Photo By Karlheinz Wedhorn | On Sept. 26, 2025, the Marshall Center’s Program on Applied Security Studies (PASS)...... read more read more
On Sept. 26, 2025, the Marshall Center’s Program on Applied Security Studies (PASS) plenary in Garmisch-Partenkirchen focused on invigorating the defense industrial base to carry European-led deterrence and defense into the future.
“We are suddenly realizing that we are entering a conventional war against a collective alliance that we are going to lose because they have better infrastructure, more experience, and are working together,” said Robbie Boyd, CEO of Encompass B.V. and senior military policy advisor to the Defense, Security, and Resilience Bank.
Boyd underscored the urgency of rethinking how Europe funds its defense capabilities as threats intensify and the prospect of conventional warfare grows. He introduced the concept of the Defense, Security, and Resilience Bank, a proposed multinational, not-for-profit institution designed to finance defense-related efforts. By accepting capital investments from NATO members and partners, the model aims to close funding gaps.
In another panel, Jens Holtmannspötter, division head at the Bundeswehr's Research Institute for Materials, Fuels, and Lubricants, focused on innovation to close capacity gaps and advance new technologies. He discussed how technological progress – particularly AI and drone warfare – is reshaping the battlefield, often driven by civilian advances.
“Future victory in a war depends on fast integration of technology into operations,” he said, noting that current procurement and military integration are too slow. “Research, experimentation with the use/transfer, and procurement must happen in parallel, not sequential.”
Patrick Albrecht, project manager at Bayern Innovativ, added a perspective from Bavaria, highlighting the work of his company's TechHUB Security and Defense Industry platform.
“There is a need for a hub—someone who is connecting the dots,” he said, explaining how TechHUB provides start-ups with opportunities to enter the defense market alongside established producers, strengthening collective European defense.
For the security professionals in attendance, PASS is preparing them to advance actionable outcomes and policy recommendations in their home nations and organizations, including efforts to strengthen the defense industrial base.
| Date Taken: | 09.26.2025 |
| Date Posted: | 10.14.2025 02:57 |
| Story ID: | 549901 |
| Location: | DE |
| Web Views: | 44 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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