CXO event on Sylt 2025 - focus on geopolitics, cyber security and education

On May 9, 2025, the 7th CXO Event 2025 took place on Sylt in the Kulturhaus Sylt (Friesensaal in Keitum). Organized by the Economic Council of the CDU (Schleswig-Holstein state association) and its State Commission for Digital and Industry 4.0, the event brought together top-class representatives from politics, the military, science and business. Peter Gräf, CEO of the GRAEF Group, was there as a participant and was able to gain valuable impressions. The agenda included current topics ranging from the geopolitical situation in the Baltic Sea region and digital security in defense and business to education in the digital age. All contributions focused on the question of how new technologies and cooperation can be used to ensure security in an increasingly networked and insecure world.

Keynote: Baltic Sea Region - Geopolitics through a burning glass

Johannes Peters (ISPK Kiel) during his keynote speech on the geopolitical situation in the Baltic Sea region.

Johannes Peters, M.A., Head of the Maritime Strategy & Security Department at the Institute for Security Policy at Kiel University (ISPK), kicked off the event with a keynote speech entitled "The Baltic Sea Region - Geopolitics through the Looking Glass", outlining the current security policy situation in Northern Europe. He highlighted the growing strategic importance of the Baltic Sea region against the backdrop of global tensions and the war in Ukraine. Peters emphasized the importance of avoiding escalation in this sensitive area - NATO and Russia operate in a confined space here, so misunderstandings can quickly become dangerous. He cited the danger of sabotage of submarine cables, which are essential for communication and energy transmission, as a concrete example of new threats. In fact, deep-sea cables in the Baltic Sea have been increasingly damaged recently, with Russian actors under suspicion. The destruction of such cables would not only affect military communications, but would also cause considerable damage to the economy and society. Peters' conclusion: security in the Baltic Sea region requires decisive international action, robust infrastructure and diplomatic tact in order to maintain stability and prevent conflicts from escalating in the first place.

Panel 1: Security of the digital infrastructure

Panel 1 was all about the security of digital infrastructure - the critical networks and IT systems that keep our economy and administration running. Experts from various fields took part in the discussion, including Bodo Bahr (Secretary General of the Baltic Sea Parliamentary Conference, BSPC), Dagobert Michelsen (Managing Director of Baltic Online Computer GmbH), Stephan Frense (Managing Director of ARGE Netz) and Markus Lammerding (Managing Director of ITM Holding GmbH). They shed light on the vulnerability of modern infrastructures to cyber attacks and sabotage from their own perspectives.

Cross-border data networks and energy supply systems in the Baltic Sea region were a key topic. Bahr emphasized the importance of international cooperation: "In the Baltic Sea region, neighboring countries are already working closely together to make their networks crisis-proof. Recent cases of sabotage - from attacks on gas pipelines to mysterious disruptions to internet cables - have shown that critical infrastructure can be in the crosshairs of foreign powers. Dagobert Michelsen explained how regional internet providers arm themselves against cyber attacks and why redundancy (e.g. multiple data paths) is crucial in order to cope with outages. Stephan Frense added from the perspective of the energy industry that electricity and data networks are becoming increasingly digitally connected: Smart grids and Industry 4.0 applications increase efficiency, but at the same time open up new areas of attack. Security must therefore be taken into account when designing these systems ( security by design). The panelists agreed that the public and private sectors must cooperate more closely - for example through joint emergency drills, exchanging information on threats and developing standards - in order to make the digital infrastructure robust and resilient.

Panel 2: Digital security in defense

Discussion on digital security in defense: Henning Otte (center) and Flotilla Admiral Christian Bock (right) in discussion with industry representatives.

Panel 2 was dedicated to the question of how digital security in defence can be guaranteed and modernized. High-ranking representatives from politics, the military and the defence industry discussed this topic: Henning Otte, MP (Deputy Chairman of the Defence Committee in the German Bundestag), Flotilla Admiral Christian Heinrich Bock (Head of Military Strategy, Deployment and Operations at the Ministry of Defence), Dr. Jeronimo Dzaack (Head of Strategy, Technology and Innovation at ATLAS ELEKTRONIK GmbH) and Eugen Ciemnyjewski (Managing Director of EUROATLAS GmbH).

One focus of this panel was the interplay between large and small defense systems and the question of whether new development approaches are necessary. Henning Otte made it clear that the Bundeswehr is now investing massively after years of austerity - not only in major projects worth billions such as aircraft and ships, but also in agile, smaller systems. The latter include, for example, unmanned drones, satellite communication or cyber defense software that can be procured and updated quickly. Otte emphasized that Germany is learning lessons from the war in Ukraine: Modern warfare is not decided with tanks and jets alone, but also in the digital sphere. Admiral Christian Bock confirmed from a strategic perspective that future conflicts will involve hybrid threats - cyber attacks on military IT systems, disinformation and attacks on civilian infrastructure as part of warfare. The cyber security of the armed forces is therefore a top priority. Bock explained how the Bundeswehr protects its networks and weapon systems against hacker attacks and at the same time tries to bring innovative technologies to the troops more quickly. Dr. Jeronimo Dzaack from ATLAS ELEKTRONIK picked up on this: He presented new development approaches with which the defense industry can react more flexibly and quickly to technological trends. Traditionally, defense developments take many years - Dzaack advocated adopting agile methods from the civilian tech world in order to upgrade software for submarines or sensor systems in shorter cycles, for example. Eugen Ciemnyjewski added that specialized SMEs (such as his company EUROATLAS, a provider of power electronics) are also important sources of innovation. Cooperation between large corporations, SMEs and start-ups could result in new solutions that benefit both large platforms (such as a frigate) and individual soldiers in the field. The panel agreed that digitalization and defence are inextricably linked: The map of threats ranges from cyberspace to the bottom of the sea - accordingly, the armaments strategy must both strengthen traditional capabilities and have high-tech innovations and digital defenses ready. New development approaches such as public-private partnerships and dual-use technologies (civilian innovation for military purposes) were seen as promising in order to be able to react more quickly to the dynamic security environment.

