German Friends of LSE at TechNet Europe 2026 in Berlin

In September, a delegation of German Friends of LSE alumni attended TechNet Europe 2026 in Berlin, one of AFCEA Europe’s key forums for exchange across defence, security, technology and transformation.

German Friends of LSE was invited to bring a delegation to the conference to engage with current European security and defence debates and contribute perspectives from policy, governance, technology, digital transformation and international affairs.

TechNet brought together an international community from the military, NATO, government, industry and research. Across keynotes, panels and informal discussions, participants explored resilience, interoperability, data readiness, emerging technologies, command and control, innovation and the practical challenges of turning new technologies into operational capability.

One of the clearest themes to emerge was that technology alone is not enough. Effective capability depends on the wider system around it, including governance, reliable data, integration, user adoption, clear responsibilities and the ability to adapt as operational requirements evolve. The challenge is therefore not only access to technology, but the ability to integrate, govern and operationalise it effectively.

The German Friends of LSE delegation included Jiro Minier, Elias Bosch, Alexander Radzyner, Laura Hartmann-Lewiki and Pia Wagner, bringing complementary perspectives across cybersecurity, digital government, defence and industry policy, transformation, international affairs and organisational change.

The conference provided a valuable opportunity to engage directly with practitioners across the defence ecosystem and to explore how LSE perspectives can contribute to discussions at the intersection of policy, technology and implementation.