The Federation of German Industries (BDI) has issued a warning regarding the growing trend of foreign intelligence services engaging in espionage against German corporate leaders. Kerstin Petretto, a Senior Consultant for Information, Security, and Technology at the BDI, told the “Handelsblatt” that espionage is no longer solely confined to cyber security; rather, traditional or classic espionage is experiencing a resurgence. She emphasized that employees and corporate executives are being deliberately investigated, approached, or placed under pressure.
This heightened concern is being fueled in part by recent US media reports detailing an affair involving Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and an alleged Chinese spy. The reports suggested that Chinese intelligence was attempting to extract information from Huang’s professional orbit, a claim for which Nvidia reportedly initiated an internal investigation.
In Germany, Petretto noted that companies possessing “security-relevant know-how and strategically important technologies” are being targeted most heavily. This group includes sectors such as defense and security industries, aerospace, critical infrastructure providers, and various other technologically intensive industries.
In response to this escalating risk, the BDI is calling for significantly closer collaboration between the private sector and national security authorities. Petretto stressed that companies cannot effectively defend themselves against state-sponsored espionage in isolation. She argued that a “close security partnership between the state, security agencies, and the business community” is essential.
