The 18th Security Conference of the BfV and ASW Bundesverband was dedicated to the strategic alliance between the economy and security. Experts from the economy, security authorities and science met today in Berlin to address the challenges of a changing world order. The focus was on a preventive, defensive approach that clearly distinguishes itself from offensive war strategies – and thus also underlines the position of the ASW that economic strength and security are inextricably linked.

The New Survey of the World: Between Economy and Geopolitics

Under the theme ‘The New Survey of the World – Germany’s Economy & the Return of Geopolitics’, it became clear that economic interdependencies are increasingly being used as a geopolitical instrument. It was shown that global supply chains and investment flows not only offer opportunities but also harbour risks. In this context, the ASW calls for a strategic reorientation that aims to prevent economic openness from becoming vulnerability. In particular, the use of the latest cyber and surveillance technologies should help to protect critical infrastructures and corporate networks from state-sponsored attacks and economic blackmail.

Germany and Europe at a turning point

The conference focused on fundamental questions:

• How can Germany reconcile economic openness and security?
• The answer here is that digital sovereignty and the development of our own key technologies are essential to reduce external dependencies.
• What measures are needed to avoid strategic dependencies?
• Experts advocate diversifying supply chains and expanding national production capacities, for example in areas such as semiconductor manufacturing and critical IT infrastructure.
• How can the EU respond to threats from third countries in a unified manner?
• Close cooperation at the European level is considered crucial to establishing common standards and strengthening technological competition.

These questions underline the fact that the future of Europe and Germany depends on a coordinated approach. The ASW is of the opinion that a partnership between the state and the economy is not just a reaction to acute crises, but a sustainable strategic course for the coming decades.

Security policy and economic security as a matter for the boss

BfV Vice President Sinan Selen issued a stark warning about the consequences of a rapidly changing world order. Geopolitical upheavals, intensified by technological disruptions, are leading to an increasingly complex threat situation. Cyber attacks, disinformation and sabotage – in combination with the economic instrumentalisation of trade relations – are creating a scenario in which traditional and new threats go hand in hand. The ASW sees this as a wake-up call: security policy and economic security are no longer marginal issues, but central tasks that must be tackled consistently and with foresight. Only through preventive measures and the modernisation of security architectures can economic success and national sovereignty be secured in the long term.

Geoeconomics as a key factor

ASW Chairman Alexander Borgschulze emphasised that trade and investment flows have long since ceased to be purely economically motivated – they have become a key geopolitical factor. For example, economic sanctions, targeted export controls and access to strategic raw materials can become a means of political pressure. The ASW is therefore calling for a strategic reorientation in geoeconomics. This includes, among other things:

• promoting research and development in key industries to achieve technological independence
• expanding resilience strategies in the economy, for example through flexible production networks and stronger partnerships in Europe
• targeted investments in critical infrastructures to strengthen Germany’s economic backbone and minimise attack surfaces.

This perspective underlines how essential it is to closely interlink economic and security policy measures in order to effectively counter future challenges.

Cooperation between government and industry – the way to a secure future

The conference made it clear that close cooperation between government security agencies and industry is the key to overcoming complex threats. In addition to intensifying the exchange of information and jointly developing defence strategies, the ASW also sees an important role for public-private partnerships. Such partnerships make it possible to react quickly to new challenges in a dynamic environment – whether it is through the expansion of cyber defence measures, the establishment of a European crisis management system or the implementation of modern technologies in the defence of critical infrastructures.

Conclusion

The 18th Security Conference makes it clear that a defensive approach based on cooperation, strategic foresight and the consistent dovetailing of the economy and security is the right way to meet the challenges of a new world order characterised by uncertainties and hybrid threats. Germany’s security and economic stability depend to a large extent on a policy that views defence and economic openness not as contradictions, but as complementary pillars of a sustainable strategy – a position that ASW vigorously advocates.