„Strengthening Competitiveness“
- Innovation & Dual-use -
11th November 2025
Galerie Mánes, Prague
The GCEF 2025 will center around two key themes with a significant overlap: competitiveness and Dual-Use technologies, explored through a high-profile keynote, an impulse talk, and accompanying panel discussions with leading voices from Czech and German industries and institutions. The GCEF includes a Matchmaking between automotive and defence industry.
„Strengthening Competitiveness“
- Innovation & Dual-use -
Programme
Prior to the conference (2:00-4:00 p.m.), the Cross-Industry Matchmaking "Automotive Meets Defence" will take place. Further details will follow.
Keynotes & Discussions
Moderation: Michala Hergetová
4:00 p.m. Registration
4:30 p.m. Welcome Addresses
Milan Šlachta, President of the German Czech Chamber, Representative of Bosch Group CZ & SK
Bernard Bauer, CEO of the German Czech Chamber
Lukáš Vlček, Minister of Industry and Trade of the Czech Republic
Dorothee Bär, Federal Minister of Research, Technology and Space
4:45 p.m. Awarding Ceremony: German Business Award 2025
GCEF PART I
COMPETITIVENESS OF OUR INDUSTRIES
5:10 p.m. Keynote & Interview
“From Industrial Innovation to Strategic Competitiveness – How Dual-use Thinking Can Reinvent Europe’s Strength”
Prof. Dr. Rafaela Kraus, Bundeswehr University Munich
5:50 p.m. Coffee Break
6:05 p.m. Interview
"How does the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy support competitiveness?"
Susanne Szech-Koundouros, Director-General for European Policies at the Federal Ministry (BMWE)
6:10 p.m. Panel Discussion I
Leaders of global players in key industries discuss their strategies for competitiveness.
Škoda l Bosch l T-Mobile l Akkodis l BDO l Aimtec
GCEF PART II
EXPANDING BUSINESS INTO DEFENCE
6:50 p.m. Impulse Talk
"How can you implement Dual-Use in your company?“
Thomas Hirsch, CEO Hirsch Defence shares his experience of the shift from automotive to defence sector.
7:15 p.m. Panel Discussion II
"How can we create a Dual-Use infrastructure for success?"
Experts in Defence and Security
7:55 p.m. End of the conference
8:00 p.m. Dinner buffet
Moderator
Michala Hergetová
Keynote Speaker
Prof. Dr. Rafaela Kraus
Entrepreneurship & Defence Innovation Expert, Bundeswehr University Munich
Thomas Hirsch
CEO Hirsch Defence
Interview
Susanne Szech-Koundouros
Director-General for European Policies at the Federal Ministry (BMWE)
Panel Discussion I - Leaders of Global Players in Key Industries
How to strengthen your competitiveness in these challenging times?
Karsten Schnake
Board Member for Procurement at Škoda Auto & Head of Semiconductor Strategy at Volkswagen AG
Miroslav Jandečka
Managing Partner BDO
tbc
T-Mobile Czech Republic
Petra Suchá
Vice President Akkodis Czech Republic
Milan Šlachta
Representative of Bosch Group in the Czech Republic and Slovakia
Pavel Boháč
CEO Aimtec
Panel Discussion II - Experts in Dual-Use
"How can we create a Dual-Use infrastructure for success?"
Christoph Heinen
Head of Security and TechHUB Security and Defence, Bayern Innovativ
Leoš Mauer
Director of DEFENCE HUB at CzechInvest, Head of NATO DIANA Accelerator in the Czech Republic
Kristýna Helm
Vice President of the Association of Defence and Security Industry of the Czech Republic (AOBP)
Prof. Clemens Gause
CEO of the Association of Security and Safety Technology (VfS - Verband für Sicherheitstechnik e.V.)
UNDER THE AUSPICES OF
ANNUAL PARTNERS 2025
Premium
Business
Classic
SUPPORTING PARTNERS 2025
MEDIA PARTNER
KONTAKT
Christian Rühmkorf
Communication
ruehmkorf@dtihk.cz
+420 603 882 185
Zuzana Zavadilová
Communication
zavadilova@dtihk.cz
+420 604 293 183
