The discussions soon revealed a complex threat situation, the causes of which have not been researched to any great extent, at least from an overarching scientific perspective. Since the companies affected risk loss of reputation and control, it can be assumed in almost every respect that very many cases remain unreported, making it almost impossible to reliably quantify the extent of economic damage. Numerous overlapping responsibilities on the part of the authorities, a lack of clearly defined contact persons in the event of a crisis, insufficient definition of uniform security standards, along with legal frameworks that are not specifically tailored to industrial espionage and spying on competitors, give too much leeway to criminal perpetrators both within Germany and abroad.

One contributing factor is the lack of a joint competence center endowed with clear and powerful competencies, involving the participation of all stakeholders. The lack of a uniform overall concept for the protection of industry in Germany therefore leads to considerable security deficits due to insufficiently clear coordination and cooperation. Although relevant formats are in place for discussion with the security authorities and a basic willingness to cooperate is evident, industry has all too often been left to its own devices.

To eliminate these deficits, after a brief overview of the likewise deficient empirical study situation was presented, the second day of the event focused on developing specific proposals for solutions. Following intensive discussion, representatives from industry, the authorities, and science put forward concrete suggestions for improvement and then presented these in the plenary session. On the basis of these findings, the conference leaders compiled a catalog of “Ladenburg Theses on the Protection of Industry”, which is currently being finalized together with all participants. This catalog of theses is also intended to serve as a basis for further research as part of a larger research project on industrial protection. All participants in this Ladenburg Roundtable have already signaled their willingness to participate in the project.