Defense. Resilience. Craftsmanship.

To discuss the requirements and opportunities for craft businesses arising from the changing security policy situation, the NRW craft sector invited representatives from politics, procurement and practice to a conference.

The world is changing. The numerous crises and wars are forcing Europe and Germany to rethink their strategies. Security, defense, and resilience are becoming increasingly important in this context. The skilled trades also play a crucial role, though this is often underestimated. To discuss the challenges and opportunities for skilled trades businesses arising from the changing security landscape, the North Rhine-Westphalia skilled trades sector invited representatives from politics, procurement, and practical experience to a conference entitled "Defense. Resilience. Skilled Trades." – the first of its kind nationwide.

"As an essential part of the economy and society, the skilled trades are closely linked to the profound issues of our time," said Peter Eul, Chairman of the Board. State Trade Promotion Agency of the North Rhine-Westphalian Crafts (LGH) in his welcoming remarks. He stated that it was ready to assume responsibility for the economy, society, and the stability of the country. Security and resilience are no longer solely the responsibility of the federal government and the states.

"They affect our entire society, including small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and especially the skilled trades, because societal resilience is inconceivable without functioning infrastructure, security of supply, and technical expertise," said Eul. The skilled trades, in particular, stand for reliability, pragmatism, and innovation, whether in construction, building services engineering, electrical engineering, digitalization, or mobility. "Many aspects of our security and battalion capabilities rely on the skills of small and medium-sized businesses."

"Craftsmanship is essential"

"We can't do without skilled trades," said North Rhine-Westphalia's Minister of Economic Affairs, Mona Neubaur (Greens). She emphasized their crucial importance for security and democracy in Europe. "Competitiveness and resilience are mutually dependent." Given the enormous damage caused by cyberattacks—40 billion euros annually at the state level and 200 billion nationwide—resilience must begin in everyday life. "Therefore, the question of resilience starts very concretely with the question: How well are my data, my data systems, my machines actually protected from external cyberattacks that could cripple my work?" Companies and their employees must prepare for this and develop defense strategies.

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The act of sabotage against Berlin's energy infrastructure in January exposed weaknesses. Skilled trades are indispensable for protecting infrastructure and for the entire energy transition. It makes sense to rely less on large-scale units and instead on smaller, decentralized structures, as these are more difficult to attack. This also applies to food supply. At the same time, this approach avoids excessive dependencies. The state government intends to advocate at the federal level for skilled trades businesses to have access to contracts with the German Armed Forces. It is the federal government's responsibility to organize the defense capabilities of the Federal Republic, and substantial funds are available for this purpose.

In his lecture, political scientist Dr. Thomas Speckmann examined the social and geopolitical changes of recent years. He spoke of three turning points: the war in Ukraine initiated by Russia, the beginning of Donald Trump's second term as President of the USA, and the potential gradual dissolution of European alliances, particularly if parties in France and Great Britain come to power that advocate for less Europe rather than more Europe. Such a scenario could unfold in Germany after the 2029 election.

Florian Hartmann promotes voluntary year in the skilled trades

Dr. Florian Hartmann, CEO of LGH and the West German Chamber of Crafts (WHKT) advocated for the introduction of a voluntary year in skilled trades as part of the Federal Volunteer Service, lasting six to 18 months. This could strengthen civil protection, impart fundamental democratic values, offer career guidance, and simultaneously attract new skilled workers to the trades. "We want to contribute to imparting basic skills to the population," explained Hartmann. An important factor, however, is also the development of democratic values ​​and the strengthening of social cohesion during the voluntary year in skilled trades. Pilot projects already exist.

Hendrik Röwekamp, ​​a specialist lawyer for public procurement law at [company name], described the opportunities that arise for medium-sized companies from the realignment of security policy. Kapellmann and Partner LawyersThe skilled trades are an essential component of defense procurement, particularly in maintenance and construction services. For the skilled trades to benefit, they need tenders that are favorable to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and targeted support. Further contributions were made by Dr. Dirk Günnewig, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the Construction and Real Estate Management NRW, and René Gassen, director of the Federal Office for Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support of the German Armed ForcesThey addressed the cooperation between crafts, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and public procurement.

In conclusion, representatives from the skilled trades, construction industry, and defense procurement discussed the challenges and opportunities of this "turning point" on the panel. Ulrich Hermann, Vice President of the South Westphalia Chamber of Skilled Crafts, Josef Trendelkamp Senior, Managing Director of Trendelkamp Technologie GmbH, Dr. Bernhard Baumann, Managing Director of the North Rhine-Westphalia Construction Associations, Dirk Günnewig, and René Gassen participated in the panel discussion.

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