Published by Global Banking & Finance Review®
Posted on February 23, 2026
2 min readLast updated: April 2, 2026
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Ahead of the Feb. 27 AGM, TKMS CEO Oliver Burkhard urged faster standardisation and defence industry consolidation. TKMS signaled it is ready to lead deals, including a non-binding bid for GNYK, as rivals like Rheinmetall expand.
BERLIN, Feb 23 (Reuters) - The chief executive of German warship builder TKMS has called for consolidation within the defence industry in a speech published on Monday ahead of the company's annual general meeting.
"If defence capabilities are to be established more quickly, standardisation, industrial consolidation and speed are required," CEO Oliver Burkhard said in a transcript of the speech due to be held during the AGM on Feb. 27.
"Money alone does not build ships," he said, adding that the decisive factor was how quickly industry and clients could act together.
Burkhard said TKMS, which was spun off from Thyssenkrupp and listed on the stock exchange last year, was prepared to play an active role in consolidation in Germany and Europe.
After years of stagnation, mergers and acquisitions activity in the industry is rising.
TKMS, in which Thyssenkrupp still holds a majority stake, has made a non-binding takeover bid for its smaller competitor German Naval Yards Kiel, while arms maker Rheinmetall has acquired the defence division of Luerssen shipyard.
(Reporting by Tom Kaeckenhoff, writing by Linda Pasquini, editing by Friederike Heine)
TKMS CEO Oliver Burkhard calls for defence industry consolidation to boost standardisation and speed of delivery, signaling the company’s readiness to drive M&A in Germany and Europe.
TKMS has submitted a non-binding takeover bid for German Naval Yards Kiel. The piece also notes sector momentum, including Rheinmetall’s acquisition of NVL (Lürssen’s defence division).
Rising demand for naval platforms and the need for faster delivery favor standardisation and scale. Consolidation could align industry capacity with government requirements and improve efficiency.
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