On December 9, 2025, the second part of the webinar series Webinar Go2SVI: Automotive to Defense was held by the Cluster Mobility & Logistics as part of the transform.r project. The aim of the event was to show companies from the automotive industry practical ways in which they can diversify their capabilities towards the security and defense industry.
The webinar opened with a welcome address by Julia Dick, project manager of the Cluster Mobility & Logistics. The focus of the nearly hour-long online format was a presentation by Andreas von Büren, Managing Director of the German Security and Defense Industry Association (BDSV). He highlighted how companies in the automotive industry can transfer their existing expertise—in areas such as mechanics, electronics, and manufacturing—to security-related applications.
The presentation offered a realistic insight into the opportunities, but also the challenges, that entering the defense industry entails: It dealt with regulatory requirements, security standards, and industry-specific requirements that differ significantly from the civilian environment. At the same time, best practice approaches were presented on how companies can successfully diversify through targeted strategy adjustments and the use of existing technological capabilities.
Particular emphasis was placed on the fact that the security and defense market is currently gaining considerable importance for medium-sized companies—among other things, due to new political framework conditions, strategic industrial policy, and attractive funding programs. The webinar thus offered valuable guidance for decision-makers in development, production, and management.
Many participants were likely particularly interested in learning about realistic ways to leverage established civilian expertise for security-related applications—and how the transform.r project's funding structures can support this. The webinar showed that the shift from automotive to defense can be a strategically sensible response to structural change in the industry.