Embedded software is quietly going through a revolution.
For decades, C and C++ dominated the firmware world. They’re still everywhere — from pacemakers to drones — but the ecosystem is shifting. Languages like Rust and WebAssembly (Wasm) are starting to carve out real space in embedded development, promising safer, more portable, and more future-proof devices.
But here’s the catch: most companies don’t have the in-house expertise to adopt these toolchains overnight. That’s where outsourcing partnerships come in.
Why Rust and Wasm Are on the Rise
Rust = Safety without sacrificing performance
Rust enforces memory safety at compile time, which means fewer catastrophic bugs, buffer overflows, or undefined behaviors.
For safety-critical industries like MedTech or aerospace, this isn’t just “nice to have” — it can save lives and prevent costly recalls.
Wasm = Portability across platforms
WebAssembly started in browsers, but now it’s breaking into embedded.
Imagine compiling logic once and running it on microcontrollers, gateways, and even cloud systems without rewriting everything. That’s exactly what Wasm is enabling.
Long device lifecycles demand modern tools
Many embedded systems are expected to last 10–20 years.
Using toolchains that reduce technical debt and improve maintainability helps companies survive the long game.
The Reha Stim MedTec Example
At HUSPI, we had the opportunity to work on Reha Stim MedTec’s rehabilitation devices, which rely on embedded software to control IoT-enabled therapy gloves.
In this project, precision and safety were non-negotiable. The code had to respond in real time to patient movements while ensuring medical compliance (HL7/FHIR, GDPR, MDR).
If we were starting this project today, we’d consider how Rust could provide additional guarantees against memory leaks or unsafe concurrency, making the devices even more robust over their lifecycle. And with Wasm, modular features like new therapy protocols could be rolled out faster across different device generations without deep rewrites.
This is exactly the kind of scenario where outsourcing to a partner with embedded + modern toolchain experience helps reduce risk while opening doors to innovation.
Read more about the experience with Reha Stim.
Lessons from High-Performance Systems
Outside of MedTech, we’ve also seen how Rust and Wasm apply to high-demand systems like autonomous drones and edge AI. In the miltech sector, the pressure on embedded systems is even higher:
Autonomy & swarm coordination
Modern UAVs are expected to operate in groups with minimal operator input.
This demands safe concurrency and predictable performance — two areas where Rust’s memory safety shines.
Edge AI
From target recognition to adaptive flight paths, AI models are being pushed onto the devices themselves.
This requires lightweight runtimes like Wasm that can run securely across heterogeneous hardware.
Cybersecurity as a battlefield
Drones and defense-grade IoT devices face constant risks of jamming, spoofing, and unauthorized takeover.
Toolchains that enforce security by design (like Rust) reduce attack surfaces compared to legacy stacks.
Rapid adaptability
Military tech evolves fast.
Wasm’s modularity allows updates to logic or AI inference modules without rebuilding the entire firmware stack.
Why MilTech Is on the Rise in Europe
Over the past three years, Europe has seen a dramatic acceleration in defense innovation. Several factors are driving this:
- The war in Ukraine has pushed governments and defense contractors to rethink procurement cycles — shifting from decade-long programs to fast, iterative development of UAVs, robotics, and cyber-defense systems.
- EU and NATO funding frameworks (such as the European Defence Fund and national innovation programs) are directing billions into dual-use technologies, creating opportunities for startups and outsourcing partners.
- Civilian tech spillover: Many breakthroughs in AI, edge computing, and robotics are happening in the commercial sector first. Outsourcing partners help transfer those innovations into defense applications faster.
- Shortage of in-house specialists: European OEMs and defense primes often struggle to recruit embedded AI and modern toolchain talent fast enough. This opens the door for outsourced teams who can plug skill gaps while ensuring security and compliance.
We’ve worked with embedded teams in this space where the challenge wasn’t just writing performant code – it was building systems that could be trusted under adversarial conditions. That’s where outsourcing adds unique value: combining domain knowledge in embedded safety/security with hands-on experience in integrating modern toolchains.
