CASE STUDY 2 Siemens: Institutionalized muscle through dedicated geopolitics and an international relations team Siemens established its dedicated geopolitics function back in 2020 – during the COVID-19 pandemic and after years of navigating geopolitical shifts related to Russia and rising US–China strategic competition – with the goal of anticipating and navigating geopolitical risks and opportunities, while connecting the dots globally. The role intertwines geopolitical advisory, external advocacy, cooperation and business development and operational excellence. The geopolitical function is led by the Global Head of Geopolitics and International Relations at Siemens. A multidisciplinary team – based in Brussels, Berlin and Munich – is part of a broader Government Affairs (GA) team in HQ coordinating a global network of counterparts based in local Siemens companies. Initially structured by geographic expertise, the team has been specializing in global themes such as geopolitics, geoeconomics, global trade, investment, technology and conflicts, among other topics. At Siemens, geopolitical advisory blends a key balance between internal advisory and external engagement. The geopolitics team actively engages with policy-makers in countries globally, international organizations and fora (e.g. the World Economic Forum, OECD, UN, WTO, B20), academic networks, global business associations, think tanks and consultancies. To process this flow of information, Siemens has built a suite of in-house tools that help the team filter noise and prioritize emerging risks and opportunities. Ranging from implemented foresighting models, trends and scenarios and in-depth country assessments, to new tools under development, such as an AI-powered geopolitical radar and other applications, Siemens is strengthening its capabilities using structured databases, application programming interface (API) and expert knowledge. The team created a combination of proprietary methodologies such as the “Geopolitical Trends and Scenarios Report”, “GA Intelligence Tool” and “Value at Stake” to foresight, quantify and prioritize the potential financial impact of geopolitical developments across dimensions such as market access, top-line revenue, bottom-line impact, technology exposure or a country’s attractiveness. Geopolitical insights are embedded directly in ERM, annual strategy planning and quarterly investors’ calls. Scenario planning is now regularly presented at board level and to task forces. In addition, board members receive tailored geopolitical briefings relevant to their portfolios, spanning topics from AI to the geopolitics of sustainability. The team maintains regular direct contact with the CEO’s office and business leaders through direct briefings and tailored presentations to executive teams. “Internal demand is consistently growing: today, we get requests from the board level to businesses’ product line,” says the Global Head of Geopolitics and International Relations. Source: Interviews, company analysis Building Geopolitical Muscle: How Companies Turn Insights into Strategic Advantage 12

Building Geopolitical Muscle 2026