Madam Minister, may we begin the interview with a compliment?
(laughing) We’re in Vienna, who would object to that?

With its latest procurements, Austria has taken on a pioneering role within Europe in ground-based air defence. You’re way out in front. Are you aware of this role?
Yes, Austria has taken the lead in Europe in the procurement of the Skyranger system. And that makes us one of the first countries to address the capability shortfalls that exist in mobile air defence – that’s rather unique. As Austria’s first female Minister of Defence, I am very proud of this.

You are taking a comprehensive approach to the repositioning of your short-range air defence capabilities. You are modernising 35mm systems, procuring the Skyranger mobile air defence system, and you have a project for drone defence. What prompted this necessity? Was it the wars and crises currently so prevalent around the world?
One thing is clear: Conventional warfare has returned to the European continent. Russia’s war of aggression on Ukraine, a war that has now entered its third year, has changed many things in the world. There has been a shift in security policy around the world. The war in Israel has only confirmed this. Flashpoints that may have long been dormant in the background are flaring up again, as we keep seeing time and again with our neighbours in the Western Balkans, for example. The world has become less safe. It was clear to me from the outset that we have to make the Austrian armed forces a modern army again, and thereby play a role in shaping our robust democracy. Now more than ever.

No doubt you are monitoring events in Ukraine very closely …
Definitely. We are seeing the weapons being used in Ukraine: There has been a large number of drone attacks, extending to rocket attacks from the air. At the very least, this is where the focus has shifted to. And since an unmanned, six-tonne drone crashed in Croatia, our opinion that we have much to prepare for in these areas has been confirmed.

Twelve years ago, the German Bundeswehr disbanded its Heeresflugabwehrtruppe air defence force and gave up its anti-air capabilities. Austria has always held on to its own. No doubt you had your reasons?
As a neutral state with no military alliances, we have the important task of defending our sovereignty and our country with all available means. On land, in the air and at sea. Fulfilling this task requires well-equipped armed forces. The core task of the Austrian armed forces is military national defence, and we can only achieve this with state-of-the-art, contemporary equipment for our soldiers – to protect our neutrality.

I hear from my colleagues in Air Defence that you have been working very closely with your people at the conceptual level – that shared ideas have been developed and implemented. One can see that impressive solutions have been found. How do you rate the experience of working with Rheinmetall?
Looking back over the past few years, our collaboration has always gone smoothly and has always produced successful results, as shown by this Skyranger air defence turret. But it is mainly my experts, especially my Armaments Officer, who have been working with the companies. The feedback has been entirely positive to date.

For which applications and scenarios are systems being procured from Rheinmetall, i.e. the mobile 35mm air defence solutions and the Skyranger systems on Pandur APCs?
This system will be used to defend against drones, for example, but also against short-range attacks from helicopters and aircraft. Above all, this system protects against the threat posed by reconnaissance and attack drones, such as those we are currently seeing in Ukraine. And now that it has been installed on the Pandur, they can also handle air defence missions autonomously if necessary.

Air defence consists of a network of many components …
Yes. That includes the Goldhaube system that provides us with a situation overview, or the MISTRAL 3 air defence guided missile, which is also mounted on the tower, or the 35 mm fire units, for which we have also introduced an extended service life. And this is where the procurement of the air defence Pandur Evolution with the Skyranger system fits into this network – it is another milestone in the defence against threats from the air.

Austria has established its 2032+ development plan for the Austrian armed forces with a volume of EUR 18 billion. Your shopping list to date is quite impressive. Which projects have been implemented so far?
With an investment volume of EUR 560 million, 170 armoured vehicles in total will now be modernised by 2029. These are 58 Leopard 2 A4 battle tanks and 112 Ulan infantry vehicles. After the major investment package to procure 36 AW169 Lion helicopters for EUR 873 million, it is the next big step we have taken in achieving state-of-the-art armed forces. But the 1,300 logistics vehicles that we are procuring from Rheinmetall are also important to the mobility of our soldiers. Furthermore, as I have already said, we are modernising our current ‘35 mm air defence system’. It will be extensively modified in the next five years and optimised for future challenges. And now we have signed an agreement for a further 225 Pandur vehicles with an investment volume of EUR 1.8 billion, for twelve different versions, 36 of which will get the Skyranger tower.

What other key projects does the development plan include?
It is essential to focus on the modernisation of the armed forces. This includes the decision on the successor to the advanced jet trainer, the implementation of a two-fleet solution for helicopters and the signing of the contract for the successor to the Hercules. Moreover, plans are moving ahead for the modernisation of the tank fleet and implementation to protect and equip soldiers. Work is continuing on the European Sky Shield project as well.

It’s well known that personnel is another key area for you …
Yes, this is an essential success factor as well. We have to keep working on being an attractive employer. The fact is that we have to invest in a lot of areas, everything from personal equipment for our soldiers to military infrastructures, which we also want to make autonomous. There’s plenty to do.

In Germany, where there is a fund of EUR 100 billion for the armed forces, some are of the opinion that implementation is taking too long. How have you managed to get your projects signed and sealed so quickly?
We began increasing our defence budget back in 2020. So even before Russia’s invasion, it was clear to me that the Austrian armed forces had to be brought up to date. My goal was to do this with all the means available to me. No doubt that gave us a head start. Incidentally, it is also thanks to my staff, who have been very determined in tackling our common goals, i.e. moving forward with the modernisation of Austria’s armed forces.

In Germany, people are saying we are at a turning point. What did the security policy watershed of February 2022 trigger in Austria? What differences do you see?
We called it a turning point as well. I believe that there is no difference to be seen between the countries here. I think that the whole of Europe was given a jolt when this shift in security policy happened. It has changed something for all of us – focus switched to national defence and to the security and protection of our countries. And now we have to keep this going.

