This month’s edition of Wirtschaft im Südwesten highlights southern German regional industries like Global Clearance Solutions who are investing in their workforce, building innovative technology-led solutions from as diverse fields as transport and logistics, energy supply, food industry and medical care.

Our neighbours in Stockach, Rheinmetall Soldier Electronics GmbH, as well as other local industries including pioneering IT company KNDS Mission Electronics in Constance and Freiburg-based global navigation and autonomous vehicle specialists Litef are also increasing production in response to government demand and interest.

GCS spokesperson and Head of Corporate Affairs Till Oehler underlines the sustainability of GCS’s growth, with annual production up from previous years and reflecting growing demand from Ukraine and other regions contaminated by landmines and explosive remnants of war: “This topic will be on the agenda for Ukraine for decades to come”. Oehler explained: “The situation in Ukraine is very treacherous”, noting that GCS are still active in Iraq.

As a dual-use company, GCS is a global leader in a sector attracting increasing interest and scrutiny. The German army stands to receive an extra 100 billion Euros, as Jürgen Baltes reports for Wirtschaft im Südwesten. His conclusion: that regional technology also has a role to play in peace time. Baltes cites Litef Managing Director Lutz Kampmann, who points to the development of navigation technology for autonomous vehicles and aircraft or for tunnelling. Overall, the investment now taking place means that new business areas ‘with a focus on civilian technologies’ can also develop.