Autocracies are on the rise, tech companies are expanding their influence, artificial intelligence is finding its way into the most diverse areas of life, and Europe must consolidate its role in the world. How does this shift the boundaries of security? Answers to these and many other questions were provided at the BVSW Winter Conference from 12 to 14 March 2025.

‘We are delighted that so many of you have accepted our invitation to the winter conference again this year. For us, this is the best confirmation of how much the security industry values this format,’ said BVSW Managing Director Caroline Eder and Chairman of the Board Johannes Strümpfel, welcoming the more than 150 participants. The event at the Arabella Alpenhotel at Spitzingsee in Bavaria was fully booked for the second year in a row. ‘The BVSW Winter Conference has now become a fixed date for security experts who want to find out about current and future security challenges and also look beyond the boundaries of their own field of expertise.’

A high-level discussion round kicked off the BVSW Winter Conference on Wednesday evening: Michael Schwald, Bavarian State Police Commissioner, Michael George, Head of the Cyber-Allianz-Zentrum Bayern at the Bavarian State Office for the Protection of the Constitution, and Johannes Strümpfel, Deputy Head of Security at Siemens AG, highlighted current topics in internal security and the consequences for security departments, as well as cooperation between companies and security authorities.

Trump’s second term and its significance for Europe

The second day started with a lecture by Prof. Dr. em. Günther Schmid. His eagerly awaited contribution dealt with Donald Trump’s second term and the security and economic consequences for Germany and Europe.

According to Schmid, the fact that broad sections of the population failed to feel the positive economic developments in the USA was the main reason for Trump’s re-election. The Democrats had not found answers to rising inflation and high prices in the housing market. Trump’s election victory marks the end of the transatlantic era, which has been the basis of German foreign policy in recent decades. He pursues a policy of national interests that weakens multilateral structures. As the US withdraws, China could gain influence globally. A worldwide anti-Trump alliance is not to be expected – instead, other countries could follow his policy.

For Germany, this means reducing its dependencies, formulating its own interests more clearly and strengthening Europe and the European pillar in NATO.

New areas of tension: outer space, digital infrastructure and AI

National interests are not only playing an increasingly important role on Earth, but also in space. Despite its apparent infinity, the space that can be used by humans is quite limited, which is leading to increasing geopolitical rivalry, explained Andrea Rotter, Head of the Foreign and Security Policy Department at the Hanns Seidel Foundation’s Academy for Politics and Current Affairs. Space is important for many services on Earth, be it for navigation systems or the financial industry. But future technologies such as autonomous driving also depend on satellites in space. In addition to state actors, private companies are increasingly trying to secure a strategically favourable position in space.

From space to the oceans was the topic of the lecture by Oliver Rolofs, consultant for strategic and political communication. His talk was about undersea cables, an invisible but crucial infrastructure for the digital economy that has recently repeatedly come to public attention due to acts of sabotage. In addition to the threat of attacks, the increasing dominance of the big tech companies Meta, Apple, Microsoft, Google and Amazon is also leading to a growing concentration of power in the hands of private actors in this sector. This makes it all the more important to have tighter control of private operators and better security concepts above and below the water.

Submarine cables are important data highways for a technology trend that is currently on everyone’s lips: artificial intelligence is helpful for a great many applications, but in the wrong hands it can just as easily become a strategic weapon. This was impressively demonstrated by the presentation by Boris Bärmichl, technology scout and head of the digital division at BVSW. Bärmichl assessed the EU Artificial Intelligence Act as an important step in the right direction to prevent misuse.

Dr Holtherm, Surgeon General and Head of the Medical NBC Protection Task Force, focused on the threats posed by nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) warfare agents. Dr Holtherm expressed concern about the new threat posed by drones that can transport these agents over long distances. Artificial intelligence is also playing an increasingly important role in his field and is characterised by a problematic ‘dual use’. For example, artificial intelligence can be used to research the healing of diseases, but also to develop resistant bacteria, for example. Dr Holtherm therefore emphasised the need for clear legal rules to prevent the misuse of this technology.

Of physics and facial expressions

To kick off the last day of the congress, Prof. Dr. Metin Tolan took the participants on a physical mission into the James Bond universe. In an extremely entertaining presentation, the physicist examined the technical gimmicks of the legendary double-zero agent in terms of their plausibility. Fast-paced chases, reflections or walking on crocodiles’ backs – not everything adheres to the laws of physics. The question of why Bond always drinks his martini shaken and not stirred was also answered. The answer lies, who would have thought it, in physics.

Sabrina Rizzo’s contribution led us from the world of film back to the reality of negotiations and interrogations. The police coach and expert in non-verbal communication gave an insight into her Rizzo concept. She showed how facial expressions, gestures and body language can provide clues to a person’s inner state and possible attempts at deception. Using real criminal cases – including the case of Amanda Knox and the murder of the Russian ambassador Andrei Karlov – she demonstrated which facial signals can indicate inconsistencies. Her lecture made it clear that negotiations and interrogations are much more than just the spoken word: those who can correctly interpret body language have a decisive advantage.

Career and further training in security

The topic of a career in the security industry is also a fixed part of the BVSW Winter Conference. The BVSW is heavily involved in the training and further education of specialists and managers in the security industry, so that the increasing demand for qualified experts will continue to be met in the future.

Sebastian Reis provided an example of the diverse career paths available. After his time in the army, his career took him through various positions in civil security to his current position as Manager Corporate Security at Quantum Systems. An important milestone on this path was the part-time MBA programme ‘Strategy, Global Risk & Security Management’ at the Technische Hochschule Ingolstadt – a course of study for which the BVSW has been the patron for six years.

Those seeking their first academic qualification in security management can complete the bachelor’s degree programme initiated by the BVSW at the Deggendorf Institute of Technology. Representatives of both universities presented the courses of study at the end of the event.

Looking to the future

As is the case every year, the winter conference concluded with a lecture by Dr Benedikt Franke, Deputy Chairman and CEO of the Munich Security Conference (MSC). He provided exclusive insights into the most important moments of this year’s MSC, which many remember above all for the memorable speech by US Vice President J.D. Vance. Franke sees this as part of a new strategy by the US – which, incidentally, sent the largest delegation ever to the MSC – to force Europeans to increase their defence spending. This strategy seems to be working, according to current knowledge.

Overall, this year’s winter conference was rated very positively by the participants, and many plan to attend again next year. The 14th winter conference is already being prepared and will take place from 11 to 13 March 2026. Registrations are now open at www.bvsw.de