When your own product suddenly finds itself in a defence context

The current defence boom is changing the rules of the game – even for companies that originally developed technologies for civilian markets. Dual-use applications are no longer a marginal phenomenon, but an economic reality: technologies from agriculture, transport and industry are suddenly taking on security-related significance – and vice versa.

A concrete example from the region: constellr, based in Freiburg, started out providing satellite data for agriculture – and is now also relevant for security-driven applications.

But what does this mean for companies in practice? The challenges are complex: new markets are emerging that impose entirely different requirements. Rather than rapid scaling, regulatory frameworks are setting the pace. Ethical questions clash with concrete business opportunities. And the development effort is capital-intensive – not suited to the classic lean start-up approach.

At Käpsele 2026, we will discuss these issues with leading experts:

• Prof. Dr Rafaela Kraus – University of the German Armed Forces, Munich
• Marius Bierdel – constellr
• Daniel Hiller – Fraunhofer EMI
• Dr Uwe Herberth – LITEF

Will tomorrow’s groundbreaking markets emerge from civilian demand or from strategic defence investments? And how should companies position themselves as the boundaries between these two worlds become increasingly blurred?

To the stage programme