Programme *
Insights from industry experts and market participants
28 April 2026 - Networking Event
7:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Meet & exchange with speakers and fellow attendees
We cordially invite you to spend the evening of 28 April 2026 with us at the upside east® event location! Get in the mood for the event here, engage in conversation and exchange ideas on current topics. Enjoy intensive networking in an atmospheric setting!
Opening Words by the Organizer
Maria Beyer-Fistrich
Editor-in-Chief Aerospace & Defence
Vogel Communications Group
approx. 7:30 p.m.
Impulse Speech
Minister of State for European Affairs and International Affairs
Bavarian State Chancellery
29 April 2026 - Welcome Reception & Conference
from 7:00 a.m.
Check in & Welcome Coffee
Participant check-in, networking, and first discussions with participants at the European Defence Supply event location.
Note: Please expect stricter entry controls. There may be slightly longer times for waiting.
8:45 a.m. - 8:50 a.m.
Opening Words & Introduction
Maria Beyer-Fistrich
Editor-in-Chief Aerospace & Defence
Vogel Communications Group
BLOCK 1 — Orientation & Framework Conditions
A European overview for newcomers: procurement, regulation, technology policy
Objective: SMEs understand the broader context of European defence supply chains—the political drivers, industrial strategies, procurement structures, and legal requirements.
8:50 a.m. - 9:20 a.m.
Keynote Speech
How is NATO maintaining the Advantage in an ever-changing Multifaceted Security Environment?
CEO
Five-Star Strategy and Defence LLC
(Former Deputy Supreme Commander at NATO ACT)
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Deriving from a short Geo-Political analysis the presentation will focus on what NATO’s strategy for success in an ever changing multifaceted security environment will be. Spanning from dominance aspects, the necessity of Multi Domain Operations and the innovation requirements with regard to future warfare in order to strengthen NATO's combat power. Innovation at speed is a key enabler while more of the same will not be the solution for future conflicts.
9:20 a.m. - 9:45 a.m.
Enabling NATO Warfighting Readiness through Host Nation Support
Colonel (General Staff) Dirk Harder
Branch Head, Logistics & Medical Branch, International Military Staff
NATO
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This presentation outlines current developments within NATO with a particular focus on logistics and enablement. It highlights the shift from out of area crisis response operations to collective defence and examines the implications for reinforcement, sustainment and Host Nation Support. The briefing provides insights from NATO Headquarters on the Reinforcement and Sustainment Network, and the implementation of the HNS concept, and the Logistics and Medical Action Plans. Special attention is given to the growing importance of civil-military integration and resilience as prerequisites for credible deterrence and warfighting readiness. The presentation argues that a significant mindset shift is underway across the Alliance—moving from efficiency-driven structures towards preparedness, scalability and societal resilience.
9:45 a.m. - 10:10 a.m.
BAAINBw in the European Defence Ecosystem — Procurement Processes, Roles and Industry Engagement
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As Europe seeks to strengthen defence capabilities and resilient supply chains, understanding national procurement structures remains essential. This presentation introduces the German defence procurement system and explains the role of BAAINBw within the broader European defence ecosystem.
It will address how procurement processes are structured, how national and European frameworks interact, and what this means for companies aiming to participate as suppliers or partners. By outlining access routes, expectations and basic prerequisites, the presentation aims to contribute to a shared understanding between public procurement authorities and industry stakeholders across Europe.
10:10 a.m. - 10:35 a.m.
Expert Talk: Ukraine - a Shortcut into Defence Industry
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Like every war, the one in Ukraine is also an innovation engine – one that is currently running at full speed. The short innovation cycles favour small and medium-sized enterprises, which can flexibly bring the necessary innovations from prototype to series production in the shortest possible time. These opportunities are facilitated by the exceptionally low barriers to market entry that otherwise characterise the defence industry. With the right strategy, this is the first step into the defence industry. At the same time, the second step must be prepared: establishing oneself as a supplier to the established government procurement structures.
10:35 a.m. - 10:50 a.m.
Short Coffee break and Networking
10:50 a.m. - 11:10 a.m.
Regulation, Risk, and Readiness: Legal Hurdles in European Defence Supply
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Topics:
- BAAINBw, OCCAR, EDA, PESCO, NATO NSIP
- National vs. European contract law
- Cross-border procurement and contract law
- How new suppliers get “on the radar”
- Access pathways for SMEs across EU states
11:10 a.m. - 11:30 a.m.
