Artificial Intelligence Meets Security (AIMS) Annual Retreat (15-17 July 2026, Germany)

           

The AIMS Annual Retreat (formerly UniBw AI Retreat / GCMC-UniBw AI/ML PhD & Policy Workshop) brings together AI researchers from defense universities and representatives from security authorities to foster exchange at the intersection of Artificial Intelligence and security studies.

The retreat provides a dedicated space to present research, receive professional feedback, and engage in in-depth discussions with domain experts. A series of specialized lectures further bridges AI and national security, encouraging interdisciplinary perspectives and critical reflection.

You can read about the most recent prior Retreat, here.

Unique Networking
Connect with stakeholders from NATO and allied nations, as well as AI researchers and faculty working at the interface of artificial intelligence and national security.

Outstanding Keynotes
Engage with internationally recognized keynote speakers in a personal, small-group setting that allows for meaningful exchange.

Research & Feedback
Present your work, receive expert feedback, and build connections with potential mentors and collaborators. Graduate students are asked to present their research in poster form, and the Best Poster Award will recognize outstanding research contributions.

Target Groups

  • This event is open to AI researchers from defense universities as well as participants from security authorities with an interest in Artificial Intelligence.
  • The event is open to participants from NATO allied and partner nations.
  • Please note that the event is not open to private individuals, companies, or researchers from non-defense universities.

Speakers

Leaders from across defense, intelligence, academia, and industry.

Andrew Borene, J.D.Andrew Borene, J.D.
Executive Director
Ocient

Previously an Executive Director at Flashpoint, a threat intelligence firm. A licensed attorney, CISSP, and U.S. Marine Corps veteran, he brings over 25 years of experience spanning senior roles at the U.S. Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the Pentagon, and Fortune 500 companies.

Prof. Dr. Rafaela KrausProf. Dr. Rafaela Kraus
Professor of Corporate & HR Management
University of the Bundeswehr Munich

A leading voice on defense innovation and the university's former Vice President (2019–2024), she founded the founders@unibw entrepreneurship center and the SpaceFounders accelerator, and initiated BASED, Munich's Digital Hub for Security and Defense.

Dr. James MillerDr. James Miller
Consul General
U.S. Consulate Munich

Previously, he served as Deputy Director for Western Europe in the State Department's European Bureau, and on detail at the U.S. International Development Finance Corporation as Senior Policy Advisor for the Middle East, Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.

Prof. Michael SchmittProf. Michael Schmitt
Full Professor of Earth Observation
UniBw M, Aerospace Engineering

His research focuses on extracting geospatial intelligence from satellite data using classic signal and image processing as well as modern AI techniques. Previously affiliated with the German Aerospace Center and the Technical University of Munich, he collaborates extensively across national and international research networks.

BG Dr. Volker PötzschMaj Gen Dr. Volker Pötzsch
Chief of Staff, Cyber and Information Domain Service Command (CIDS Cmd)
Chief Security Officer, Bundeswehr

Based in Bonn, he is the Chief of Staff of the Cyber and Information Domain Service Command (CIDS Cmd) and serves as the Bundeswehr's Chief Security Officer. He previously served as Head of the Cyber/Information Technology I Sub-Directorate at the Federal Ministry of Defence (BMVg) and as Head of the IT Directorate at the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw).

Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz RennerProf. Dr. Karl-Heinz Renner
VP for Teaching & Stakeholder Relations
University of the Bundeswehr Munich

Full Professor of Personality Psychology and Psychological Assessment and a former Vice President of the German Psychological Society (2020–2024), he has held academic positions at the University of Bamberg and FernUniversität Hagen, and is a scholar of the German National Academic Foundation.

Dr. Gokhan OzkanDr. Gokhan Ozkan
NATO Defense College
Rome

A specialist in instructional design, e-learning, and digital transformation in education, he previously served as Instructional Technology Specialist at Izmir University of Economics and Lecturer at Kırklareli University, where he developed expertise in adult EFL instruction. His broader career includes instructional design roles at SureSkills in Dublin and training delivery for legal professionals at the World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO).

