Estonian Defence Week 2026 to Focus on Turning Innovation and Industrial Capacity into Defence Capability

More than 4,000 participants from across Europe and Allied nations are expected in Tallinn from 21–25 September for Estonian Defence Week 2026. Under the theme “How to Win the Next War?”, the week will connect political and military decision-makers, defence industry leaders, technology companies, investors and innovators to address how Europe can turn growing defence investment and technological innovation into operational capability.

Returning for its second edition, Estonian Defence Week (EDW) combines several major international defence and security events within one week. The programme ranges from artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and space technologies to NATO’s future, defence industrial readiness, procurement, battlefield innovation and societal resilience.

EDW 2026 comes at a time when Europe is substantially increasing defence expenditure while Russia’s war against Ukraine continues to demonstrate how rapidly the requirements of modern warfare are changing. New technologies need to move from prototypes to operational use faster, while Europe simultaneously needs the industrial capacity, supply chains and investment required to produce defence capabilities at scale.

“Europe has taken important decisions to strengthen its defence capabilities, but investment and technology alone do not create security and defence capabilities. We need the industrial capacity for large-scale production and the ability to deliver new solutions much more quickly to those who provide security,” said Kalev Koidumäe, CEO of the Estonian Defence and Aerospace Industry Association (EDIA). “Estonian Defence Week connects governments, armed forces, industry, investors and innovators because these challenges cannot be solved separately. The aim is to turn discussions into cooperation, investments and ultimately capabilities that reach the end-user.”

What not to miss at EDW 2026

The week opens on 21 September with Defence Innovation Day, focused on how defence and dual-use technologies are developed, tested, funded and adopted in real-world environments. Drawing on lessons from Ukraine and frontline environments, the event connects military end-users, technology companies, investors and public sector decision-makers.

Speakers include Kadri Tammai, Regional Director at NATO DIANA; Major Ivo Peets, Commander of the Force Transformation Command at the Estonian Defence Forces; and Janne Hietala, CEO of Kelluu and an alumnus of the NATO DIANA accelerator.

On 21–22 September, the Defence Industry Symposium “Next in Defence: Autonomy, Space & Industrial Readiness” will focus on autonomous systems and AI, space-based capabilities and the ability of the defence industry to meet rapidly growing demand.

Among its headline speakers, Andrius Kubilius, European Commissioner for Defence and Space, will address the scaling of European industrial and defence capability. AI entrepreneur Peter Sarlin will examine how artificial intelligence can move from prototype to operational military advantage safely and at scale, while Pascal Legai, Senior Security Adviser to the Director General of the European Space Agency, will address the role of satellite data, communications and resilience in European defence. Paula Smith Hartley, Vice President of Strategy and Business Development at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, will discuss cooperation between governments and the defence industry.

The 20th Annual Baltic Conference on Defence (ABCD) “Choosing to Win: Building Confidence in Complexity” on 22–23 September will bring together senior political, military and security experts in Tallinn to discuss the future of NATO, the long-term threat from Russia, escalation management, societal resilience and lessons from contemporary warfare. Speakers include Theo Francken, Belgian Minister of Defence and Foreign Trade, and Johnny Stringer, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe.

On 23–24 September, the NATO Open Innovation Conference & Expo (NOICE), hosted by NATO Allied Command Transformation, will focus on operational innovation and rapid capability adoption across the Alliance, including AI, autonomous systems, maritime security and counter-drone technologies.

International defence industry gathers in Tallinn

Tallinn Defence EXPO, taking place on 22–24 September, will feature around 100 defence and dual-use companies from more than 15 countries.

Exhibitors include EDW sponsors Lockheed Martin, Milrem Robotics, Threod Systems, Saab, TEKEVER, Quantum Systems, NATO DIANA and Hevi Optronics, alongside companies such as Airbus Defence and Space, Diehl Defence, Rohde & Schwarz, Bittium, Destinus and Chelton. The NATO DIANA Estonian Accelerator and its startup companies will also be represented.

The week will extend beyond military capability. On 24–25 September, City Resilience Hack will see teams and startups develop solutions to real challenges presented by Tallinn, Helsinki, Valencia, Dnipro and Lviv. The hackathon has a prize fund of €75,000, with the strongest solutions having the opportunity to progress towards pilot projects with participating cities.

Across five days, EDW 2026 will connect the different elements of building defence capability – from identifying operational needs and developing new technologies to investment, procurement, industrial production and deployment.

Estonian Defence Week 2026 takes place in Tallinn Creative Hub from 21–25 September and is organised by the Estonian Defence and Aerospace Industry Association and International Mission Estonia Foundation in cooperation with the Estonian Ministry of Defence.