Think different – Challenges in Supplying and Procuring New Technologies amid Emerging Geopolitical Realities
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In recognition of a new geopolitical reality, the industrial system for civilian, military and dual-use applications must adapt to these changed circumstances. This includes new resilience requirements for supply chains at multiple levels, the appropriate scaling of necessary capacities, and the establishment of a dual-use production setup to optimize industrial investments.
In this context, the question also arises of manufacturing military goods by companies that until now have operated primarily in the civilian sector—particularly with regard to employees and the company’s external and internal perception.
Adjustments to the new geopolitical realities must be considered holistically.
11:30 a.m. - 12:20 p.m.
Panel Discussion
From Strategy to Scale: Delivering Europe’s Defence Ramp-Up
Five-Star Strategy and Defence LLC
BAAINBw
Horváth
ArianeGroup
12:20 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Lunch break and Networking
Informal exchange at thematic tables with clusters, associations, and peers.
BLOCK 2 — European Best Practices & Industrial Pathways
Concrete pathways into supply chains – real-world examples, success factors, lessons learned
Objective: Provide practical examples following the strategic overview, highlighting real entry paths and lessons for SMEs.
1:30 p.m. - 1:50 p.m.
WindRunner™ - Closing the airlift capabiliy gap
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As Europe faces an evolving security landscape and a growing need for a stronger defence posture, the ability to move critical and outsized cargo quickly, flexibly and at scale is becoming a strategic imperative. At the same time, Europe must strengthen its defence industrial base by building on and expanding existing industrial capabilities. In this context, Radia’s WindRunner presents a new dual-use airlift concept designed to help close the current airlift capability gap and support faster, more resilient logistics across defence and industry.
This session will examine how WindRunner could enhance strategic air mobility by enabling the transport of oversized payloads, improving rapid response capabilities and supporting deterrence in the face of emerging threats. It will also explore the aircraft’s relevance for Europe’s industrial and defence ecosystem, particularly its potential to reinforce supply chain resilience, expand domestic industrial participation and provide a scalable airlift solution for future security requirements.
1:50 p.m. - 2:10 p.m.
Startup Session
presented and hosted by
Start-ups present innovative products or services: speakers have the opportunity to present themselves on stage in short pitches. Each presentation concludes with a brief Q&A session with the audience.
Ansgar Thilmann
Founder & CEO
Prof. Dr. habil. Nicholas H. Müller
Alexander Noll
Co-Founder & CEO
Aleksander Fiuk
Co-Founder & COO
Nils Graf-Gutsche
Co-Founder & COO
Thomas Parry
CEO & Founder
BLOCK 3 — Parallel Thematic Workshops & Networking Lab
Format: 12 parallel thematic workshops. Participants can rotate or stay in one workshop.
Speed, structure, compliance: How efficient co-development enables defence supply chain capability
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Defence OEMs are expanding their supplier base and increasingly integrating suppliers from other industries (e.g., automotive, sensors) to quickly access innovation, technological expertise, and scaling potential. Despite high delivery pressure toward the end customer, long procurement cycles and complex verification procedures persist. For collaboration with cross-industry suppliers, OEMs need two things above all: predictable integration capability (clearly defined system boundaries, interfaces, and responsibilities) and simultaneously the ability to manage continuous change. In the defence sector, late requirements freeze and changing requirements are the rule, not the exception. Unlike the stability and fixed schedules of automotive mass production, defence demands flexibility, controlled change management, and customization even in the frame of small batch sizes. This requires constant bilateral exchange between OEM and supplier/s to jointly shape the system instead of a one-time specification handoff, and thus genuine co-engineering rather than unidirectional delivery.
The presentation addresses the critical capabilities for real value creation within the defence supply chain. Systems Engineering serves as the foundational development framework, but entry requires going beyond the basics. Agile Systems Engineering, model-based approaches, and Concurrent Engineering are essential to meet the demands of high change frequency, small-batch customization, and synchronized multi-speed development across software and hardware. Entry is achieved through compatibility with the overall system (or system of systems) and the ability to adapt continuously.
On this basis, the presentation outlines prioritized Systems Engineering principles and concrete measures that enable cross-industry suppliers to be quickly perceived as reliable partners in the defense sector and to evolve their role from pure component supplier to a systemically effective contributor through SE competence, system maturity, change readiness, and customization capability.
