Defense

Investments in security and defense technology.

Second forum for security and defense technology in Erfurt highlights opportunities for the Thuringian economy.

Published

16.06.2026

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Lukas Schiffner

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The global political order and security situation are fundamentally different from just a few years ago. In light of this, the federal government and other countries are currently and in the future investing massively in their security and defense capabilities. Companies from a wide range of industries can benefit from this. What they specifically need to gain a foothold in the defense sector with existing or new developments was discussed by nearly 300 participants on June 10, 2026 in Erfurt.

Especially in the areas where the Thuringian economy can demonstrate strong competencies – optics, sensor technology, electronics, mechanical engineering and information technology – the required investment steps create numerous points of connection. This was also made clear by Thuringia’s Minister of Economic Affairs Collette Boos-John on the podium in Erfurt. For security and defense-related technologies, it is of strategic importance to have one’s own development and production capacities. Investments in this area therefore strengthen not only defense capabilities but also regional value creation and innovative strength in Germany and Europe.

The focus of the forum, which we organized for the second time together with the Thuringian Ministry of Economic Affairs, was therefore, in addition to the current security policy situation, on, among other things, procurement programs of the Bundeswehr, entry opportunities for suppliers, as well as the networking of companies and research institutions. One focus was on dual-use technologies with civilian and defense-related application possibilities, for example in the areas of drones, sensor technology, robotics, or artificial intelligence.

With almost 300 participants, the response to the forum is very strong. This shows that Thuringian companies want to actively seize the opportunities of this future market. I also see this as confirmation of our course to position Thuringia early on as a high-performance location in this area.

Andreas Krey | Managing Director LEG Thüringen

Intelligent and high-performance batteries were also identified as a key factor for a country's defense capability. Experts provided concrete answers this afternoon on how indispensable they actually are, as well as on the security-relevant conditions that suppliers must observe if they want to operate in the defense sector.

To the event page To the “Space & Defense” sector