“We must be ready for war by 2029!” The goal has been set – and has broad support among the population. A survey conducted in 2025 found that 64 per cent of respondents were in favour of increasing the defence budget. At the same time, almost half doubted that the federal government is taking the right steps to actually improve the country’s defence capabilities.
National security needs more than budgets – communications determine success
Studies show that social legitimacy does not come from budgets alone. Policy-makers and industry must communicate very clearly exactly where the funds are going. It is also about more than military equipment. Security and resilience are a task for society as a whole. They arise where the state, the economy and civil society share responsibility – from critical infrastructure and supply chains to digital and individual resilience. This aspect must also be part of the public debate and communications.
It is therefore necessary to make far-sighted security policy decisions, and also to communicate them openly in a way that is understandable and transparent. Communications must be part of the strategy – for policy-makers as well as for business and industry.
Security and resilience as business location factors
German Minister for Economic Affairs Katherina Reiche described the defence industry as an ‘essential component’ of a resilient economy. And indeed, security and resilience are business location factors. Investments in the security and defence industry do not simply strengthen the country’s defence capabilities; they support high technology, secure value chains and increase the sovereignty of Germany as a business location.
Many companies are currently opening up to the topics of defence and security in order to tap into new growth opportunities: Industrial companies are converting existing capacities – for example, by switching automotive sites to defence production, while manufacturers are investing heavily in new production facilities and scaling, especially for ammunition.
At the same time, tech start-ups and dual-use suppliers are being more closely integrated into innovation and procurement programmes in order to shorten development times and expand technological sovereignty.
Stabilisation of the German economy
With growth, technological dynamism and new jobs, industry can make an important contribution to stabilising the German economy. According to the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy, the German security and defence industry employs around 387,000 people in the broader security sector, with a turnover of around €47 billion – and the trend is rising. (Source: BMWE).
Change requires leadership
This reorientation is more than just a market decision. It represents a profound process of change within companies that can only succeed if employees are actively involved. Transformation must not be communicated as a short-term corporate programme, but must be understood as a development with which employees can identify and which is in harmony with corporate values. Managers play a key role in this.
All of this places high demands on how management communicates within the company. The success of the transformation is not determined solely by investments, technologies or order volumes; it is determined by whether companies manage to convey meaning and direction convincingly – both within the company and externally.
Olaf Arndt, Senior Partner
H/Advisors Deekeling Arndt