Kempten – ESI keynote on resilience, European sovereignty and security at Brand Guardian

16 March 2026
Gerald in Kempten. Photo: ESI
Gerald in Kempten. Photo: ESI

ESI’s Gerald Knaus gave a talk on resilience and European sovereignty at an event hosted by Brand Guardian in honour of the launch of their new cybersecurity technology. Also in attendance was Bavarian Minister of State for European and international affairs Eric Beisswenger.

In his speech, Gerald focused on building up European resilience in the face of crisis. He noted that Europe is facing challenges today greater than at any time since the Cold War. In Eastern Europe, an imperialist Russia seeks to return its empire, which will require destroying the European project. In this aim, they have made allies with a surging European far-right, which advances authoritarian, nationalist and identitarian narratives.

Gerald noted that, to manage this, Europe must play to its strengths and look at what has worked already. He pointed out the miraculous success of European integration in bringing peace and prosperity to the continent, turning violent historical conflicts into cooperative partnerships. States like Germany and Poland now work together, with a partnership based in shared institutions and an iron-clad commitment to the rule of law. Particularly in realms like security, including digital security and technology, this cooperation and innovation will be key to defending Europe’s future. Gerald thus concluded that we must resist the temptations of nostalgia or complacency, and advocate for more Europe to meet the challenges ahead.