
ELA helps structure integrated compliance governance (export control, sanctions, cybersecurity, sensitive information protection) inspired by international best practice: risk mapping, policies and procedures, third-party controls, access management and compartmentalisation, oversight of international cooperations and technology transfers.
ELA also provides operational and strategic support to legal, compliance, procurement, IT and senior management teams for managing relations with authorities (DGA, SGDSN, ANSSI, SBDU), conducting internal audits and investigations, handling incidents (cyber, export, classified) and demonstrating, to State contracting authorities, a risk management framework aligned with market best practices.
ELA is the leading partner of NewSpace companies and startups in France, with proven references: ~70% of NewSpace players trust us today!
We are regularly called upon to address poor advice or approaches and provide practical solutions, in close collaboration with the supervisory authorities.
Our operational expertise and unique analytical capabilities are widely recognised across the entire space value chain.
We provide support on ML/DU export controls, Space Law compliance, AMA requirements, frequency planning, and launch campaigns... in a long-term trust partnership approach.
In practice, we build export, customs and cybersecurity compliance frameworks tailored to the space sector, capable of reassuring your institutional and banking partners without stifling innovation or business momentum.
Orbital positions, frequency plans, ITU/ANFR applications, launch campaign security plans, PASI, Space Law compliance (incl. "Images"). Integrating regulatory and client requirements (agencies, primes, critical operators) from the earliest project and architecture design stages.
Implementing export compliance and sensitive data protection frameworks tailored to traditional players and NewSpace models (rapid iterations, fundraising, internationalisation), to secure investor, industrial partner and institutional client relationships.
Trainer-expert and compliance consultant skills alone are not enough — up-to-date operational knowledge is essential.
The Space sector of 2026 is no longer that of 2010. ELA's engineers do not sell their name or their past — they face NewSpace challenges daily, where other experts from the "old school" often remain stuck in traditional thinking.
ELA brings genuine applied operational expertise: understanding a ground segment architecture, an OBC, a SCAO — means supporting classifications on proven technical grounds. Knowing launch campaigns and the related customs constraints means guaranteeing the success of your operations.
Sensitive goods cover a far wider scope than military hardware alone: dual-use items, PPST, foundry & rare metals, bio- and nanotechnologies, nuclear, Oil & Gas, embedded electronics — all categories subject to intertwined export control, customs and intellectual property regimes that are evolving rapidly under the pressure of geopolitical tensions and new sanctions lists.
Classifying a sensitive good or technology is rarely straightforward. A classification error can lead to export control violations (EAR, ITAR, EU Dual-Use Regulation), customs adjustments, intellectual property or know-how disputes, and even criminal sanctions and blacklisting.
ELA supports industrials, traders, distributors and contracting authorities in mapping their sensitive goods portfolio, securing their cross-border flows and aligning their practices with the relevant authorities (SBDU, DGA, Customs, ANSSI, ASN).
In practice, ELA builds a compliance framework proportionate to your risk exposure: reliable technical classification, screening and licence management procedures, data and know-how protection, and operational interface with competent authorities.
ML/DU (France/EU), EAR/CCL and USML/ITAR classification of military equipment, dual-use goods (embedded electronics, electronic components, advanced materials) and dual-use software. Management of export authorisations (LGT, global licences), end-user screening, De Minimis and Foreign Direct Product Rule (FDPR) assessment for US jurisdiction-exposed flows.
Oversight of technology transfers, technical data and know-how (PPST, ITAR Technical Assistance Agreements, international NDAs), with particular attention to intra-group flows in multinational environments.
Foundry & Rare Metals: classification of strategic materials, compliance with Chinese export restrictions on rare earths, supply restriction management and supplier due diligence.
Bio- & Nanotechnologies: identification of biological agents and chemical substances subject to control lists (EU Category 1, CWC Schedule), oversight of international scientific cooperations.
Nuclear & Energy: compliance with NSG/IAEA regimes, management of nuclear material and equipment export authorisations, interface with ASN/CEA/Euratom.
Oil & Gas: classification of drilling and production equipment subject to sectoral sanctions (Russia, Iran), flow verification and derogation management.
Embedded Electronics & Semiconductors: identification of components subject to new US export restrictions (Entity List, enhanced FDP Rule), management of compliance clauses imposed by US manufacturers and counterfeiting risks in supply chains.
Sensitive goods are often the vehicle for uncontrolled technology transfers. ELA combines export control expertise and intellectual property law to frame technology licences, protect patents and trade secrets in international cooperations, and structure NDAs tailored to regulatory requirements.
IP audit in M&A transactions involving sensitive assets, identification of risks of unauthorised disclosure of technical know-how, implementation of access rights management policies and technical information traceability.
Beyond highly regulated sectors, the entire manufacturing industry and services sector faces growing obligations in terms of customs, VAT, intellectual property, product compliance and international trade regulation. Automotive suppliers, medical device manufacturers, food & beverage players, distributors and logistics providers share common challenges: controlling cross-border flows, securing supply chains and protecting intangible assets.
ELA works with a wide range of industrial players to turn complex regulatory constraints into controlled operational processes, leveraging a unique combination of engineers, lawyers and LegalOPS experts able to simultaneously address technical, legal and organisational dimensions.
Whether you are facing a customs audit, a product classification issue, an intra-community VAT question or the protection of your brands internationally, ELA provides a structured, proportionate and operational response.
ELA builds compliance frameworks tailored to your sector and scale, combining customs, tax, legal and technical expertise to sustainably secure your operations and flows.
Tariff classification (HS/CN nomenclature), customs value and preferential origin determination, obtaining and managing AEO status (Authorised Economic Operator), adapted clearance procedures (customs warehouse, inward/outward processing, suspensive regimes). Support during customs controls and disputes with the administration.
Automotive suppliers & production lines: management of component flows in multinational environments (just-in-time), compliance with rules of origin in free trade agreements (EU-UK, CETA, JEFTA), optimisation of customs regimes for tooling and moulds.
The healthcare sector combines product regulatory compliance (MDR, IVDR, MA), specific customs challenges (classification of active substances, controlled chemical precursors) and enhanced intellectual property protection (molecule patents, data exclusivities, formulation protection).
ELA supports pharmaceutical laboratories and medical device manufacturers (scanners, MRI, diagnostic equipment) in the customs classification of their products, management of import/export authorisations for controlled substances, structuring of licence agreements and protection of their IP assets on international markets.
Food & Beverage: management of sanitary and phytosanitary (SPS) barriers on import/export, classification of processed products, origin for preferential agreements, VAT on food products and reduced rate management in multi-country contexts.
Distribution & Storage: structuring of logistics flows (bonded warehouses, cross-docking platforms), ICS2 compliance, CE marking and product compliance for placing on the European market.
Services & Pharma: contractual framework for distributor/manufacturer relationships, brand protection and selective distribution networks, compliance with DAC7 reporting obligations and e-invoicing.
ELA also supports industrial manufacturing players (tooling, industrial marking, handling) in the regulatory compliance of their products (Machinery, Low Voltage and EMC Directives), management of returns and repairs under appropriate customs regimes, and structuring of international industrial contracts.
Aéronautique · Spatial · Défense · Sécurité · Électronique · Semiconducteurs · Cybersécurité · Énergies · Industrie critique · Agroalimentaire · Médical & Paramédical · Services