Speech at InnoDay 2023

Dear General Draber
Dear General Funke
Dear General Lungershausen
Ladies and gentlemen,

It is a great pleasure to welcome you all to the InnoDay 2023 of the Bundeswehr Cyber Innovation Hub and the Bundeswehr Logistics School here in Garlstedt. We are very grateful for the opportunity to hold today's event at this special location. This is the second InnoDay that we have organized as CIHBw. The first one took place two years ago at the Bundeswehr Command and Staff College. Although it got off to a successful start back then, I can now proudly say that this is a real upgrade!

We have exciting keynotes, outstanding workshop partners and a wide range of highly topical subjects. I'm looking forward to everything that's coming today! Because one thing was important to me: drinking tea and walking around is not the way to go. Innovation should not be fun. Fun is diversion, pastime, pleasure. So fun means short-term pleasure. A rollercoaster ride. Innovation should be fun. Joy springs from deep within us. It comes from ourselves and has to do with our attitude to life. That's why we're doing this InnoDay!

Importance of innovation in the war in Ukraine & Israel

The fact that so many of us are here today shows me that innovation is not an issue for the few. And that is a good thing! Innovation must no longer be a luxury for the resilience of our democracy. It is not a nice-to-have. It has long since become an absolute necessity. Innovation and digitalization are the levers for successful armed forces. Innovation requires sustainable funding Not a one-hit wonder. This is also my constant appeal to political leaders. The ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East are a tragic and painful reminder of why our work is so important. Because our way of life is under attack. Ukraine has involuntarily become a touchstone for the future of warfare - a real laboratory where the contours of future conflicts are emerging.

The impressive successes of the Ukrainian armed forces, which have been achieved not only through, but precisely because of their outstanding innovative strength, are an impressive testimony to their courage and determination. It is above all the rapid pace of innovation and the inexhaustible creativity of these armed forces that have enabled Ukraine to successfully hold its own against the overpowering Russian war of aggression. This is a wake-up call for us all - a clear signal that innovation, speed and adaptability are not just advantages but essential survival factors in modern warfare. As CIHBw, we are very proud to be able to contribute a small part to this defense: Because the Ministry of Defense of Ukraine recently ordered 2,000 units of our innovation project "faLKE". The LED light carpets are intended to improve the care of the wounded at the front. The first partial delivery is already planned for December.

More resilience through innovation

The examples from Ukraine and Israel (Iron Dome) clearly show that innovation and technology can protect lives. In this context, one question takes center stage for us in Germany: Are we really resilient enough as a democracy? Are we prepared to fight for the way we live? Are we prepared to want to win? If you ask me, we still have a lot of work to do! And we don't have time. Our enemies, on the other hand, are moving at a different pace.  We are wasting our time in peace mode and hoping: Nothing happens? Our enemies don't hope, they act. That's why we need a change of mentality in the troops.

But that's the least of my worries, because we experience this change every day. That's why so many people have come here today. We need a change of mentality in the ministries. We need a change in mentality among civil servants - and the elephant in the room: civil service law. Turn it on its head! We need a change of mentality in politics. Because it creates the necessary framework conditions. And yes, we also need a change in mentality among the population. But we will not be able to take everyone with us. That must not be our aspiration. Because there is no time for that. For more speed, we need a real innovation mindset!

We need a quantum leap

The Inspector General of the Bundeswehr recently said of the CIHBw: "The Bundeswehr Cyber Innovation Hub is already achieving what we need to achieve in the armed forces in the future."  What he meant by this was that at the CIHBw, we are living the culture of innovation and operational excellence that is needed not only to become more digital and innovative in the future - but also to be able to say with confidence that we will soon do so: We are among the most modern armed forces in the world to be able to win wars! Of course, major projects such as the 100 billion special fund or the turnaround will take some time to take full effect. But we still need to speed up. In pretty much everything we do.

Our common goal must be to position ourselves as agile and innovative as possible. That is why we need to focus much more on dual-use solutions that are available on the market.  Only with such an approach will we achieve the pace of innovation that we need to make up for the past years and decades of saving and administration. We want to train soldiers to become intrapreneurs who can implement ideas independently and thus simplify their work. We should work much more closely with start-ups. That's where we can find dual-use solutions for problems that we need solutions for. We need to tackle all of this now - always from the perspective of our soldiers and the challenges they face.

Because nobody knows the challenges facing the Bundeswehr as well as all of you here. nnovation is the tool we need to shape our future. This is the only way we will achieve the level of war-fighting capability in the coming years that we need in an increasingly threatening world in order to continue to defend our democracy and our values in the future. So that we can continue to live in freedom and peace in the future. We are responsible for our future - let us exchange innovative solutions and creative ideas today and let us work together on progress for the Bundeswehr. I am looking forward to an exciting program. Thank you very much for your great interest and for attending. I now wish you an exciting and inspiring InnoDay 2023.

Note: The spoken word prevails.