Panel 3: Digital security in the economy

Panel 3 on digital security in the economy with participants from politics, authorities and consulting (including Prof. Timo Kob, HiSolutions, 2nd from right at the bar table).

After the defense, Panel 3 focused on digital security in business and society. Speakers on the panel included Hansjörg Schmidt, MdHB (Spokesperson for Economy and Innovation of the SPD parliamentary group in the Hamburg Parliament), Manuel Bach (Head of the Cybersecurity for SMEs department at the BSI), Carsten Schiewe (Partner Defense & Space at KPMG) and Prof. Timo Kob (CEO of HiSolutions AG and Chairman of the Federal Working Group on Cybersecurity in the Economic Council). Moderated by Anja Zerbin, the panel discussed how companies - from large corporations to family businesses - can arm themselves against the growing flood of cyber threats.

Hansjörg Schmidt opened with the political perspective: the digitalization of the economy offers enormous opportunities, but sustainable prosperity can only be created if security is taken into account. He referred to initiatives in Hamburg and throughout Germany that support companies with IT security and at the same time promote innovation. Manuel Bach impressively described the situation from the perspective of the German Federal Office for Information Security (BSI). The threat situation in cyberspace is alarming, attacks on companies are constantly increasing and are also increasingly affecting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Bach presented the cyber risk check developed by the BSI, a new service that provides SMEs with standardized security advice. Many SMEs want to do more for their IT security, but often don't know where to start - this is where the cyber risk check comes in to uncover weaknesses and recommend tailored measures. Carsten Schiewe brought in the consulting perspective and emphasized that cybersecurity has long been a top management issue: In supervisory boards and management boards, digital risk management must be taken just as seriously as finance, he said. He reported from his work at KPMG that more and more companies are carrying out cyber stress tests and investing in emergency plans in order to be able to act in an emergency. However, SMEs still have some catching up to do, both in terms of technical protective measures and the organizational anchoring of IT security (e.g. through regular employee training, incident response teams, etc.).

At the end of the panel, Prof. Timo Kob set a slightly different tone: he emphasized the importance of education and skills for digital security. Technology alone is not enough - the people who use it must also be empowered to use it safely. Kobs is convinced that IT education and media skills should be anchored as a fundamental right and an elementary component of general education. Every citizen and every employee needs a basic understanding of digital technologies in order to be able to navigate the digital space confidently and safely. This demand met with broad approval from the panel: a population with a high level of media literacy is less susceptible to phishing attacks, disinformation and other digital dangers. It also forms the breeding ground for the IT and security specialists of tomorrow. Kob pointed out that countries such as Estonia promote digital education at an early stage - an example that Germany could learn from. Overall, panel 3 showed that cyber security in the economy must be understood as a joint task: government agencies such as the BSI, politicians, consulting firms and the companies themselves must all pull together. In addition to technology and processes, the human factor is crucial - informed, vigilant and well-trained users are the best defense against cyber threats.

Synergies between civil technologies and security applications

In conclusion, the 7th CXO event on Sylt 2025 provided a comprehensive overview of the current challenges and solutions in the area of conflict between geopolitics, digital security and education. Peter Gräf from the GRAEF Group concluded from the event that networked thinking across industry boundaries is more important today than ever. A common thread running through the keynote and panels was the realization that security requires a holistic approach - from international cooperation to secure sea routes and data cables, to the interlinking of the defense sector and tech industry, to the anchoring of digital competence in society.

For the GRAEF Group as a specialist in security technology and industrial solutions, there is a clear interface: the ongoing convergence of civil and military technology. Many of the approaches discussed at the event were based on this, civil know-how for security-relevant applications. applications. For example engineering services from mechanical engineering, automation and Industry 4.0 can help to build more robust and efficient systems for critical infrastructure. Modern sensor technology, AI-supported analytics or IoT platforms that have been tried and tested in industry can also be used with adaptations to protect against threats in defense and homeland security. Conversely, civilian projects also benefit from the military sector - think of technologies such as GPS or the internet, which originally emerged from defense programs and are now indispensable in everyday life.

Das CXO-Event unterstrich, dass Innovation durch Austausch entsteht: Wenn Vertreter unterschiedlichster Bereiche an einem Tisch kommen, entstehen neue Ideen für gemeinsame Lösungen. Genauso fördert die GRAEF Gruppe den Dialog zwischen Industrie und Sicherheitsbehörden, um Synergien zu heben. Die Vision „Technologie für Sicherheit“ bedeutet, die besten Ansätze aus allen Disziplinen zusammenzuführen. Insgesamt war das 7. CXO-Event auf Sylt ein erfolgreicher Treffpunkt, der Impulse für zukünftige Kooperationen gab. Die GRAEF Gruppe wird diese Impulse nutzen, um weiterhin Sicherheit für Generationen zu schaffen – durch den Brückenschlag zwischen zivilem Engineering und sicherheitsrelevanter Innovation.