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ENTEGA Energy Dialogue: Drones highlight the asymmetric economics of hybrid threats
The ENTEGA Energy Forum was entitled: "A secure energy supply in uncertain times". Responding to questions from (from left to right) Mechthild Harting, editor at the F.A.Z., Thomas Schmidt, CEO of ENTEGA, Michèle Knodt, Director of the HDCC, and Christian Reuter, Head of the PEASEC Chair. | © ENTEGA AG
Low cost to launch an attack, high cost to defend against it: drones illustrate the asymmetrical economics of hybrid threats. Michèle Knodt, Director of the Hessian Drone Competence Centre (HDCC), made this clear at the ENTEGA AG Energy Dialogue in Darmstadt on Tuesday evening, 3 November. Entitled „Secure supply in uncertain times – how resilient is our infrastructure?“, the event focused on dealing with a changing threat landscape.
A relatively inexpensive drone can cause significant disruption. This contrasts sharply with the need for sophisticated detection and defense systems, qualified personnel, and the requirement to protect critical infrastructure around the clock.
„We need to consider effective protection and preparation for potential failures together,“ said the professor of Political Science at TU Darmstadt. „It is not possible to provide complete protection for all critical infrastructure. Therefore, priorities are needed – including where we invest more in protection and where we invest more in the rapid restoration of services.“
"We need to think collectively about effective protection and preparedness for potential disruptions," said Michèle Knodt, Professor of Political Science at TU Darmstadt. | © ENTEGA AG,
More research and testing on the interaction of the individual systems
At the same time, much work is currently under way in the field of drone detection and defence. High-performance individual systems do exist; however, ensuring they work together reliably and adapting them to new threats requires further research and testing.
This is precisely where the HDCC comes in: it combines research, testing and practical application, and works with industry, public authorities and operators of critical infrastructure to bring new solutions into practice more quickly.
Crises catch us unprepared these days
Christian Reuter, head of the Chair of Science and Technology for Peace and Security at TU Darmstadt, also drew attention to a paradox in his keynote address: precisely because we are accustomed to safe times and a reliable supply, a crisis catches us all the more unprepared.
Thomas Schmidt, CEO of ENTEGA AG, also participated in the discussion. Mechthild Harting, editor of the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, moderated the conversation.
The ENTEGA Energy Dialogue is a regular event organised by the ENTEGA Group. The energy and infrastructure service provider, headquartered in Darmstadt, is majority-owned by Darmstadt, and focuses its regional activities on the Rhine-Main-Neckar region.