Jonas ThiessenJonas Thiessen
Senior Consultant & Wargaming Lead
BWI GmbH

At BWI GmbH, the IT services company of the Bundeswehr, he has focused on digital defense and wargame design since 2024, previously serving as Consultant Digital Defense and Wargame Designer. He earlier held senior leadership roles at syscoon GmbH, including Chief Operating Officer and Organisational Development Manager, focusing on organisational transformation and strategic consulting.

Florian DoetzlerDr. Florian Doetzler
Managing Director TUM Venture Lab Aerospace & Defense

Dr. Florian Dötzer is Managing Director of the TUM Venture Lab Aerospace & Defense in Munich.
He has spent 20+ years in aerospace and mobility holding various management positions working at Altran, Jet Aviation, BMW Group and Airbus before moving into starting his own businesses. Living abroad for two decades in three continents, Florian is now located in his hometown Munich to support startups and build a world-class ecosystem.

Agenda

Research Posters

Interactive Discussion Syndicates

Keynotes

  • Andrew Borene, J.D.: AI for Threat Intelligence
  • Prof. Dr. Michael Schmitt: Remote Sensing with AI
  • Prof. Dr. Rafaela Kraus: From Research to Innovation 

Interactive Wargame 

Expert Wargame Analysis

Plenary Discussion

  • Dr. James Miller (Consul General at the U.S. Consulate Munich)
  • BrigGen Dr. Volker Pötzsch

Optional Dinner for Networking

Wednesday, 15 July 2026
18:00 Optional dinner (Zuggy’s Base Camp – no host)


Thursday, 16 July 2026
08:30 Registration
09:00 Opening Remarks (Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Renner, Vice President UniBw M)
09:30 Keynote: AI for Threat Intelligence by Andrew Borene, J.D.
10:45 Research Posters (Session 1)
12:45 Keynote: Remote Sensing by Prof. Dr. Michael Schmitt, UniBw M
14:15 Research Posters (Session 2)
15:15 Research Posters (Session 3)
16:15 Interactive Discussion Syndicates
18:30 Optional dinner (no host)


Friday, 17 July 2026
09:00 Interactive Wargame & Expert Analysis with Dr. Gokhan Ozkan, NATO Defense Collage and BWI GmbH
13:00 Keynote: Research to Innovation by Prof. Dr. Rafaela Kraus, UniBw M
14:45 VIP Closing Panel: Dr. James Miller (Consul General at the U.S. Consulate Munich), BrigGen Dr. Volker Pötzsch (Chief of Staff,  Cyber and Information Domain Service/Bundeswehr)
15:45 Awards Ceremony and Closing 

16:00-18:00 German-American Friendship Day (optional – no host)

 

We have long lunch breaks (1:30h) and several coffee breaks in between.

Research Posters

The retreat includes a research poster session.

We have scheduled three 45-minute sessions. Gratuate students will each present a poster in one session and then attend the other sessions as audience members. Senior researchers and security authority participants are invited to provide feedback and engage in discussion; they are not required to submit posters.

Graduate Students / Researchers 

A poster presentation is mandatory for Graduate Students/Researchers.

When registering, please provide:

  • The title of your poster

  • An abstract (250-500 words)

  • Optionally, a PDF of your finished poster

You may present your thesis or dissertation topic or a current research project (published or unpublished). The poster must be related to AI.

In addition to your research work, please add an info box on the topic of “AI and Global Security” in which you highlight the security-related significance of your AI work (e.g., who is leading the way in this technology? How is it being used? Dual use applications?).

Please bring a printed version of your poster to the event. Your poster should be in a portrait format, sized DIN A1 (84.1 x 59.4 cm) or smaller. There is no on-site printing available.

Senior Researchers / Security Authority Participants

Please attend the poster sessions to explore current research and engage with the presenters. Senior participants are encouraged to provide feedback on research content and applications.

