The CDU/CSU parliamentary group in the German Bundestag hosted an expert discussion titled „AI, Cyber, and Robotics – Industrial Policy Perspectives in the Defense Technology Sector: The State as Anchor Customer?” The event focused on how innovative technologies can be introduced into the Bundeswehr more rapidly.
Oliver Lichtenstein, Vice Chairman of the Executive Board, represented UAV DACH at the event. He emphasized the urgent need to reform current procurement and tendering processes to facilitate SME access to public contracts, noting that this is precisely where major leaps in innovation are currently taking place. Furthermore, he reaffirmed that the state must act as a large-scale anchor customer to help build a resilient European UAS industry, thereby establishing the necessary manufacturing capacities for this future technology, which is of critical importance from both military and economic perspectives.