Last month’s Defense Industrial Base (DIB) In-Region Workshop in Munich provided more than a venue for discussion on defense innovation and industrial adaptation — it also became a valuable learning opportunity for Marshall Center faculty and staff bridging the effort.

For Marshall Center faculty, the workshop reinforced one of the institution’s core strengths: serving as a platform for mutual learning and strategic exchange.

"As faculty, we value the opportunity to learn from our participants just as much as we seek to share our own expertise and insights,” said Yevgeniya Gaber, Marshall Center professor and workshop co-lead.

Bringing together representatives from more than 20 countries, the workshop created an environment where academic experts, government officials, military professionals, and industry leaders could exchange perspectives on some of the most pressing security challenges facing allies and partners today.

"Defense industrial base is a relatively new focus at the Marshall Center, and workshops such as this play an important role in building internal expertise and new communities of interest,” Yevgeniya said. “At a time when innovation cycles happen in weeks, keeping pace with developments in defense innovation and industrial adaptation remains a constant challenge for all of us.”

Hosted at BWI GmbH, the workshop focused on strengthening defense industrial capacity, accelerating innovation, and improving collaboration among stakeholders. Discussions examined lessons from Ukraine, emerging procurement challenges, industrial resilience, the role of AI and emerging and disruptive technologies, and the need for faster adaptation across allied defense ecosystems.

“We also benefit from our location in Garmisch-Partenkirchen, close to the epicenter of Germany’s and Europe’s technology and DIB startups and defense industry in Bavaria,” said Monika Wohlfeld, Marshall Center professor and workshop co-lead. “We can interact with colleagues who are driving dramatic changes in how that DIB is able to respond to the challenges of speed and scaling.”

Organizers also stressed the practical value of the event, which focused not only on strategic discussion but also on identifying actionable solutions, understanding real-world constraints, and staying aligned with evolving stakeholder priorities.

“These discussions inform our future engagements, curriculum development, resident courses, research, publications, and most importantly – our policy briefs to inform decision-making of our stakeholders, both in the U.S. and Germany,” Yevgeniya said.