Cybersecurity Mandate Joins Growing List of Demands on Germany's Electrical Safety Officers
Veröffentlicht: 29.06.2026 um 10:56 Uhr, Redaktion boerse-global.de
On July 1, Germany’s Vergabebeschleunigungsgesetz (Public Procurement Acceleration Act) comes into force, imposing new cybersecurity and verification obligations on public-sector entities when procuring electrical installations. The regulatory shift adds another layer of complexity for the country’s Verantwortliche Elektrofachkräfte (VEFKs) – the responsible electrical specialists who already juggle technical, legal, and supervisory duties.
Energy minister Katherina Reiche recently called the power grids “the operating system of the energy transition” after EU member states agreed on June 27 to accelerate European grid expansion. That expansion, she stressed, demands tighter technical management and supply reliability. The new procurement law now folds cybersecurity into that equation, requiring VEFKs in municipal utilities and other public bodies to ensure suppliers meet updated documentation and protection standards.
Legal Groundwork and the Evolving VEFK Role
The VEFK carries ultimate technical responsibility under VDE regulations, including oversight of electrical safety and strict adherence to testing cycles mandated by DGUV Vorschrift 3. A central duty is drafting and updating risk assessments (Gefährdungsbeurteilungen). The latest edition of the trade journal elektro.net lays out these core responsibilities in detail, while a newly published two-volume standard work by Donato Muro in Düsseldorf – covering liability, law, and a technical hazard atlas for safety and health coordinators (SiGeKo) – reinforces the message that legal and communication skills matter as much as engineering expertise.
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Clear chains of accountability, the new SiGeKo handbook emphasises, are the only way to minimise liability exposure. In practice, the VEFK acts as the single point of contact for all electrical matters and trains subordinate personnel.
Sector-Specific Demands Vary Widely
Depending on the industry, day-to-day priorities diverge. In energy supply, the focus is on performance analysis and operational management; in semiconductor manufacturing, supply security and emergency breakdown response take precedence. Companies such as Heristo AG and Westhaus Energietechnik are actively recruiting for maintenance, repair, and project supervision roles. In manufacturing, tasks like parameterisation and fault resolution during factory acceptance tests (FAT) now feature prominently on job descriptions.
Tight Labour Market and Shifting Training Landscape
The formal prerequisites for a VEFK position are clear: a completed degree in electrical engineering, a master electrician’s certificate, or state-certified technician status combined with professional experience. Current job postings show that employers increasingly value personnel management skills and software expertise – especially AutoCAD.
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The training ecosystem is adapting accordingly. The IHK Bildungszentrum Halle-Dessau announced that its courses for Technischer Betriebswirt (technical business administrator) will no longer be available from July onward – a sign that vocational education is tilting toward more specialised technical certifications.
The combination of tighter public procurement rules, rising grid complexity, and a growing shortage of qualified candidates means that Germany’s electrical safety officers are being handed more responsibility – and more legal exposure – at a time when the talent pool is already stretched thin.
