Experts from the maritime industry and high-ranking representatives from European procurement and navies are meeting today for the Maritime Security & Defence Conference (MS&D) in Hamburg - for the first time as an independent stand-alone event at the International Maritime Museum. The focus is on the question of how procurement and industry can work even more closely together in future.

This afternoon, the international security conference MS&D (Maritime Security & Defence Conference) will take place. A total of around 200 participants will take part in the fully booked International Maritime Museum Hamburg including high-ranking representatives of European navies and coastguards as well as representatives from administration and industry.

Against the backdrop of increasing tensions in security policy, the focus is increasingly shifting to upgrading the armed forces in Germany and its European allies. According to a recent study by management consultants McKinsey, this involves additional spending on military equipment totalling around 165 billion euros per year for European NATO members alone. "The need for exchange, strategic orientation and cooperation is also greater than ever in the naval segment," says Claus Ulrich SelbachVice President Exhibitions at Hamburg Messe und Congress. This is where MS&D comes in with its focus on acceleration and collaboration.

Cooperation as the key: voices from the industry

Events like today's conference are hugely important, confirms Wolf Rüdiger von TollBusiness Director Navy at classification and consulting company DNV: "MS&D provides a platform to bring together ideas and discuss new approaches for maritime safety and the industry. The exchange of ideas is crucial because these challenges can only be overcome through close co-operation. The conference creates space to clarify priorities, drive innovation and identify more efficient processes."

This year, for the first time, MS&D is not taking place as part of the world's leading trade fair SMM, but as an independent forum that brings together the maritime security and defence community. "I am impressed that the MS&D conference is now taking place as an independent event for the first time. For me, this is an important milestone for this platform of international maritime security experts. And the International Maritime Museum Hamburg is the perfect venue for it," says Jörg Dammrich, Head of Business Unit Naval Surface Combatants at the technology company Anschütz.

Strategic categorisation: keynotes and panels

One of the keynote speakers is Former Admiral Joachim Rühle. As the former Chief of Staff at the Allied Headquarters SHAPE, he will outline the current security situation in Europe in his keynote speech. Experts will then discuss EU programmes such as "Readiness 2030", which serve to strengthen European defence capabilities. In another keynote speech Norbert Blumenthal, Head of Armaments III at the Federal Ministry of Defence, explains the procurement priorities at national and European level. Understanding these framework conditions is crucial for the industry - for established companies as well as for newcomers entering the defence market for the first time.

"We need young companies with clever ideas to bring their technologies to the defence sector," says Rear Admiral (ret.) Karsten SchneiderPresident of the German Maritime Institute (DMI), which is responsible for designing the programme and selecting the speakers. In the two panels "New German Programmes" and "Business and Bundeswehr", experts will discuss specific projects as well as the challenges and obstacles faced by companies wishing to become involved in the defence sector. "The time factor is crucial for restoring our defence capability," says co-organiser Schneider. "Our conference can provide important impetus to bring industry, procurement and the navy closer together."

About MS&D

The MS&D - Maritime Security & Defence Conference is Germany's only international conference for maritime security and defence. It brings together high-ranking representatives from the military, politics, business and science and sheds light on current security policy challenges, European procurement strategies and technological developments - from unmanned systems to dual-use innovations. As a conference format, MS&D is firmly anchored within the framework of SMM - the world's leading international maritime trade fair, which takes place every two years in Hamburg. With MS&D Special 2025, the conference will be organised for the first time as an independent event outside of the trade fair context - focused, compact and with a special emphasis on European procurement.