September 14th and 15th, 2026, Düsseldorf & Digital

Defense as an Economic Factor

From hype to implementation

Handelsblatt Conference

The following speakers have already confirmed their participation:

Dieter Behrens - Member of the Management Board, Deutsche Leasing AG, Business Unit Savings Banks and SMEs
Dieter Behrens Member of the Management Board – Deutsche Leasing AG, Business Unit Savings Banks and SMEs
Prof. Dr. Rainer Bernnat - Partner, Head of Public Sector, PwC Strategy& Germany
Prof. Dr. Rainer Bernnat Partner, Head of Public Sector – PwC Strategy& Germany
Rear Admiral Christian Bock - Head of the Innovation Centre of the German Armed Forces
Flotilla Admiral Christian Bock Head of Innovation Center of the German Armed Forces
Lukas Breitenbach - Director Strategic Communications & Public Affairs ZANATTA Defense
Lukas Breitenbach Director Strategic Communications & Public Affairs – ZANATTA Defense
Dr. Daniele Calisti - Head of Unit Merger Policy European Commission
Dr. Daniele Calisti Head of Unit Merger Policy – European Commission
Mykhailo Diachenko - Chief Business Development Officer TAF Industries
Mykhailo Diachenko Chief Business Development Officer – TAF Industries
Oliver Dörre - CEO and Chairman of the Board HENSOLDT AG
Oliver Dörre CEO and Chairman of the Board – HENSOLDT AG
Bastian Ernst, Member of Parliament - President of the Association of Reservists of the German Armed Forces.
Bastian Ernst, Member of Parliament President – Association of Reservists of the German Armed Forces e. V.
Christian Fischbach - Head of Markets & Customers Schwarz Digits Defense
Christian Fischbach Head of Markets & Customers – Schwarz Digits Defense
Andreas Frank - Defense Leader & Partner EY Germany
Andreas Frank Defense Leader & Partner – EY Germany
Elisa Füchsl - Head of Finance (CFO) COMTEL Electronics GmbH
Elisa Füchsl Head of Finance (CFO) – COMTEL Electronics GmbH
Marcus Gerlach - Chief Purchasing Officer Rheinmetall AG
Marcus Gerlach Chief Purchasing Officer – Rheinmetall AG
Matthias Graefe - Director of Supply Chain Transformation IBM Deutschland GmbH
Matthias Graefe Director of Supply Chain Transformation – IBM Deutschland GmbH
Manfred Hader - Senior Partner Roland Berger
Manfred Hader Senior Partner – Roland Berger
Daniel Van der Hout - Board Member for Sales at Dillinger and Saarstahl
Daniel Van der Hout Board Member for Sales – Dillinger and Saarstahl
Michael Humbek - CEO Dynamit Nobel Defence GmbH
Michael Humbek CEO – Dynamit Nobel Defense GmbH
Dr. Sven Jung - Director Economic Analysis & Financial Planning Handelsblatt Research Institute
Dr. Sven Jung Director Economic Analysis & Financial Planning – Handelsblatt Research Institute
Jan F. Kallmorgen - Partner focusing on Geopolitical Advisory & Defence, EY-Parthenon
Jan F. Kallmorgen Partner with a focus on Geopolitical Advisory & Defence – EY-Parthenon
Dr. Rainer Kambeck - DIHK Head of Economic and Financial Policy for SMEs
Dr. Rainer Kambeck DIHK Head of Economic and Financial Policy – SMEs
Hendrik Kramer - Vice President Land Domain, Quantum Systems Managing Director Quantum Tencore Industries
Hendrik Kramer Vice President Land Domain, Quantum Systems – Managing Director Quantum Tencore Industries
Dr. Nicolas Kredel, LL.M. (Michigan) - Attorney at Law, Partner Baker McKenzie
Dr. Nicolas Kredel, LL.M. (Michigan) Lawyer, Partner – Baker McKenzie
Anne Lauenroth - Managing Director, BDI Raw Materials Committee
Anne Lauenroth Managing Director of the BDI Raw Materials Committee – BDI
Federico Magno - Group CEO MHP Management and IT Consulting GmbH
Federico Magno Group CEO – MHP Management and IT Consulting GmbH
Fabian Mattes - Senior Vice President Procurement & Supply Chain Management TKMS GmbH
Fabian Mattes Senior Vice President Procurement & Supply Chain Management – TKMS GmbH
Patrick Mesenbrock - Principal Security & Defense BCG
Patrick Mesenbrock Principal Security & Defense – BCG
Svenja Meyer - Head of Purchasing, Duisburg Port AG
Svenja Meyer Purchasing Management – Duisburg Port AG
Dr. Klaus Michel - Managing Director Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
Dr. Klaus Michel Managing Director – Airbus Defence and Space GmbH
