The Role of Private Wealth for the Future of Defense

In the lead-up to the 2026 Munich Security Conference, the Atlantik-Brücke, in cooperation with DTCP and Falk Defence, will continue our series on the future of defense financing.

As precision and range redefine deterrence, Europe and the United States face the shared challenge of sustaining credible strike capabilities amid limited industrial capacity. Germany’s emerging role as a framework nation in developing and integrating deep strike options within NATO is becoming central to this debate, raising questions about how Berlin can strengthen the Alliance’s posture without pursuing its own nuclear option. At the same time, broader industrial constraints, from production bottlenecks to supply-chain vulnerabilities as well as fragmented defense planning, are undermining the credibility of Western deterrence.

Together with our expert speakers, Fabian Hoffmann, missile expert and Doctoral Research Fellow at the University of Oslo, Nico Lange, Senior Fellow at the Munich Security Conference, and Ulrike Malmendier, Professor of Finance at UC Berkeley and Member of the German Council of Economic Experts, we will explore the key questions arising from this landscape. How can Germany fulfill its responsibilities as a key NATO member? What capabilities are required, and how might they be integrated into NATO’s force posture? Additionally, we will examine the debate how Europe can expand production capacities, close capability gaps, and ultimately create a robust industrial base to support sustained deterrence.

We would like to thank our partners DTCP and Falk Defence for the kind support and cooperation.

Please note: This event is for Atlantik-Brücke members only.