Lee Bu-hwan attends inaugural Invest in Germany Summit 2026 in Berlin

Germany ramps up global investment drive under Chancellor Merz

Hanwha Aerospace accelerates localization push with German subsidiary

Local production, R&D and strategic partnerships on the agenda

Lee Bu-hwan, head of Hanwha Aerospace's business division. [Hanwha]
Lee Bu-hwan, head of Hanwha Aerospace's business division. [Hanwha]

Lee Bu-hwan, chief of Hanwha Aerospace's business division, has traveled to Germany to explore expanded cooperation with the country's government and industry. The visit comes as Hanwha Aerospace broadens its footprint across Europe, with the company actively seeking opportunities in local production, research and development, and strategic partnerships within Germany.

According to Hanwha Aerospace, Lee and other company officials are attending the Invest in Germany Summit 2026, held Monday and Tuesday in Berlin (local time). They are expected to meet with senior figures from the German government and industry to explore opportunities for long-term investment, industrial cooperation and joint innovation.

Held for the first time this year, the summit is a German government initiative to attract global investment. German Chancellor Friedrich Merz is leading the effort, with Germany working to strengthen its industrial competitiveness and investment appeal through partnerships with global companies.

Hanwha Aerospace is expected to use the summit as an opportunity to deepen ties with German industry. The company has been building its presence in Germany: it held a "Hanwha Industry Day" there in May last year to discuss concrete areas of cooperation with the German government, then established its first German subsidiary in July of that year. The subsidiary's launch was widely seen as a step toward firming up investment in local production facilities and diversifying the company's global manufacturing base.

More recently, Hanwha Aerospace has been scouting factory sites in Germany as it works to establish its third defense production base in Europe, after Poland and Romania. As major European nations tighten policies requiring local procurement of weapons systems, securing a production foothold in Germany — a leading defense industry power — is expected to strengthen the company's position in the European market.

Particularly as it expands its European business base, the company is expected to highlight local production, R&D and strategic partnerships as its key areas of cooperation. Hanwha Aerospace has said it intends to contribute to Germany's defense production capabilities, technological innovation and supply chain resilience, drawing on its advanced technology and manufacturing expertise. With European nations placing growing emphasis on defense industry capacity and stable supply chains, close cooperation with local governments and companies is seen as essential.

Meanwhile, Lee has maintained a busy overseas schedule since taking office. Last month he traveled to Croatia in connection with Chunmoo rocket system exports, and this month he attended the Association of the United States Army Annual Meeting and Exposition (AUSA 2026), North America's largest ground-forces defense exhibition, held in Washington, D.C.


keg@heraldcorp.com