HOT TOPICS: Defence Economics

On Monday, May 12, we hosted the HOT TOPIC event for the Spring Semester 2025 — and what a success it was!

We were honored to welcome PD Dr. Marcus M. Keupp, Head of the Department of Military Economics at ETH Zurich, who shared his deep expertise on the pressing topic of European defense and security.

Dr. Keupp offered a compelling analysis of the challenges facing Europe as it attempts to rearm after decades of declining military and logistical capacities. He emphasized the critical role played by the U.S. military in supplying Ukraine and how European forces, in their current state, cannot independently sustain such logistics.

He also shed light on how defense economics fundamentally differs from traditional microeconomics — a perspective that sparked thoughtful and critical questions from an engaged audience of students.

We concluded the evening with great conversations over bratwursts and beers — a perfect way to wrap up an intellectually stimulating event!

A big thank you to Dr. Keupp and to everyone who joined us and contributed to the lively discussion!