German government intends to expand defense manufacturing

The German government is aiming to involve a wider range of industrial companies in the defence sector. "Up to now, defence manufacturers and other key industries have largely operated separately. This must change," stated Defence Minister Boris Pistorius on Tuesday.

Pistorius met in Berlin with industry leaders and association representatives alongside Economy Minister Katherina Reiche. During the meeting, they introduced the SVI-Connect platform, designed to quickly incorporate resources from other industrial sectors into existing defence supply chains.

"Economic policy is now inseparable from security policy," Reiche emphasized. Pistorius added, "We need to expand production capabilities, and integrating new suppliers strengthens the entire value chain for the future."

Industry leaders, however, highlighted ongoing challenges, particularly bureaucratic hurdles. Peter Leibinger, president of the Federation of German Industry (BDI), noted that "the procurement process is excessively complex and must be drastically streamlined." He also stressed that civilian industries need to build expertise to support the armed forces, saying, "We have much to learn in this area."

Author: Ava Mitchell