September 2026 – The dtec.bw Annual Conference 2026, held on 15 and 16 September at the Bundeswehr University Munich, offered participants the opportunity to explore the results and achievements of six years of research and to look ahead to the next phase of the initiative: dtec.bw 2.0.
A central topic of the conference was how close collaboration between academia, industry, the Bundeswehr and start-ups can accelerate innovation and turn research into practical solutions. This was also the focus of the panel discussion »Von der Forschung in die Anwendung – Innovationen für die Verteidigungsfähigkeit«.
The panel brought together Dr. Anke Kaysser-Pyzalla from the German Aerospace Center (DLR), Thomas Tschirner from ArianeGroup, Prof. Andreas Knopp from the Bundeswehr University Munich and Dr. Alexander Schmidt from Orbint. Together, they discussed the transition from scientific research to real-world applications and the importance of cooperation between the different actors involved in this process.
The SeRANIS mission is a tangible example of this transition. After six years of research and development, the project is approaching a major milestone: the launch of the ATHENE 1 satellite in October. Once in orbit, ATHENE 1 will mark the beginning of a new phase of the mission, enabling the experiments on board to be tested under real-world conditions and generating valuable research results throughout its time in orbit.
Another highlight of the conference was the visit of Florian Hahn, Staatsminister im Auswärtigen Amt und Mitglied des Bundestages, to the SeRANIS stand. Prof. Andreas Knopp briefed him on the latest developments surrounding ATHENE 1 and its upcoming launch. Florian Hahn congratulated the SeRANIS team and the Bundeswehr University Munich on this achievement and wished everyone involved every success for the next stage of the mission.
We would like to thank dtec.bw, the Bundeswehr University Munich and everyone involved for two inspiring days of exchange. We look forward to building on the knowledge and experience gained over the past six years as we move into dtec.bw 2.0.