The German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) is establishing an advisory board focused on the security and defense industry, according to reporting by Politico, citing information from the Ministry itself.
The new group will include prominent figures from academia, industry and defense, demonstrating a commitment to bolstering the nation’s capabilities in critical technology sectors. Members appointed to the advisory board are Moritz Schularick, President of the Kiel Institute for World Economics; René Obermann, Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Airbus; Nico Lange, Senior Fellow at the Munich Security Conference; and retired Lieutenant General Jürgen-Joachim von Sandrart.
The primary mandate of the advisory board is to advise the BMWK on strategies to rapidly scale up Germany’s defense industry. Their focus will be on high-technology fields, including space travel, artificial intelligence, robotics, satellite communication and emerging technologies.
The board is tasked with developing scientific concepts and providing recommendations addressing current challenges within the security and defense economy. They will offer counsel to the Ministry’s leadership in the implementation of these strategies. Participation from the appointed experts will be on a voluntary basis.
This new initiative complements existing advisory structures within the BMWK. In June, Minister Reiche previously established an economic advisory group comprised of Veronika Grimm, Volker Wieland and Justus Haucap. The Ministry also maintains a separate scientific advisory board.