Expansion at Schwarz Digits: Defence Unit to be Led by Harald Mannheim

• With Harald Mannheim, an experienced manager from the security and defence industry is taking over the management of the targeted expansion of the internal and external security unit.
• Schwarz Digits will further expand its contribution to technological sovereignty and the European security architecture.
• The sovereign cloud infrastructure STACKIT forms the foundation for technological solutions that contribute to the defence of a robust democracy.

Bad Friedrichshall, June 15, 2026 – Schwarz Digits, the IT and digital division of the Schwarz Group, is strengthening its executive leadership in the strategically important security and defence sector: Harald Mannheim is taking on the role of Head of Defence at Schwarz Digits. In this role, the experienced industry expert will be responsible for the consistent expansion of business operations in Germany and Europe. The focus is on developing sovereign, highly secure IT infrastructure solutions and other supporting services for armed forces, intelligence services and public safety agencies (BOS), as well as for companies in the defence industry. Most recently, Mannheim served as Senior Vice President of the ‘Defence Digital and Cyber’ business unit at Airbus Defence and Space. There, he was responsible for programs in the areas of IT system integration, software solutions, and cyber resilience. Prior to that, he held various leadership positions in the private sector and the military. 

“True digital sovereignty requires seamless control over data and systems—from the central data center to mobile applications at the edge. By establishing a clear framework with a strong focus on open-source principles and cloud federations, we provide European companies and government institutions with a reliable digital backbone. Harald Mannheim brings the ideal combination of strategic industry experience and profound knowledge of national internal and external security structures to decisively expand this sovereign pillar in Europe,” said Christian Müller, Co-CEO of Schwarz Digits.

“Europe’s one-sided digital dependence on non-European technologies jeopardizes the viability of our European democracy and economy. With Schwarz Digits Defence, we are making an active contribution to the stability and operational capacity of government institutions by providing sovereign digital services and infrastructures that are in equal demand from actors in the fields of internal and external security. Expanding the defence unit at Schwarz Digits is therefore, for me personally, an exciting task and calling in these challenging times,” said Harald Mannheim, Head of Defence at Schwarz Digits.

New security reality in Europe

The appointment comes at a time of ongoing geopolitical volatility and a threat situation in Europe that is becoming more critical by the day. Since the annexation of Crimea in 2014 - which violated international law - and Russia’s full scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, hybrid activities such as cyberattacks, espionage and sabotage against critical infrastructure have also increased dramatically in Germany. The German government’s national security strategy inextricably links military defence capabilities with civil and economic resilience as well as technological sovereignty. Schwarz Digits therefore views the protection of digital spaces not as an option, but as a systemic necessity to safeguard the ability of the state and society to act. 

Technological Expertise from KRITIS Operations

As a company within the Schwarz Group, Schwarz Digits draws on many years of proven expertise in protecting highly complex, decentralized supply chains and critical infrastructure (KRITIS). The group’s integrated ecosystem, which spans production, retail, logistics and the circular economy, continuously secures essential flows of goods. The ability to comprehensively secure these complex processes is now being specifically applied to government agencies to protect core functions in the digital space from external influence. 

The Schwarz Digits Ecosystem

The technological backbone is provided by the IT infrastructure of the German cloud provider STACKIT. The STACKIT Distributed Cloud is based on the principle of “Sovereignty by Design” and focuses on air-gapped and distributed operations. This enables the physically isolated operation of critical data streams without a connection to the public internet. STACKIT aims to obtain approval from the Federal Office for Information Security (BSI) for the processing of classified information for its security-relevant components. In combination with sovereign AI platforms, industry-leading mobile network solutions, and the WIRE messenger—which is already approved for classified information—a seamless, agile security network for government entities and defence industry companies is emerging, in collaboration with additional industry partners.

For more information, visit Schwarz Digits Defence.