The second edition will examine how European countries can expand manufacturing capacity and move new technologies into operational use. Ukraine’s battlefield experience will be a focus across discussions on equipment development, production and deployment.
Participants will include representatives from Ukraine, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom and Latvia, alongside other European NATO and partner countries. The program expands on the inaugural 2025 forum with a larger technology exhibition, industry-led sessions, a startup competition and B2B matchmaking.
“Today, there is no longer a clear line between the civilian and defence worlds. The technologies, capital, expertise, and talents we need already exist – the challenge is to bring them together and turn innovation into real capability,” said Nataliya Nakonechna, Co-founder of EDIF.
Sessions will cover ammunition production, air defense, UAV production and deployment, and unmanned ground systems. Other topics include cyber, artificial intelligence, space, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.
The forum will also address financing for defense technology and cooperation between governments and manufacturers. Discussions will examine how to build a competitive and resilient European defense industrial base while incorporating battlefield-proven technologies.
“Europe needs to strengthen its defence capacity, and we need to do it faster. The Netherlands wants to play a leading role in this effort – bringing government and industry closer together, deepening our cooperation with Ukraine and learning from its battlefield experience how to turn innovation into stronger European readiness,” said Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius, Minister of Defence and Deputy Prime Minister of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.
More than 50 Ukrainian and European defense companies will exhibit at the event. One manufacturer will present a new defense product, with details to be announced closer to the forum.
A dedicated Latvian delegation will bring together defense companies and organizations from the country’s defense innovation sector. Representatives from the United Kingdom and other NATO and allied nations will also take part in national delegations.
B2B matchmaking and direct meetings will connect manufacturers, technology companies, investors and government representatives. These activities will run alongside the strategic discussions and exhibition, providing opportunities to develop cross-border partnerships.
About the event: European Defence Innovation Forum.