Austria has assumed neutrality, like Switzerland, for instance. What is the threat perception in your country? Is it different to that in other EU states, for instance?
As I have already said, we are monitoring the various flashpoints and wars just as critically and with the same sense of alarm as other countries. This can also be seen by our publication “Risk 2024 – World out of joint”. The difference lies in the precautions and preparations required of us as neutral states. And if we intend to protect the people of our country, then we also have to invest in our insurance, which in this case would be our Austrian armed forces. We have to invest in military national defence.

Austria joined the European Sky Shield Initiative last year. How do the three projects mentioned above relate to this initiative?
I think that we are making a significant contribution with our mobile air defence, which is what Skyranger is. Skyranger should be seen as an armed escort, according to the “defend the defender” principle, and it can and will certainly play a key part within the European Sky Shield Initiative. Because what this ground-based air defence can do is effectively protect extremely vulnerable systems at medium to long-range distances. “Skyranger” is also considered a game-changer in military drone defence.

Madam Minister, thank you for speaking with us.

Interview conducted by Oliver Hoffmann.

When Tony Stark puts on his legendary Iron Man suit, the engineer and defence industrialist turns into a superhero who can save the universe with his superhuman powers. Although the exoskeletons currently available on the market may not quite be able to compete with the high-tech kit seen in the Marvel films, the two do have something in common, which is that they both make physical exertion easier for the people wearing them. Originally designed for military purposes and the medical rehabilitation of patients with paraplegia, exoskeletons are becoming an increasingly common sight in industrial production facil­ities. One such place is Rheinmetall’s site in Kassel, where the defence and technology company develops and manufactures tactical wheeled vehicles.

The Ottobock exoskeleton, which takes some of the strain off warehouse and production workers carrying out overhead work, weighs just under two kilos. Using sophisticated spring and cable technology, the equipment significantly reduces the effort needed to perform work above shoulder height. The exoskeleton is worn like a rucksack. You put the straps over your shoulders then fasten the belt around your waist and the cuffs around your arms and you’re done. Thanks to the biomechanical support, working puts much less strain on shoulder muscles and joints. The exoskeleton assists Rheinmetall workers with lifting objects as well. All in all, that means better ergonomics in the workplace, fewer physical complaints and thus a healthy and productive workforce.

Rheinmetall is following this trend. Among other things, the company is currently working on components for electric off-road vehicles with the aim of increasing their range or their potential operating time.

The people who are hard at work in this area include Michael Lutz, head of the Energy Recovery Systems business unit, and his team of developers in Neckarsulm in Baden-Württemberg. They are currently working to bring a thermal module to market maturity as a complete solution for a wide range of vehicle types – and even boats. Building on the heat pump principle, the module aims to keep the batteries used in electrical drives within a temperature range that allows them to deliver optimal performance. The batteries are cooled or heated depending on their operating status and the outdoor temperature. The module can also be used in the same way to control the temperature in driver’s cabs.

Quick integration

The customer base for the current prototype phase is extremely widespread. In addition to producers of construction machinery and tractors, the interested parties include manufacturers of electric boats, trucks and busses. Also included are producers of other agricultural machinery, as well as companies from the mining industry. And batteries are not the only form of energy involved. Manufacturers of fuel cell drives are also showing interest in the compact module.

Widespread interest

The customer base for the current prototype phase is extremely widespread. In addition to producers of construction machinery and tractors, the interested parties include manufacturers of electric boats, trucks and busses. Also included are producers of other agricultural machinery, as well as companies from the mining industry. And batteries are not the only form of energy involved. Manufacturers of fuel cell drives are also showing interest in the compact module.

Lutz can currently point to more than twenty-five customers that are using prototypes to examine his solution for their particular use case or that have already placed volume production orders – a fact that makes him extremely proud of his sales team. To meet this demand, a small-scale production line was established in Neckarsulm in 2023 and can be easily expanded as and when additional orders are received.

Extensive market potential

Marcus Gerlach, Head of the Central Division at the Rheinmetall Group, confirms: “The markets for the thermal module are currently developing extremely quickly. Although we are mainly handling smaller volumes at present, this technology is opening up huge potential. Our fellow subsidiaries in defence technology have also expressed their interest.”

With this in mind, the business unit – which adopted the advanced 800-volt technology at an early stage – is also examining the possibilities in entirely new areas of application beyond vehicle technology, not least since these also offer considerably greater market potential in the long term.

Meanwhile, the motivation for the current interested parties to use the thermal module is more than justified in light of the extended reach it offers and the potential use cases it encompasses. For example, an electric excavator at a city centre site would be considerably less disruptive than its conventional counterpart, allowing it to work much later in the day.

Rising out of the depths, an oval-shaped object covered with barnacles comes into view. It’s an artillery shell from the Second World War, which has rested at the bottom of the Baltic Sea for almost eighty years and is now being hoisted onto a floating platform.

This is happening in the seabed off the Darß peninsula in Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, where in coming years an ultramodern offshore wind park is due to go up. In addition to the Baltic 1 offshore wind park already in operation for the past decade, 103 new wind turbines are to be installed to supply Germany and Scandinavia with sustainable electricity. But before this can begin, unexploded ordnance still needs to be cleared from the seabed. These deadly relics from the Second World War, which pose a significant threat to the environment, navigation and the safety of coastal dwellers, were dropped into the sea after the war ended in 1945, for instance in Lubeck Bay. Prior to installation of additional wind turbines, the extension of cable routes and maintenance of existing systems, the entire area must be scanned and cleared.

Offshore wind parks are giving fresh impetus to Germany’s hoped-for energy revolution.

This also goes for the first commercial offshore wind park in the North Sea, Bard Offshore 1, whose eighty existing wind turbines are undergoing extensive maintenance. Here, too, before the overhaul can start, prior scanning of the seabed for unexploded ordnance is necessary to make sure the wind park can operate safely.

Surface maintenance, e.g., exchanging turbines and servicing rotary blades, is conducted from so-called jack-up vessels. These intelligent ships can push themselves out of the water like mobile oil platforms, enabling work to be carried out in all weathers and rough seas. These intelligent ships can push themselves out of the water like mobile oil platforms, enabling work to be carried out in all weathers and rough seas.

However, the risk of encountering a “souvenir” of the Second World War when lowering the ship’s feet in an unscanned, uncleared part of the seabed is a constant concern. The potential for damage is incalculable, leading in a worst-case scenario to failure of the wind turbine and posing a threat to worker safety.

Operating on its own, Rheinmetall has been conducting a partial survey and clearance of unexploded ordnance in the BARD 1 offshore wind park since May 2023. In the meantime, 14 underwater zones have been comprehensively scanned.

EMMA, short for “EntsorgungsModuleMunitionsAltlasten” (roughly “Disposal Module Unexploded Ordnance”), is a joint project of Rheinmetall Project Solutions GmbH, German Naval Yards and WilNor Governmental Services, whose working group is now carrying out a comprehensive survey and clearance of the seabed at BARD Offshore 1. In the process, onshore and offshore teams work hand in hand.

In summer 2023 Rheinmetall Project Solutions GmbH was able to recommence work at the BARD 1 offshore wind park, examining another 20 areas. The team, headed by Kai-Uwe Mühlbach, Senior Vice President Programs, was particularly concerned about three suspicious objects. A British magnetic mine was suspected based on a prior scan. In such cases, a successful scan is the sole means of achieving confirmation. Rough seas and an approaching storm made the task harder, exacting a heavy toll on people and equipment alike. Finally, though, they could sound the all-clear: during the comprehensive scan, the suspected ordnance turned out to be harmless scrap metal. Looking ahead, offshore wind parks in the North Sea and Baltic are going to be increasingly important. The project team from Rheinmetall is proud to be making an expert contribution in the campaign to produce sustainable energy.

“Thanks to our approach, we’re protecting the underwater world and warding off future hazards”, declares Dr Deniz Akitürk, managing director of Rheinmetall Project Solutions GmbH. “Time is of the essence; the munitions are deteriorating. The impact on the environment is already becoming apparent.”

“EMMA” Unexploded ordnance disposal

In cooperation with WilNor Governmental Services AS of Norway, Rheinmetall aims to ensure safe operation offshore power generation and environmentally friendly disposal of unexploded ordnance at sea. With innovative technology and a highly committed team, they have set themselves the goal of freeing the seas of the dangerous residue of past conflicts. Aiming to destroy several hundred tons of ordnance annually, the project partners have developed a special platform.

As a prerequisite for building the platform, relevant contracts are to be signed in 2024, enabling operations to start as soon as possible. The need is huge: experts estimate that nearly 1.6 million tonnes of unexploded ammunition and ammunition components lie at the bottom of the North Sea and Baltic.

In the initial expansion phase, the process of transporting recovered ordnance to the platform will be semi-automatic, and in the final expansion phase, fully automated. The logistics necessary for operating the facility are handled from the platform, including support of the recovery robots. This imposing floating complex encompasses an extensive array of rooms with control consoles, storage tanks, sanitary facilities, workshops, rest areas and break rooms.

Because the concept is based on a standard, commercially available North Sea barge (27m x 90 m), most of the components (saws, ovens, lab) can be procured beforehand – a major plus for the project that it is sure to save time.

Following separation onboard, the ordnance is fed into a furnace. In the final expansion phase, this will enable continuous operation of a modular system consisting of thermal disposal conduits. Operating 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, the facility will render unexploded ordnance harmless forever.
But there’s still a lot to do; even with 15 operational barges, it will take decades to clear the seabed of munitions.

Outlook

By 2030, wind parks in the North Sea and Baltic should be producing a total of 30 gigawatts of sustainable electricity, with an ambitious 70 gigawatts projected for 2045. In supporting this endeavour, Rheinmetall is making a significant contribution to achieving the sustainability goals of the EU and Germany.

Ústí nad Labem, around 60 kilometres from Dresden, is home to the Eastern European branch of Pierburg s.r.o. For the past 20 years, the site in Czechia has mainly produced exhaust, control and recirculation systems for cars and trucks. The spotlessly clean halls contain 21 assembly lines turning out up to 160 different products. Customers include car manufacturers like Renault, Mazda and Volkswagen. The site currently generates nine-digit annual sales. Around 135 of the plant’s 286 employees are assembly workers.

The fact that the company is stable and healthy is not something that can be taken for granted, especially given the difficult situation affecting the entire industry at present. Like its competitors, Pierburg in Ústí has faced challenges like the diesel crisis, the coronavirus pandemic and supply bottlenecks for electronic components. “But we have overcome all of them,” says Sascha Günther, Managing Director and head of the Pierburg plant in Ústí.

Ready for Change

For many years, the aforementioned challenges in the mobility industry have been accompanied by an elephant in the room: the future of the combustion engine. Pierburg has been actively diversifying its portfolio for some time now so that it is no longer wholly dependent on combustion engines. “Rheinmetall is a very strong parent group that backs us and provides us with the necessary financial means to embrace this technological change,” explains Sascha Günther. “Four years from now, we intend to generate around forty percent of our sales from components for electric vehicles and a further quarter from truck applications.”

Starting from 2026, Pierburg’s Ústí plant will manufacture a high-voltage protection device for electric vehicles developed in conjunction with BMW. In simple terms, the device cuts off the power supply to the electric car in the event of a crash, making salvage work significantly easier. But even with all the hype surrounding electric mobility, the head of the site does not expect electric cars to fully take over the automotive market any time soon. “Trucks will continue to use combustion engines or alternative drive systems like hydrogen for a long time to come.”

Company Culture Guarantees Success

Sascha Günther’s optimism for the future is based on more than just the economic outlook. “Our corporate culture and the quality of our workforce at the site are one of the most import­ant factors in our success.” Employees form the basis for every successful company, and this maxim has been taken to heart in Ústí. With Czechia currently having the lowest unemployment rate in the European Union at 2.8 percent, the management team has had to come up with some innovative ideas for attracting good employees.

“We encourage our employees’ creativity and invest in their personal development. We also give employees the leeway to use their abilities as effectively as possible for the company’s bene­fit in line with the Rheinmetall values of trust, respect and openness,” says Sascha Günther. The workplace atmosphere and the corporate culture are aspects about which the 51-year-old Koblenz native clearly feels strongly – and he is proud that the company has embraced them like it has. “We pursue a culture of togetherness and team spirit. And our employees give us back a great deal in return – a fact that is also reflected in our EFQM results.” Those results speak for themselves: In November 2023, Pierburg s.r.o. Ústí took second place in the Czech National Quality Award for EFQM.

Holistic Qualitiy Management

The EFQM quality management system (see box) has been applied at Pierburg s.r.o. in Ústí since 2015. It enables a holistic approach to quality management. By evaluating factors such as leadership, processes and results, EFQM identifies the strengths and weakness of a company’s organisation as a means of enabling targeted improvements. “Permanent improvement is the core principle behind EFQM,” explains Sascha Günther. In 2020, the business studies graduate actually trained as an EFQM assessor himself, and he evaluates other companies in this role.

It goes without saying that a well-run company benefits customers as well as employees. Sascha Günther sees Pierburg not only as a supplier, but as a partner to the automotive industry. This good cooperation is another important factor in the company’s success. With this in mind, Sascha Günther is confident that “Pierburg will remain a relevant partner to the automotive industry in the future.” With a focus on change and driving innovation, Ústí is ready for what­ever the future may bring.

When Frank Pape’s daughter Mary was told at the age of 15 that she had lung cancer and did not have long to live, she began writing about her experiences. At her request, her father published a book telling the moving story of her last 296 days. The response to the novel and its subsequent film adaptation was huge. Afterwards, many people turned to Frank Pape and his wife Nicole for assistance. “In most cases, they are terminally ill, victims of abuse, or people grieving for their loved ones. They want to deal with their fear and pain or spend what time they have left in a caring atmosphere and with smiling faces all around them, just like our daughter did,” explains the trained counsellor and entrepreneur.

Frank Pape founded a hospice at his equestrian farm in Getmold as a retreat for seriously ill and traumatised people. With great empathy, dedication and courage, the committed Christian began sharing in the most difficult hours of his guests’ lives, laughing, crying and sympathising with them. When he and his wife were no longer able to fund their charitable commitment out of their own pocket, they turned their passion for coffee and chocolate into a business idea: Familienrösterei Pape.

The former strategy consultant trained as a master confectioner and chocolatier. The majority of the profits help to fund “Ein Lächeln für dich”, the Papes’ non-profit organisation. The husband-and-wife team proved to be adept at marketing, persuading companies like Rheinmetall to purchase high-quality Fairtrade coffee from their family-run coffee roasting business and support a good cause in the process. “We were extremely moved by Frank Pape’s story,” says Philipp von Brandenstein, Head of Corporate Communications at the defence and technology company Rheinmetall. “What the hospice does for people and for society deserves our respect and our support.”

Purpose instead of profit. That is what drives Pape, now 53 years old. And he is not the only one with this attitude. Entire generations no longer want to just make money – they are also keen to do something that helps to make society better and fairer for all. Pape admits he used to have a different mindset. At 23, he established one of the first call centres in Germany. His start-up quickly expanded. Its clients soon included mobile phone compan-ies along with banks and insurance providers. The market was booming. Call centres became the latest marketing tool for winning new customers. And Frank Pape developed the corres-ponding strategies. His subsequent career as a consultant found him rubbing shoulders with high-profile politicians and businesspeople. He started out working in the advisory team of the government of Malta. Later, he was a consultant for executives at HSBC, one of the world’s biggest banks.

His days as a top manager were dominated by marketing and sales strategies, crisis meetings and business deals. He would often find himself flying to Paris for breakfast, having a lunch meeting in London then enjoying the sunset by the sea. “It was a jet-setting life,” Frank Pape recalls.

But eventually he asked himself what it was all about. He founded his own strategy consultancy, moved to the countryside, trained as an emergency counsellor and took an interest in end-of-life care. “Welfare work gave me the feeling of doing something good,” Pape explains. And since his daughter died, it has become his mission in life. In addition to his hospice, he is involved in youth outreach and prevention, helping victims of bullying and raising awareness of the dangers of drug use. “In her last days, my daughter made a point of saying how important it is to make sure that each day has a purpose,” Pape recalls. “And she was absolutely right.”

One of the players on the young market for teleoperated driving is MIRA GmbH. In 2022, the Düsseldorf-based start-up emerged from the Rheinmetall Technology Center, which had performed fundamental development work on the technology in the previous years. Other specialist companies of the Düsseldorf group, which conducts research in the areas of automotive and defence technology, were also included in the development process. Today, for example, they deliver components for the necessary special equipment for teleoperated vehicles, as well as for the controls and operation centres that are also required.

Real-world applications

MIRA’s particular strategy is to get ‘on the road’ as early as possible during the development process in order to avail itself of authentic test conditions for teleoperated driving. Andreas Korwes, Head of Brand and Communications at MIRA: “From the very start, we immediately wanted to develop our technology under real conditions on the public roads rather than limiting ourselves to screened-off areas, like decommissioned depots.”

However, this firstly required engaging in extensive approval processes involving the Düsseldorf regional government and TÜV Rheinland. The Düsseldorf-based mobile communication specialist Vodafone quickly emerged as a suitable partner for the “living lab” that MIRA was establishing in the industrial port of the North Rhine-Westphalian state capital. In 2022, MIRA had already received approval to test the use of its technology under real conditions on the public roads within this defined area.

Success story

No sooner said than done. In its first living lab, MIRA gained extensive experience that it used to make numerous improvements to all of the system components, from the vehicle to the control station. The latter is located at MIRA’s building in Derendorf and is where the ‘driver’ controls the teleoperated vehicles – which can be anywhere in the world as long as they are connected to a 5G network. The Düsseldorf-based mobile operator also received clear feedback on the specific demands that automated mobility will place on the network in future.

The success of its first teleoperated vehicle, a Volkswagen Golf, prompted the specialist to expand its fleet. Three MIRA vehicles, including two vans, are now a familiar sight around ­Düsseldorf – and beyond.

New networks

That is because another mobile provider, Deutsche Telekom, soon emerged as an interested party. The company is extremely open to innovative ideas and already entered into a partnership with MIRA in 2022. Just like ­Vodafone, technicians at Deutsche Telekom in Bonn are currently determining how they can adapt their 5G network to MIRA’s specific requirements. The aim remains to offer the best possible mobile technology that eliminates even the most minimal of delays, thereby ensuring optimum availability for the real-world operation of the technology. Approval for an additional operating area on the public roads in Bonn was obtained in spring 2023, and the approval procedure for another route is currently in progress. The aim of the partners is to establish a (driverless) shuttle between Deutsche Telekom’s locations in the near future. This will also provide the company with even better connections to the public transport network, as well as reflecting the growing demand for mobility – thereby making a clear contribution to relieving the burden on the city of Bonn.

But what are the particular requirements for mobile networks when it comes to teleoperated driving? Heinrich Dismon, who is jointly responsible for MIRA GmbH at Rheinmetall AG as one of the Managing Directors along with Klaus Kappen, knows the answer: “Unlike time-limited events where even “normal” users make full use of the available performance of their mobile connection, teleoperated driving involves extremely high data rates on a near-permanent basis.” Dismon adds that “the transfer of large volumes of data in close to real time is essential for vehicle teleoperation”.

Speed counts

In other words, teleoperation represents a challenge even for modern mobile communication technology. Putting aside the particularly quick and reliable uploads and downloads offered by these networks, this is an area of application that very few users require to this extent.

A clear litmus test for the providers, in other words. Testing helps them to determine where they need to optimise their networks in order to meet these particular requirements. This future-oriented application also underlines the importance of new network technology in the first place.

As such, it is hardly surprising that Deutsche Telekom presents the MIRA technology to experts at the large number of events it organises. The interest goes all the way up to Deutsche Telekom CEO Tim Höttges, who was keen to find out all about the technology and the potential of teleoperated driving from the MIRA team. In 2023, MIRA was represented for the second time at Deutsche Telekom’s annual Digital X event in Cologne, and MIRA employees recently also took part in the ‘Night of Technology’ in Bonn.

Removing the safety driver

So what’s next for teleoperated driving? The specialists have a clear answer: The next important and decisive step will be to obtain functional safety certification for the system, which is something that is currently being pursued. After this, the next development could be to obtain approval for removing the safety driver that is still required in teleoperated vehicles. Once this has been achieved and the current route limitations have been lifted, the way would be open for the technology to be rolled out on a wide scale. In the meantime, MIRA employees who represent the company at trade fairs and congresses are reporting a high level of interest among customers in industries such as logistics.

And many vehicle manufacturers want to know what enhancements they will need to make in order to keep pace with the new technology in future. In any case, the range of conceivable use cases is extremely broad. For example, an autonomous vehicle may be brought to a halt if it finds itself in a driving situation that the autonomous control system cannot resolve, such as having to cross a solid white line. A teleoperator could quickly navigate the vehicle through this “barrier”. In other words, teleoperation is not only beneficial for many areas of life and various industries, but is unquestionably also paving the way for fully automated driving.

Finding qualified workers is an increasingly pressing issue in economies around the world. In Europe, German industry has been the hardest hit. According to a current DIHK report, more than half of all manufacturers in Germany now face personnel shortfalls. Among these is Pierburg GmbH, a subsidiary of Rheinmetall. It’s in production that skilled labour is particularly scarce, reports Karsten Sonnenschein. Armed with a doctorate in engineering, he heads the renowned auto component maker’s Electrification and Digital­ization unit. “The persistent shortage of personnel and high labour costs in Germany have made manual assembly highly uneconomic in the meantime”, explains Sonnenschein. To improve the competitiveness of its plants, Pierburg has been automating production for some time now, both at home and abroad. In 2021 alone, the company installed fifty new industrial robots in its factories around the world.

High flexibility required

Fully automated assembly lines and robot cells are expensive”, concedes Sonnenschein, going on to note that it can be a long time before an investment pays for itself. At the same time, every product-specific modification results in equipment costs and downtimes, an increasingly common phenomenon: “Especially when it comes to newer components, shorter product lifecycles are now the norm.” He and his team at the company’s Niederrhein plant in Neuss therefore began to look for more flexible alternatives. They soon thought of collaborative robots. The gripper and vision systems for cobots on the market today failed to convince us”, recalls Lukas Romanowski, an engineering manager who took part in the project: “They’re tricky to program, aren’t sufficiently standardized and break down a lot.”

Innovative spirit, made by Rheinmetall

The Pierburg engineers therefore quickly set about developing their own cobot system with soft grippers. In doing so, they benefitted from the wide-ranging experience that Pierburg and the Group have accumulated at their highly auto­mated plants. At the same time, a great deal of proprietorial company expertise in pneumatics, elastomers and control devices flowed into the collaborative robot.

Development was complete in just over a year. By 2022 the first prototypes were in action at the company’s plant at the riverport in Neuss, just across the Rhine from Düsseldorf. “Thanks to their pneumatic elastomer gripper, the smart cobots are able to handle delicate tools with extreme tactile sensitivity, just like a human”, exults Romanowski. They can flip switches and push buttons, operate small load carriers, and detect signals. The cobot’s integrated 3D camera and advanced image processing based on artificial intelligence make this possible. Sonnenschein and Romanowski point out that Pierburg worked together with colleagues from Rheinmetall’s Electronic Solutions division on the vision system.

Robotic colleagues

Thanks to their versatility, the autarkic mobile cobots can be flexibly integrated into all kinds of work processes: assembling machines, for ex­ample, or putting the finishing touches on castings. They can also operate at test benches or be put to work packing up components. Commissioning and programming are straightforward as well. What makes the cobots special is their Multisoft gripper. It minimizes the risk of injury, thus enabling safe, CE-compliant cooperation with human workers on the factory floor. “Now that they’ve overcome their initial scepticism, the teams at our Neuss plant are very happy with their robotic colleagues”, reports Sonnenschein, adding that “the cobots take care of the monotonous tasks, leaving their human counterparts free to focus on more sophisticated, less physically demanding activities.”

The “smartphone of cobots”

As Sonnenschein sees it, the use of robots and the increased efficiency they bring is a huge plus when it comes to keeping industry competitive in a high-wage Germany. He and his team are currently trying to get other Pierburg plants interested in the cobots. Talks are also underway with Rheinmetall’s Waffe Munition unit. In the medium term, the company plans to market the collaborative robots externally as well. “The market potential is immense”, says Sonnenschein. He sees excellent opportunities in the food processing industry and at medium-sized industrial and craft sector companies. “Our soft robotics solutions are, so to speak, the smartphone of cobots”, says Sonnenschein, summing up his sales pitch. “Not only are they cheaper than other systems currently on the market, they also offer greater standardization, meaning that they can be deployed in a multitude of different ways.”

Ask most people in Germany about Weeze and aircraft and, until now, they will have associated them with the regional airport there. Soon, though, Weeze is once again going to be taking on a prominent role in the field of military aircraft. That is because there on the site of the former air station of the UK’s Royal Air Force, Rheinmetall is currently building a state-of-the-art factory for one of the world’s most important defence systems: the F-35 Lightning II multi-role combat aircraft. With the new factory, Rheinmetall will be working closely in partnership with Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman on a flagship project for transatlantic defence cooperation. Lockheed Martin, the manufacturer of the F-35, and Rheinmetall have enjoyed an excellent and close working relationship for years, and as of this year, that partnership also includes Northrop Grumman – the biggest supplier to the global F-35 programme – as a result of the cooperation on centre fuselage production.

“Democracy needs to be capable of ­defending itself,” says Hendrik Wüst

With Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine very much in mind, Hendrik Wüst, state premier of North Rhine-Westphalia, said in his address to the groundbreaking ceremony that the defensive capabilities of democratic societies were essential to safeguarding our values. “We are being put to the test in terms of our willingness and ability to do more than merely pay lip service to these values but instead to make sure that we are capable of quite literally defending our way of life.” Wüst went on to say, “If you disarm democracies, you render freedom and the rule of law defenceless.”

More than just an investment

Rheinmetall CEO Armin Papperger made it quite clear just how important the EUR 100 million capital expenditure is for the company and for Germany as a place to do business. “We’re proud that our long-standing partnership with Northrop Grumman and Lockheed Martin and our decades-long relationship with the Bundeswehr are resulting in a genuine transfer of know-how to Germany. And we’re very pleased to be contributing to the future viability of ­Ger­many as a technology powerhouse, and especially NRW, our long-standing corporate home. Close to the state capital in Düsseldorf, we’re going to build a factory that sets standards Europe-wide.” The technology company is intending to produce at least 400 F-35A centre fuselage sections at its Weeze factory.

The start of a new era for the ­German Air Force

In the first stage of the process, the German Armed Forces are purchasing 35 F-35A combat aircraft, which are currently due to replace the Tornado system from 2027 onwards, representing a clear sign of the promised new era in national defence and a vital element of Germany’s nuclear sharing as part of its role within NATO. The federal government will retain its obligation in the event of nuclear war to use the German Armed Forces to fly the US nuclear warheads stored in Germany and allow them to be deployed. Numerous other countries aside from Germany have also opted to purchase the F-35.

In planning for the project, Rheinmetall very much switched on the afterburners, as it were. Production of the first parts is due to start as soon as 2025. “We’re pleased with Rheinmetall’s swift site selection for the upcoming F-35 centre fuselage production facility. This marks an important milestone in the German F-35 programme – this increase in capacity helps meet the growing global demand that further enables the F-35 to stay ahead of evolving threats in the 21st-century landscape,” said Mike Shoemaker, Vice President of F-35 Customer Programs at Lockheed Martin.

Know-how from the USA

When it comes to the production of aircraft components, Rheinmetall is able to bring to bear its experience as an integrated technology group in manufacturing complex systems. Furthermore, on this assignment, the Düsseldorf-based company is working closely with US partner Northrop Grumman, for which Rheinmetall works as a contractor. “Northrop Grumman will replicate our automated and manufacturing technologies of the Integrated Assembly Line in Weeze,” said Glenn Masukawa, Vice President and F-35 Program Manager at Northrop Grumman. “Combined with Rheinmetall’s capabilities, our collaboration with Lockheed Martin to manufacture the centre fuselage is critical in bolstering global security.”

A win for the local region as well

The factory will give the local region an economic boost much like the F-35’s vertical take-off. More than 400 highly skilled new jobs in a wide range of fields are to be created in Weeze itself, as the factory will include not only the assembly line but also logistics and storage areas, labora­tories, training facilities and quality control. Rheinmetall and its partners will also be getting a number of other companies on board as sup­pliers and service providers to the programme. That could mean an estimated 1,500 jobs at small and medium-sized enterprises in the region. Mona Neubaur, Minister for Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Action and Energy for the state of NRW, commented, “Amidst changing times, it is essential for industrial policy to include the defence industry as well, which is why the announcement that a critical section of the F-35 jet is to be manufactured here marks a great day for Weeze, the wider region and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia.”

During filming, the Group’s CEO and ordinary Rheinmetall employees made themselves available to answer questions. Reversing roles, Klaus Scherer agreed to talk to DIMENSIONS in return. Oliver Hoffmann conducted the interview.

Klaus Scherer, why did it take a war to get you interested in Rheinmetall?
I can’t very well make a documentary if the topic isn’t relevant. The war has changed a lot of things – it was more than just a reason for choosing the topic, there was a new flight altitude and plunging risk, a new moral dimension. Moreover, a lengthy documentary won’t work if people can’t remember the reason for it later.

What appealed to you about the story?
I figured I’d get access to exclusive images … and to people, too. To come to life, a TV documentary needs people. And I had questions I wanted to get answers to.

The show attracted a lot of viewers and won high praise. Did this success surprise you?
Yes and no. We’re committed to success. Our whole team is dedicated to making the best film possible, from research to filming to editing. To that extent it didn’t surprise me. But I’m certainly happy about it. The docu­mentary attracted a lot of viewers when it was broadcast on TV, and the same goes for people accessing it in our Media Library and on YouTube, with long viewing times. People who start watching it, keep watching it.

And what about internally? What did your colleagues think of it?
There was plenty of positive feedback at our broadcasting company, NDR, and in the media sections of the press. The piece was perceived as fair, critical and informative.

What is your personal take on it?
I think we succeeded in walking the tightrope. We managed to get very close to the story without sacrificing our independence. In other words, we preserved our credibility. That Rheinmetall was willing to go along with it in the first place was decisive, of course, even though they didn’t know how it would turn out in the end.

Was it difficult selling Rheinmetall on the project?
The company was astonishingly open to the idea. When I contacted ­Rheinmetall’s PR department, you called me back the same evening. Totally transparent. I travelled to Düsseldorf, and we discussed what would be feasible. The executive board gave the project the go-ahead a short time later. Right from the start, it was all very professional and, yes, fair.

What does it take to make a project like this work?
Trust. We made viable agreements that both sides stuck to. This was a bit risky for both of us. Nobody knew how things would develop.

What did the agreements entail?
We had to adhere to the safety rules when filming in the ammo factory, for example. And we had to keep it a secret when we knew in advance that tanks were going to be shipped. And there were a lot of things that we were the first TV team to see that we had to keep to ourselves until the broadcast date. For example, I found out ­early that Rheinmetall’s first deal with the Panther would be with Hungary. Rheinmetall trusted us.

What did you get in return for this trust?
I was able to ask questions whenever I wanted and wherever I went, completely off the cuff. Both sides were honest and sincere, I think. We had respect for what you do and for your people, and you respected our work as journalists. There were no prearranged questions, no effort to pressure us or influence content. This was vital since we were obviously asked later if we’d discussed questions in advance or if Rheinmetall had had a chance to see the film before it was broadcast. We were able to deny this in every case. The viewers would have seen right through it anyway.

Did you have to overcome resistance at your broadcasting company?
No. My colleagues and higher-ups were all eager to see a film with lots of good visuals and interesting content and some surprising access. Of course, people were joking around in the newsroom about me coming to work in a tank soon.

Is it a privilege of public-sector broadcasters to be able to spend so much time on one topic without having to worry about money?
We naturally had to keep an eye on our budget, but this wasn’t really an expensive film. Everything was in Germany, filmed with standard equipment, with NDR camera people I’ve known for years. I don’t see anything akin to privilege here. We were just doing our job. Obviously, it feels good to be able to produce a film like this from start to finish, treating a relevant topic in considerable depth. In fact, I would call it a virtue when documentaries like this aren’t just designed to create an effect but also reflect solid craftmanship. If we don’t do it, who will?

Certain voices are highly critical of Germany’s public-sector broadcasters, calling them the “lying press” in social media. Does this apply to you?
There’s always been criticism. When I was on the news show “Panorama”, we used to get plenty of calls when we were on air, some full of praise, some downright obnoxious. We didn’t let them upset us. It was a ritual for them. They weren’t looking for common ground. Now the insults come in written form, and we’ve got to live with it. I’m more than willing to accept reasonable criticism, something the viewers have a perfect right to engage in. After all, they’re paying us. But hate and incitement are something altogether different.

You approached Rheinmetall with certain expectations. What surprised you most?
The way doors opened when I least expected it. I mean, we were there, right up close when the Hungarian defence minister came to Unterlüß to see tanks and ammo being demonstrated. It was a lively encounter. We were quick to ask questions. And he was ready to answer them. The scene we shot at the Ukrainian Embassy in Berlin was another highlight for me. The familiarity between Rheinmetall’s boss, Armin Papperger, and the Ukrainian ambassador, who embraced and chatted like old friends, took me aback. And even though it was rather austere in terms of optics, being able to follow the general shareholders meeting from the critics’ standpoint was quite extraordinary.

Some people say that you were sort of rough on Armin Papperger…
We conducted a lengthy closing interview in which we came straight to the points. But, hey, a CEO has got to be able to take it. I didn’t want to just work through a list of questions. I wanted to delve deeper. Tanks aren’t just another common garden var­iety technology. What does he find so fascinating about them? I think this worked. Anyway, as I see it, Papperger was a good sport. Later, in the cutting room, I noticed a twinkle in his eye and how his mouth would curve into a subtle smile after addressing a controversial topic. As far as I’m concerned, the interview was a core element of the documentary, a portrait, actually.

How did the audience react?
The feedback was overwhelmingly positive – apart from a few outliers, of course. Some people wrote things like, “You totally blew it, how could you be so unfair?”. Others accused us of making a PR video for Rheinmetall. As you can tell, all kinds of people tuned in. So I think we generally got things right…

The war in Ukraine and the historical “turning point” have changed the way a lot of people view the defence industry. Do you feel the same way after this project?
I’ve learned a lot of details. I wasn’t in the Bundeswehr and I’m no gun nut, but I was never a pacificist, either. Even so, Russia’s attack on Ukraine shook me up. I have a lot of questions, including personal ones. Encountering such interesting protagonists was exciting. The ex-soldier, for instance, who gushed about the joys of driving a tank – before checking his enthusiasm: he’d been to war himself. Authentic answers like that are heaven-sent. This was a genuine Rheinmetall man.

For much of the media, interest in the defence sector has been confined to covering scandals – at best. Are journalists prone to naïve pacifism?
It could be that the “dirty defence business” paradigm has lingered on too long – but that goes for the whole of society. My profession doesn’t play a special role in this context. A lot of the media are now reflecting how this has changed. We were gratifyingly quick, but we’re only part of it.

You were an ARD [German public TV] correspondent for several years in the United States, where the military play a different role than in Germany…
Yes. Nip it [militarism] in the bud, as they say here – and from the standpoint of German history, this is by no means entirely wrong. We didn’t want to start any more wars. But it was Putin who started this one. We’re helping the country under attack to defend itself. Since then, I’ve been debating how the sentiment should be phrased: Are we nipping war in the bud by supplying tanks to Ukraine to resist aggression? Or does nipping militarism in the bud mean not making any tanks at all?

What was your impression of people at Rheinmetall?
Likeable. Everybody I spoke with came across as credible. Our NDR team always felt welcome. People were remarkably open. Nobody seemed to be worried about what they were allowed to say. Talking to them was interesting and enjoyable, including when we were chatting off camera. Talk turned then to the working atmosphere or to tougher times. Now and again, I heard that even in those times the board looked for ways to keep people onboard. That’s very much in line with Papperger’s image, who seems to run Rheinmetall like a family business.

What did you think of our CEO?
I believed him when he told me in the car on the way to the Frankfurt Stock Exchange that he thought a free press was important for democracy. That was the day Rheinmetall joined the DAX [Germany’s index of top-performing corporations]. Obviously, he also knows how to instrumentalize the press, for instance when he makes headlines with plans for a Panther factory in Ukraine. But even critics like the former director of the Hamburg Institute for Peace Research told me: “You can believe in the man’s patriotism.” The public evidently does too. Papperger struck me as uncomplicated and relaxed in a positive sense. When we were filming at the Stock Exchange, he agreed to have a microphone attached to his collar, meaning that we could record all the interviews he gave that morning. That’s not something just anybody would agree to, but he trusted us.

Is there a special corporate culture that sets Rheinmetall apart from other companies?
It struck me as harmonious, even though I can’t think of a proper comparison. Corporate culture is management driven, of course, and Rheinmetall really does feel like a family-run business. Hardly any CEOs have belonged to a company for so long and still know what it feels like to hold a spanner. Others jump from job to job and company to company. It all seems very credible to me. Though, yeah, maybe there are shadowy aspects to Rheinmetall that we touched on in the show but couldn’t shed light on, and times when shareholder value ultim­ately trumps morality.

Tanks and ammunition. Your documentary gives an incomplete picture of what is, after all, an integrated technology enterprise. You left out our civil-sector activities. Do you think this is a valid criticism?
No. We consciously focused on what was important to us. We wanted to talk about weapons of war and the change of image since Putin’s attack. So we had to leave a lot of aspects out in order to stay focused.

In a lengthy research story like this, the observer inevitably gets close to the subject. Could it be that critical detachment suffers as a result?
The debate over “embedded journalism” has been going on for years, i.e., when reporters directly take part in military action and observe events at close quarters. Getting up close is obviously a boon for the viewers. Reporters can’t afford to be professionally blinkered or let themselves be co-opted. We’ve got to maintain our detachment and make sure that we always ask the right questions.

You’ve experienced weapon systems and tanks live at Rheinmetall. Do you think you’re at risk of falling prey to the fascination some people feel for this technology?
Sure. Bundeswehr recruiting adds exploit this fascination with technol­ogy all the time. You’ve got to be careful not to let your enthusiasm for technology get out of hand. On the other hand, there are people who say that, when push comes to shove, a Leopard 2 has a better chance of surviving than a Russian tank. I therefore think it’s only right to highlight the accomplishments of engineers who are doing their utmost to do a good job.

Will the image transformation that companies like Rheinmetall are experiencing be lasting, or will the pendulum swing back?
We’ve witnessed a correction in the one-sided image that used to hold sway. Things are bound to change again once the war in Ukraine finally ends. Given Germany’s budgetary woes and NATO’s two-percent goal, there are sure to be lively debates ahead. From the film, we know that it will probably take ten years to rebuild the Bundes­wehr’s inventories. But society’s appreciation of the role of a reliable defence industry in making sure that our democracy can defend itself is unlikely to experience a complete reversion.

Will filmmakers in future still be able to take on long-term projects like this one? The media industry is faster-moving than ever – also more superficial.
Of course, anybody can post practically anything they want on YouTube nowadays. And even rubbish can be very successful. But there will always be a need for quality journalism. Making good documentaries is part of our core business, and viewers appreciate them. We’ve been dealt a good hand here, but we’ve got to make sure we play it well.
Klaus Scherer, many thanks! May your future projects be as successful as this one!

Oliver Hoffmann is Head of Public ­Relations at Rheinmetall AG.