Alliance for Integrated Security
The Economic Dimension
(Re-)Building Prosperity, Strengthening Resilience
Alliance for Integrated Security: The Economic Dimension
September 16, 2026
Berlin
Economic resilience is a central part of European security. If Europe wants to remain capable of acting and competing in times of crisis, it needs secure access to energy and raw materials, reliable supply chains, open markets, and a skilled workforce. At the same time, the pressure is mounting: U.S. tariffs, China’s economic strength, and global competition are weighing on Europe’s growth. Yet economic strength is the foundation for political room to maneuver.
What is at stake for the security of Germany and Europe if they fail to adapt economically? This was at the heart of this discussion as part of our Alliance for Integrated Security, which focused on Europe’s competitiveness and on how to mobilize capital, technology, and innovation while making investment easier.
Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Schwarz, Head of Division, Audi AG
Part of the answer lies in the economic partnerships Europe builds. Africa is increasingly part of that picture: the continent is growing faster than Europe and opening up new markets and investment opportunities. But economic opportunities need to translate into long-term partnerships.
That requires more than trade. It means technology transfer, joint production, and creating more value locally. It also means bringing economic and foreign policy interests closer together and, as our discussion made clear, acting faster and with greater resolve.
Selected Speakers
Contact Persons
Sarah van Bentum, s.vanbentum@globalperspectives.org
Alliance for Integrated Security
Security today extends far beyond defence. An integrated understanding of security connects economic, technological, climate, health and societal dimensions. Through the Alliance for Integrated Security, Global Perspectives brings together stakeholders from politics, business, science, defence and civil society to develop new perspectives on security – in dialogue with international partners, particularly across the African continent.
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