Stefan Dräger, CEO of Lübeck-based medical technology firm Drägerwerk, views the planned EU ban on forever chemicals as the biggest threat to his company. The family-owned business is benefiting from the shift in defense policy. Dräger has rejected orders such as for the Kremlin hospital.
In Lübeck, Stefan Dräger, CEO of the family-owned medical and safety technology firm Drägerwerk in its fifth generation, discussed current challenges in an interview. The company is benefiting from the high threat level and the turning point in defense policy. By 2028, it plans to triple its defense sector revenue to 300 million euros.
Drägerwerk handles classified matters for the Bundeswehr and provides security training along with necessary certifications. These have become particularly essential in energy companies and hospitals since the attack on Berlin's power grid. However, CEO Dräger reserves the right not to supply every customer: He rejected an order for the Kremlin hospital.
The planned EU ban on so-called forever chemicals causes Dräger great concern. "Our currently biggest problem is the EU," he said. "Our existence is then at stake. It's like suddenly banning oil in any form. From cooking oil in salad to crude oil."
