Multidimensional crises.
Multidimensional answers.

When the fifth Handelsblatt conference „Security and Defense“ takes place in Berlin at the end of January 2027, the Russian major attack on Ukraine and the turning point speech by the then Federal Chancellor Olaf Scholz will be almost five years in the past.

Since then, Germany and Europe have undertaken efforts that previously seemed almost unimaginable. Massive investments in security and defense have been approved. The defense industry is expanding its capacities. New companies, technologies, and investors are transforming a long-established ecosystem. The German Armed Forces and their procurement systems are undergoing continuous reform.

At the same time, it is clear that, in retrospect, the initial situation of this "turning point" seems almost straightforward. The pace and interconnectedness of crises are becoming increasingly frequent: war and crisis in Ukraine and the Middle East, an AI revolution in which the US and China are putting pressure on Europe, the further strengthening of anti-democratic forces, and, last but not least, the question of how long politics and society will support the massive investments in defense capabilities and resilience are just some of the challenges. One thing becomes clearer with each passing year: security concerns everyone. Multidimensional crises require multidimensional answers.

The Handelsblatt Conference "Security and Defense" is, for the fifth time, THE annual kick-off event for key players from politics, the German Armed Forces, the (defense) industry, and academia. It provides a forum for clear discussions and concrete answers regarding the future of security and defense policy in Germany and Europe.