Made for NATO worldwide – How to industrialize the defense business with medium-sized ODM partners
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The security policy turning point in Europe is leading to rising defense budgets – but without efficient, certified suppliers, any strategy will remain piecemeal. Many medium-sized companies now face the challenge of transforming civilian-oriented structures into defense-capable supply chains: with new standards, stricter compliance requirements, significantly longer product life cycles, and highly varied low to medium quantities instead of classic mass production.
The workshop shows how Incap Germany has evolved from a classic EMS partner to a strategic defense supplier – from VG standards and obsolescence management to documented traceability and security by design in electronic assemblies. A key focus is why experience in flexible small and medium-volume production with frequent product changes is often better suited to defense programs than large-scale automotive-style manufacturing, for example in terms of qualification effort, configuration management, and lifecycle support across decades.
Using concrete practical examples from cable assembly, PCB assembly, and power electronics (DC/DC solutions for Silent Move/Silent Watch), the workshop explains the organizational, technological, and cultural adjustments necessary to become “defense-capable” while retaining one’s identity as an SME.
The workshop is aimed at system houses looking for specialized electronics partners with solid defense experience, as well as companies entering the defense and security technology market that want to benefit from the experience of an established industrialization partner with proven small-series competence.
Simulation in European Defense Supply Chains
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Physics-based simulation is an integral part of product development in several engineering fields. It allows teams to compare design options, investigate critical effects, and address technical questions before prototypes or test hardware are available. That matters in defense projects, where access to components, test infrastructure, and supply chains is often limited or delayed. In this context, simulation is not simply an engineering tool. It is a practical way to make development programs faster, more predictable, and less dependent on external constraints.
We will discuss how model-based development can shorten development cycles, and reduce prototyping and testing work while uncovering technical risks earlier. We will address the value of simulation in defense projects, in documentation and compliance, and in the early evaluation of interactions between subsystems.
Rethinking the Supply Chain: From Operations Planning to Holistic and Resilient Supply Chain Ramp‑Up
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Geopolitical shifts, accelerating capability requirements, and rising demand for next generation defense systems are placing unprecedented strain on the defense supply chain. To meet these challenges, the sector must fundamentally rethink how supply chains are planned, managed, and scaled. This presentation explores a holistic transformation approach - spanning integrated plan-ning, operational excellence, supplier development, and portfolio diversification - to achieve a resil-ient and rapid ramp up of defense production.
A modernized Sales & Operations Planning (S&OP) process combined with production scenario planning lies at the heart of this transformation. Defense programs face volatile demand signals, long lead times, and supply constraints that require far more than traditional planning cycles. By embedding production scenario planning, organizations can anticipate disruptions, stress test ramp up pathways, and align stakeholders across engineering, procurement, production, and fi-nance. This integrated foresight enables proactive decision making and more robust planning against uncertainty. Thus, creating a reliable commitment for suppliers.
Beyond planning, the optimization of end to end supply chain management is essential. Strengthened procurement processes, improved supplier quality management, and more structured supplier governance models help safeguard delivery reliability and production stability. Digital tools, standardized processes, and performance based collaboration frameworks support higher trans-parency and faster issue resolution across multi tier supplier networks.
However, ramp up success increasingly depends on supplier enabling. Many suppliers - particu-larly SMEs and new dual use entrants - require targeted support to reach defense grade maturity. Through quality measures, regulatory guidance, and operational excellence initiatives, OEMs can unlock additional production capacity and ensure quality and reliability at scale.
Finally, the growing demand for unmanned and other affordable one way effectors calls for strate-gic diversification of the supplier portfolio. Incorporating commercial and dual use manufactur-ers reduces bottlenecks, stimulates innovation, and builds resilience into the industrial base.
EU Regulations and Standards in Interaction – what is required?
A brief introduction for Functional Safety, Cybersecurity & AI
Field Sales Executive – Functional Safety / Cybersecurity / Artificial Intelligence
TÜV Rheinland Industrie Service GmbH
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New EU regulations will fully come into force as part of a large-scale European sovereignty strategy soon. Products and companies in various sectors and supply chains will be affected. Artificial intelligence must meet the requirements of the EU AI Act. Cybersecurity affects various regulations such as NIS2, Cyber Resilience Act, Machinery Regulation or Radio Equipment Directive. The requirements of these regulations are complex and legally binding. The practical implementation of compliance takes big efforts. Which international standards can be used to fulfill the regulatory requirements in parts or completely?
The presentation explains the regulatory requirements, the practical application of international standards and the procedure for setting up products, production and companies in a sustainable way.
