Wealthy individual sets up advisory board focusing on defense sector innovation
German Economy Minister Establishes New Advisory Board for Defense Industry
Germany's Federal Minister of Economics, Katherina Reiche (CDU), has established a new advisory board to guide the rapid scaling up of the defense industry, with a focus on high technology sectors. This board, separate from the scientific advisory board at the BMWE, will provide strategic advice on emerging technologies such as space travel, artificial intelligence, robotics, and satellite communications to enhance Germany’s defense capabilities.
The advisory board, which includes experts from academia, industry, and military backgrounds, will support the Ministry of Economics despite defense not being formally part of its portfolio. Notable members include Moritz Schularick (president of the Kiel Institute for the World Economy), René Obermann (Airbus supervisory board chair), Nico Lange (Munich Security Conference fellow), and retired Lt. Gen. Jürgen-Joachim von Sandrart. Former Defense Minister Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg also advises Reiche informally and is connected with some board members.
The role of this advisory group is to guide the ministry in strengthening the German defense industrial base by leveraging cutting-edge technologies and fostering closer integration between economic and defense policy areas under Reiche’s leadership.
In a separate move, an advisory committee of economists, consisting of Veronika Grimm, Volker Wieland, and Justus Haucap, has also been established by Reiche in June. This new advisory work will focus on developing scientific concepts and recommendations on current issues in the security and defense economy. The committee will work on an honorary basis and will not be related to the earlier advisory committee of economists.
The new advisory work will support the BMWE in enabling a rapid upscaling of the defense industry and will provide guidance on the implementation of new policies. The focus of this new advisory work will be on high technology, aerospace, AI, robotics, satellite communication, and new technologies.
The new advisory board and committee are a testament to Reiche's commitment to modernizing and strengthening Germany's defense capabilities through innovation and technology adoption.
- The new advisory board, established by Germany's Economy Minister Katherina Reiche, will provide strategic advice on emerging technologies like space travel, artificial intelligence, robotics, and satellite communications to enhance Germany’s defense capabilities.
- The advisory board, which includes experts from academia, industry, and military backgrounds, will support the Ministry of Economics in strengthening the German defense industrial base.
- Besides the advisory board, an advisory committee of economists, consisting of Veronika Grimm, Volker Wieland, and Justus Haucap, has also been established by Reiche in June. This committee will work on developing scientific concepts and recommendations on current issues in the security and defense economy.
- The new advisory work, with a focus on high technology, aerospace, AI, robotics, satellite communication, and new technologies, will support the BMWE in enabling a rapid upscaling of the defense industry and providing guidance on the implementation of new policies.