Tobias Mühlbayer - Director Sales Defence Dürr Systems AG
Tobias Mühlbayer Director Sales Defense – Dürr Systems AG
Knut Müller - Senior Vice President Global Governmental Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG 
Knut Müller Senior Vice President Global Governmental – Rolls-Royce Power Systems AG 
Mona Neubaur - Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy and Deputy Minister-President of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
Mona Neubaur Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy – and Deputy Minister-President of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia
Sassan Parvin - Director Public Sector & Defense SThree
Sassan Parvin Director Public Sector & Defense – SThree
Dr. Dale Rickert - Managing Director TECH at Handelsblatt
Dr. Dale Rickert Managing Director – TECH by Handelsblatt
Andreas Pilz - Key Account Director DACH & EU at Skyeton Germany GmbH; Scientific Director „Procurement of the German Armed Forces“ at Carl Crantz-Gesellschaft eV.
Andreas Pilz Key Account Director DACH & EU at Skyeton Germany GmbH – Scientific Director „Procurement of the German Armed Forces“ at Carl Crantz-Gesellschaft eV.
Jens Plötner - State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Defence
Jens Plötner State Secretary – Federal Ministry of Defence
Tom Plümmer - CEO and Co-Founder Wingcopter
Tom Plümmer CEO and Co-Founder – Wingcopter
Colonel (ret.) Matthias Puschnig - Managing Director Puschnig Management and Investment
Colonel (ret.) Matthias Puschnig Managing Director – Puschnig Management and Investment
Harald Rauer - Managing Director CUONICS GmbH
Harald Rauer Managing Director – CUONICS GmbH
Dr. Alexander Sagel - CEO RENK Group AG
Dr. Alexander Sagel CEO – RENK Group AG
Dr. Sebastian Schäfer, Member of the German Bundestag - Member of the Budget Committee, Alliance 90/The Greens 
Dr. Sebastian Schäfer, Member of Parliament Member of the Budget Committee – Alliance 90/The Greens 
Dr. Michael Schneider - Head of Department in the Legal Department of the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support of the German Armed Forces (BAAINBw)
Dr. Michael Schneider Head of Department in the Legal Office – Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support of the German Armed Forces (BAAINBw)
Dr. Sebastian C. Schulte - Chairman of the Executive Board (CEO) DEUTZ AG
Dr. Sebastian C. Schulte Chairman of the Board (CEO) – DEUTZ AG
Michael Steinmetz - Head of Production / Engineering THYRA
Michael Steinmetz Head of Production / Engineering – THYRA
Beate Tempel - Chief Product Officer constellr GmbH
Beate Tempel Chief Product Officer – constellr GmbH
Carsten Volkery - Correspondent for Central and Eastern Europe, Ukraine and Russia, Handelsblatt
Carsten Volkery Correspondent for Central and Eastern Europe, Ukraine and Russia – Handelsblatt
Cathrin Wilhelm - Partner, Avilus GmbH; SME Representative, BDSV
Cathrin Wilhelm Shareholder, Avilus GmbH – SME representative, BDSV
Marcus Zanatta - Founder & CEO ZANATTA Defense
Marcus Zanatta Founder & CEO – ZANATTA Defense
Mirjam Zeller - Head of Competence Center Defence Procurement BME
Mirjam Zeller Head of Competence Center Defense Procurement – BME
Daniel Zittel - Chief Sales Officer Daimler Truck Defense, Daimler Truck AG
Daniel Zittel Chief Sales Officer – Daimler Truck Defense, Daimler Truck AG

Moderation:

Nicole Bastian - Head of Podcast, Video & Live Journalism Department, Handelsblatt
Nicole Bastian Head of Podcast, Video & Live Journalism Department – Handelsblatt
Nana Brink - Editor-in-Chief, Tagesspiegel Background Security & Defense
Nana Brink Editor-in-Chief – Tagesspiegel Background Security & Defense
Markus Fasse - Editor Defense Briefing, Chief Correspondent Handelsblatt
Markus Fasse Editor Defense Briefing, Chief Correspondent – Handelsblatt
Moritz Schönleber - Community Lead Handelsblatt Defense Circle
Moritz Schönleber Community Lead – Handelsblatt Defense Circle
Frank Specht - Co-Editor Defense-Briefing, Editor Handelsblatt
Frank Specht Co-Editor Defense Briefing, Editor – Handelsblatt
Defense as an Economic Factor
September 14th and 15th, 2026 | Maritim Hotel Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf