MS&D 2025 marks a deliberate repositioning of the event — separating from the bi-annual SMM to become an annual, stand-alone format focused on one clear message: procurement, procurement, procurement.
Claus Ulrich Selbach — better known as Uli — Vice President Exhibitions at Hamburg Messe, joins Janne Silden in this episode of HANSA.newscast to discuss the strategic thinking behind the Maritime Security & Defence Conference (MS&D) 2025, taking place on 25 November in Hamburg.
Uli explains that with new European and German defence budgets in place — from the Sondervermögen to the EU Defence Fund — the challenge has shifted from funding to execution. “The money is there,” he notes, “but time is running short to get it into systems that help us protect ourselves.”
The conference is designed to close that gap, providing small and medium-sized companies and startups with practical insight into how defence procurement works — who the players are, which programmes exist, and what procedures apply.
Held at the International Maritime Museum Hamburg, MS&D 2025 offers a deliberately exclusive setting — around 150 participants, three focused sessions, and high-level representation from the European Commission, NATO, the German Ministry of Defence, and the Bundeswehr. The agenda includes keynotes by Admiral Joachim Rühle and Admiral Carsten Stawitzki, as well as best-practice cases from industry and the Bundeswehr’s innovation hubs.
Beyond structure and content, Uli also speaks about the mindset behind Hamburg Messe’s role as facilitator. The company sees itself not as a technology producer, but as a catalyst for cooperation and innovation — bridging civil maritime expertise with defence needs.
In a more personal note, Uli reflects on his entrepreneurial roots in a Mosel family winery and how early exposure to international business shaped his approach: “It’s about creating something new, connecting people, and enjoying the exchange.”
The episode closes with his Riesling logic — a reminder that balance and discernment apply equally to wine, technology, and procurement.
Listen to the full episode of HANSA.newscast for a clear view into how MS&D 2025 aims to connect civil innovation, defence structure, and human leadership — at a time when Europe’s maritime resilience is being redefined.
