Dresden was the center of the German aerospace industry. The 19th annual German Aerospace Regions Day was held at Dresden Airport. It was a day full of exciting ideas, strong voices and bold messages. On the podium, our CEO Harald Robl made it clear:
- Germany is a strong aerospace location - if we want to maintain our position, we must move forward with greater courage, determination and speed. Other countries are already moving forward faster and with more confidence.
- It’s not just about funding; it’s primarily about providing the freedom to develop and implement ideas so they can become innovations.
- European and German sovereignty is also realized through strong transatlantic partnerships - which is exactly what we experience daily as a German-American family business.
In his speech, Minister President Michael Kretschmer also emphasized that if Germany is investing heavily in security and defense, these investments should reach not only the areas where large industries are currently located, but also Saxony and eastern Germany. We expressly support this approach and are happy to contribute.
We had particularly valuable discussions with the following individuals:
- Minister President Michael Kretschmer, whose visit to our booth emphasized the regular exchange with the State Chancellery.
- Minister of Economic Affairs Dirk Panter, who actively sought dialogue at the evening reception and pledged support for future projects.
- Member of the German Bundestag Jens Lehmann, who is providing important impetus for a strong defense and aerospace industry in the east through the Saxon Security Trialogue, among other things.
- Mayor Dirk Hilbert, with whom we are in constant dialogue about Dresden's role as a center for technology and aviation.
The region itself sent a strong signal: with Saxony's own small satellite, Saxon-1, the state's space industry is demonstrating its pioneering spirit and technological strength. General Atomics has many years of experience developing small satellites worldwide. They are not yet active in Germany, but this could be precisely where new opportunities for transatlantic partnerships lie in the future.
We were pleased by the great interest shown in our Do228. We brought this versatile, multi-mission aircraft to Dresden especially for the event - and thanks to the hospitality of Elbe Flugzeugwerke (many thanks!), some visitors were able to view it directly on site.
For over 40 years, the Do228 has impressed with its short takeoff and landing (STOL) capabilities, reliability and flexibility - from passenger and cargo transport to special missions. With the Do228 NXT, we are currently developing the next generation, which features a modernized cockpit, a renewed supply chain, increased in-house production and numerous other improvements. The Do228 NXT will be presented next year and will continue the success story of this unique platform.
We are proud that Dresden has presented itself so convincingly as a modern aerospace region. A big thanks to the Kompetenzzentrum Luft- und Raumfahrttechnik Sachsen/Thüringen (LRT) and the BDLI for the excellent organization and this powerful platform.
