New format: Hamburg Dual Use Forum
With the Hamburg Dual Use Forum, the GSIS and the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce have jointly established an independent, publicly accessible forum that specifically addresses the dual-use applications of technologies. The focus lies on dual‑use technologies at the intersection of civilian application, security and industrial scaling. The Forum brings together companies, research institutions, international experts and security policy stakeholders and demonstrates how technological excellence can be translated into concrete applications, market‑ready products and scalable solutions, and adapted for security applications. The programme will include, among other topics, maritime systems and navigation, the transfer from prototype to market, and international approaches to scaling dual‑use innovations. Against the backdrop of geopolitical tensions and growing demands for technological sovereignty, dual-use technologies are becoming increasingly important in both business and politics.
GSIS Opening Dinner at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce
On the eve of GSIS 2026, the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce will host the GSIS Opening Dinner. The exclusive invitation-only format will take place at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce and bring together international participants from politics, business, academia and technology. The focus is on exchange, networking and personal dialogue ahead of the two-day conference and exhibition. The Dinner complements the GSIS by creating an additional space for international dialogue.
Deepened partnership between GSIS, Hamburg Chamber of Commerce and Hamburg Messe
The Hamburg Dual Use Forum and the GSIS Opening Dinner form part of the strategic cooperation between the GSIS, the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce and Hamburg Messe und Congress. The aim is to more closely connect international security and technology policy debates with Hamburg’s business and innovation ecosystem, to further strengthen the long-term positioning of the GSIS in Hamburg, and to enhance the international visibility of the location.
Partner statements
“In close partnership with the GSIS, we are strengthening Hamburg’s role as a centre for future‑focused security and technology policy topics. With the Hamburg Dual Use Forum, we are creating a new substantive format that visibly advances this debate and connects Hamburg’s business community internationally. The Opening Dinner complements this approach as an opening event and promotes personal exchange in an international context,” says Philip Koch, Managing Director International of the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce.
Heiko M. Stutzinger, CEO of Hamburg Messe und Congress, adds: “The partnership with the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce is a central pillar of the further development of the GSIS. Together, we are strengthening Hamburg’s profile as an international centre for future‑oriented security and technology policy topics and further expanding the long-term positioning of the Summit in Hamburg.”
“Dual‑use technologies determine how quickly innovation translates into real‑world impact. The Hamburg Dual Use Forum brings this debate to the point where technological expertise, industrial strength and international connectivity come together,” says Dimitrios Argirakos, Executive Chair of the GSIS.
Hamburg’s growing role in global security and technology dialogue
The GSIS is organised by Hamburg Messe und Congress in cooperation with the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS). With the introduction of these new formats, the integration of the GSIS within Hamburg is further deepened, strengthening the city’s role as an international hub for security‑ and technology‑policy topics.
Press Contact
Chris Egerton
Press Communications Manager
International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS)
Phone: +44 7935 420493
christopher.egerton(at)iiss(dot)org
