The Defence Summit 2026 at Zeppelin University brings together diverse perspectives on security

Friedrichshafen. On Thursday, October 1, the Defence Summit 2026—an event initiated by ZU students—will take place at Zeppelin University (ZU). More than 250 participants from business, politics, academia, the German Armed Forces, and civil society are expected at ZF Campus of ZU in Fallenbrunnen to bring together diverse perspectives on issues of technology, security, and responsibility, thereby creating a space for discourse where even controversial topics can be openly discussed. The program features keynote addresses, panel discussions, workshops, and moderated discussions. All interested parties are cordially invited to share their perspectives as well.

How are technological developments changing the conditions for security? What does this mean for Europe? And how can scientific, political, economic, military, and societal perspectives on these issues be reconciled? At the Defence Summit 2026, ZF Campus of ZU will become a forum for discourse on precisely these questions. Under the umbrella theme “Technology. Security. Responsibility.” and with this year’s focus on “Drones & Aerospace,” the event is not solely about technological developments, but also about their political, economic, and societal consequences—and the question of how we deal with them responsibly.

“Security is one of the central issues of our time. As a university at the intersection of business, politics, and society, we bring together disciplines and perspectives, challenge supposed certainties, and create spaces for controversial debates,” says ZU President Professor Dr. Anja Achtziger.

Speakers from the academic community include ZU Professor and security expert Simon Koschut, military economist Dr. Marcus Keupp from ETH Zurich, and Dr. Aylin Matlé from the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP); from the political sphere, among others, Dr. Nils Schmid (Member of the Bundestag, SPD), Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Defense; Agnieszka Brugger (Member of the Bundestag, Alliance 90/The Greens), Deputy Chair of the Greens’ parliamentary group in the Bundestag; Volker Mayer-Lay (Member of the Bundestag, CDU), member of the Defense Committee, and Dr. Danyal Bayaz (Alliance 90/The Greens), Minister of Finance of the State of Baden-Württemberg; from the business community, including Matthias Benz, Chief Executive Officer of the Zeppelin Group; Johannes Müller, Head of Sustainability and Communications at Airbus Defence and Space; and Dr. Harald Buschek, Chief Program Officer at Diehl Defence; and finally, from the diplomatic community, H.E. Jan Tombiński, Ambassador of the Republic of Poland, and H.E. Jiří Čistecký, Ambassador of the Czech Republic.

The Defence Summit 2026 thus also embodies something that sets the university apart: initiative and the commitment to address socially relevant issues not from the perspective of a single discipline, but by bringing together different viewpoints, questioning supposed certainties, and engaging in controversial discussions.

For more information, the full program, and registration, visit https://www.defence-summit.com/