#97: AI-Powered Early Warning Signals for Supply Chain Risk with Harald Nitschinger of Prewave

*Hosted by Andrei Palamariu*Harald Nitschinger, Co-Founder and CEO of Prewave, joins me to unpack how companies can stay one step ahead of supply chain risks in an era defined by volatility, geopolitical tension, and constant disruption. In this episode, we explore how Prewave uses AI to detect early warning signals across global data sources, helping enterprises monitor supplier risk across multiple tiers and move from reactive firefighting to proactive resilience. Harald shares how the company evolved from academic research into a platform serving hundreds of organizations, analyzing millions of data points across hundreds of languages to surface signals ranging from labor unrest to regulatory shifts and geopolitical shocks. We dive into the real challenge facing supply chain leaders today—balancing cost optimization with resilience—and why concepts like “revenue at risk” are becoming critical in making smarter sourcing decisions. Harald also explains how scenario planning helps companies prepare for multiple potential futures, why visibility beyond Tier-1 suppliers is essential, and how AI-driven workflows will increasingly automate risk monitoring and mitigation processes. From the role of data strategy in enabling agentic AI to the competitive advantage of being prepared when disruptions hit, this conversation explores what it takes to build supply chains that can adapt, respond, and ultimately outperform in uncertain conditions.