Sergej Sumlenny

European Resilience Initiative Center / The Opportunity

Sergej Sumlenny is a founder and managing director of the European Resilience Initiative Center, a Berlin-based think tank, and co-founder of the United Unmanned Systems. From 2015-2021, Sumlenny worked as a Director at the Heinrich Böll Foundation Bureau in Kyiv supporting democratic initiatives and civil society projects in Ukraine, and worked in a business consultancy prior to moving to Ukraine. He has a Ph.D. in political science and an LL.M in European Law from the Free University of Berlin.

He is an experienced security analyst and entrepreneur specializing in defense technology, unmanned aerial systems, and geopolitical risks. With a background in political risk analysis and Eastern European security, he has advised governments, NGOs, and private sector leaders on the evolving security landscape, particularly in the context of Ukraine and the broader European defense ecosystem.