Best Poster Award & Publication in the Journal “Connections”

The author(s) of the Best Poster Award will receive an invitation to submit a scholarly commentary to the special issue “Security Reimagined: AI and other Emerging and Disruptive Technologies” of Connections: The Quarterly Journal, the Scopus-indexed flagship publication of the Partnership for Peace Consortium (PfPC). For graduate students, a publication in an internationally indexed security studies journal is a meaningful credential, demonstrating both research quality and the ability to communicate findings to a real-world policy audience. Commentaries should be approximately 3,000 words and will be accompanied by a high-resolution image of the winning poster. The author(s) will receive support for English-language writing and copyediting. The special issue is scheduled for Fall 2026. Please note that this prize is an invitation to submit, not a guarantee of publication. Commentaries undergo editorial review by the issue editors, and minor revisions may be requested. Full submission guidelines will be provided to the prize recipient(s) following the retreat.

Dates and Locations

Registration opens: End of April 2026
Registration deadline: Wed, 17 June 2026 Thu, 25 June 2026
Retreat dates: 15 July 2026 (18:00) until 17 July 2026 (17:00)

We will kick off the retreat with an optional evening get-together on 15 July at 18:00. The main program will take place on 16 and 17 July 2026.

Due to the limited number of available places, we kindly ask you to register early. In general, early registrations will be given priority, provided that the submitted topics align with the themes of the lecture days.

 

Event Location:
George C. Marshall European Center for Security Studies (GCMC)

Sheridan Kaserne, Gernackerstraße 2, 82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen, Germany (Google Maps, OpenStreetMap)

Garmisch-Partenkirchen is a picturesque town in the foothills of the German Alps. It is located about 80 km/50 miles southwest of Munich, Germany, and 50 km/30 miles northwest of Innsbruck, Austria, near the Zugspitze, Germany’s highest mountain.

Registration process

All participants must register with GCMC using the link below. GCMC is located on an active German-American military facility, so this registration is required for access to the site.

During registration, you will be asked to provide identification details, such as a passport or national EU ID card. Please bring the same ID document to the Marshall Center on the day of the event.

After submitting your GCMC registration, you will receive further information by email within a few days (not within 24h as claimed on that website).

Graduate students and PhD candidates will then be asked to complete a separate form with their research topic, title, and abstract. This step is mandatory for graduate and PhD participants.

AIMS RETREAT Registration

This link will take you to the GCMC registration website.

Costs

The retreat is free of charge.

 

Lunch and dinner must be paid by the participants themselves. On site restaurants are available, including the Edelweiss Summit Café and Buffet for breakfast and lunch. Group dinners will also be organized, including a welcome reception at the on-site Edelweiss Zuggy’s Base Camp, an American-style bar and grill.


You will be responsible for purchasing your own travel expenses and your hotel accommodation in Garmisch; however, we have reserved a block of hotel rooms on the Marshall Center campus (Army Lodging).

What to bring to the Retreat

  • The ID document (passport or EU ID card) that you specified during the Marshall Center registration process (see Registration Process above). This document is required for entry to the Marshall Center.
  • Researchers presenting posters only: A printed copy of the poster you will present (portrait format, DIN A1 (84.1 x 59.4 cm) or smaller). There is no on-site printing service.
  • Technology: Although digital technologies are not required, you may find them useful. You are encouraged to bring your own smartphone, table computer, and/or laptop computer. Wifi and power are available throughout the event location.

Recommended Hotels

The listed hotels are located close to the event venue and are within walking distance.

Army Lodging - Artillery Kaserne

Breitenauer Str. 16
82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Distance to the event: 300 m; 5 min by foot
Single room per night: $146.00

gcmcreservations@edelweisslodgeandresort.com

Rheinischer Hof

Zugspitzstraße 76
82467 Garmisch-Partenkirchen

Distance to the event: 700 m; 9 min by foot
Promo code (10% off): AIMS

www.rheinischerhof-garmisch.de

Contacts

For any questions please contact

Dr. Philipp J. Rösch
Event Organizer/Co-Host
UniBw M (ETTI2)/ZDigBw
philipp.roesch@unibw.de
unibw.de/philipp.roesch

Joshua Arnold
Event Organizer/Co-Host
UniBw M (INF1)
joshua.arnold@unibw.de
unibw.de/joshua.arnold

John D'Amato
Event Planner
GCMC 
john.damato@marshallcenter.org

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