Outsourcing vs In-House: Making the Call
| Factor | In-House Development | Outsourcing / Partnering |
|---|---|---|
| Expertise in New Toolchains (Rust, Wasm, modern CI/CD) | Requires training existing staff or hiring rare specialists; steep learning curve. | Access to teams already working with Rust, Wasm, and modern DevOps in embedded projects. Faster adoption. |
| Time to Market | Longer ramp-up due to hiring, onboarding, and skill-building. | Faster delivery; outsourced teams can start immediately with proven workflows. |
| Security & Compliance (MedTech, MilTech, Industrial) | Internal control, but compliance knowledge often uneven across teams. | External partners bring experience with GDPR, MDR, HL7/FHIR, NATO standards, and secure-by-design practices. |
| Cost Structure | Hard to expand quickly; the EU labor market for embedded engineers is tight. | Flexible costs: project-based, scalable up/down as needed. Less overhead. |
| Innovation / Prototyping | Limited by internal capacity and conservative culture. | Outsourcing firms can run rapid PoCs with modern languages and toolchains before committing. |
| Scalability of Teams | Internal control, but compliance knowledge is often uneven across teams. | Outsourcing gives immediate access to broader pools of engineers, including in nearshore hubs. |
| Availability of Embedded Developers (Europe & Ukraine) | Western Europe faces a shortage of embedded specialists — demand outpaces supply, especially with the defense ramp-up. Salaries are high, and competition is intense. | Ukraine remains a leading hub for embedded and IoT developers: strong engineering universities, proven track record in MedTech, automotive, and defense tech. Outsourcing here offers both cost efficiency and deep expertise. |
| Strategic Focus | Keeps IP fully internal, but risks burning resources on infrastructure and learning curves. | High upfront costs: recruitment, salaries, training, and hardware labs. |
The Enduring Role of C/C++ in Embedded Systems
While Rust and Wasm are rising stars, 90% of the embedded world still runs — and will continue to run — on C and C++.
Mature ecosystems
C/C++ have decades of compiler support, hardware vendor SDKs, and vast libraries optimized for microcontrollers, DSPs, and SoCs.
Performance close to the metal
For applications where every clock cycle and every byte of memory matters (e.g., signal processing in drones, motor control in rehab devices), C and C++ remain unmatched in maturity and efficiency.
Certification and compliance
Safety-critical standards like MISRA C or ISO 26262 in automotive are deeply entrenched in C-based ecosystems.
Many regulators are more comfortable certifying C/C++ codebases than newer languages.
Talent familiarity
Most embedded engineers worldwide are trained first in C.
This means faster onboarding when building large teams or maintaining legacy code.
Hybrid futures: Many next-gen embedded stacks won’t throw out C/C++ — they’ll layer Rust or Wasm modules on top of proven C cores. Think of Rust handling concurrency and safety-sensitive modules, while C handles device drivers and performance-critical routines.
Where Outsourcing Helps with C/C++ Stacks
- Modernizing without breaking: Outsourced teams can audit legacy C/C++ code, refactor unsafe patterns, and gradually introduce Rust or Wasm where it adds value.
- Bridging generations: In projects like Reha Stim MedTec, maintaining a stable C/C++ base while evaluating newer toolchains is key to balancing innovation with compliance.
- Defense and industrial systems: Many drone and industrial control systems are locked into C/C++ for hardware reasons. Outsourcing brings the capacity to extend these stacks with new AI, security, or networking modules without rewriting everything from scratch.
Embedded Development Statistics (Europe & Ukraine)
- 📊 C/C++ still dominate embedded systems — industry surveys estimate ~80% C, 19% C++, with all other languages (including Rust) making up ~1% of active embedded projects (source: practitioner surveys, Reddit/embedded).
- 🦀 Rust adoption is growing but slow — in a 2023 survey of 225 developers, researchers noted that “most embedded codebases remain in C/C++” due to ecosystem maturity and certification familiarity (source: arXiv.org, 2311.05063).
- 💶 Western Europe faces a shortage — demand for embedded specialists outpaces supply, with high competition and rising salaries across Germany, France, and the Nordics.
- 🇺🇦 Ukraine as a hub — average embedded software engineer salary is ~894,000 UAH/year (~€20,000), significantly lower than Western Europe, with proven expertise in MedTech, automotive, defense, and IoT (source: SalaryExpert 2025).
- 📈 Scalability advantage — Ukrainian outsourcing teams allow rapid team scaling for clients in MedTech and MilTech, filling skill gaps faster than in-house European hiring cycles.
Final Thoughts
Rust and Wasm aren’t replacing C overnight. But they’re gaining real ground in sectors where safety, security, and scalability matter most.
For companies building the next generation of medical devices, drones, or industrial controllers, the question isn’t if these toolchains will become relevant — it’s when.
And for many, the fastest, safest way to get there will be through outsourcing partners who already live and breathe both the embedded world and the new wave of languages reshaping it.
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