Innovative Thermal Management: The Foundation of Reliable Electronic Control Systems
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Experience maximum reliability for your electronics – even under extreme thermal conditions! Hermetically sealed housings, powerful heat sources in close proximity, or high ambient temperatures pose special challenges even in the development phase. To keep you on the safe side, we rely on intelligent cooling concepts that are integrated into the design from the outset. Benefit from proven methods of heat conduction, convection, and heat radiation to ensure the optimal functioning of your systems – even in challenging environments.
Be inspired by innovative technologies: In our presentation, we will show you how state-of-the-art CFD (computational fluid dynamics) tools are used specifically for electronics development to precisely calculate and clearly visualize heat flows. Join us in testing novel cooling concepts and experience the future of fluid cooler development! Learn how the leading tools ColdStream from Diabatix and CelsiusEC from Cadence complement each other perfectly – for outstanding results and maximum efficiency in your projects.
3:10 p.m. - 3:25 p.m.
Short Coffee break and Networking
Ensuring Reliable Defence Systems: The Role of EMC Filters and Magnetic Components
Functional safety in the Defense industry – implications for lower tiers suppliers
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Safety is a key aspect – also in the Defense industry. Safety related requirements must be specified, communicated and implemented – along the chain of subcontractors. Furthermore, evidence must be provided to justify the claim that a product may be considered as safe. Often this evidence is used as input for a safety assessment. Functional safety is a special aspect because functional safety related requirements are project specific, i.e. require project specific activities.
The presentation will provide an overview on the functional safety related, project specific activities for the development of devices or equipment (i.e. developed by lower tier suppliers) – for use in defense systems.
Future-proof investments in the defence industry – focus on production structures rather than quantities
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This presentation discusses current investment strategies within the framework of Section 11 of the German Armed Forces Procurement Act. It addresses the question of why the sustainable strengthening of existing production facilities and plant construction is more important for defence capability than a short-term increase in unit numbers. Practical examples demonstrate how targeted investments in infrastructure, automation, and capacity expansion can ensure long-term security of supply and economic stability.
Bridging Civil Tech and Defence Needs: Kyocera’s Portfolio for European Supply Chains
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Kyocera is a global technology group with around 77,000 employees, operating across numerous industrial sectors and recognized as one of the world’s leading providers of semiconductor, industrial, automotive, and electronic components, as well as printing, multifunction systems, and communication technology. This broad technological foundation makes Kyocera an ideal partner for dual use and emerging defence applications.
With decades of experience in advanced materials - particularly high performance ceramics - Kyocera delivers components that withstand extreme conditions and enable reliability in mission critical systems. Existing applications within the group already support defence relevant fields such as radar systems, optronics, sensor fusion technologies, and ruggedized structural materials.
The presentation will highlight how Kyocera’s technologies can contribute to future security and defence capabilities, and that cooperation models with European partners can accelerate dual use innovation and technology transfer.
From Standardized Components to Complex Assemblies – Excellence in Defense Applications
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The KIPP Group is a developer, manufacturer and reliable supplier of high-quality components and systems in the fields of standard elements, operating parts and clamping technology. With over 800 employees at 17 locations, we support our customers as a system partner and level 1 supplier with precisely tailored components worldwide.
We develop and manufacture individual, ready-to-install solutions – from the initial idea to series production. As a reliable partner, we stand for technological expertise and high delivery performance from a single source.
Be it series products or branch-specific solutions - our components are also reliably used in the defence industry. Our KIPP classics are tried and tested products that have always proven to be durable and reliable. They are characterised by high quality and functionality and are indispensable components for all fixtures and machines.
Strategic longterm storage: enhancing supply chain resiliance in the defense sector
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The long-term storage of electronic components, from wafers to assemblies, is increasingly recognized as a strategic measure to secure supply chains in the defense sector.
This practice offers a solution to overcome obsolescence and enhances the resilience of supply chains against disruptions.
By maintaining inventories of critical components over extended periods, their availability is ensured even during unforeseen shortages or demand spikes.
The benefits of long-term storage include improved supply chain resilience, reduced lead times, and enhanced capacity to respond to market fluctuations.
However, it also presents challenges such as potential degradation and aging of electronics during the storage period, which must be addressed through special storage conditions. These aspects are crucial for the security and efficiency of supply chains in the defense industry.
4:25 p.m. - 4:45 p.m.
Challenges for SMEs in Public Procurement under Crisis, Tension and Defence Scenarios
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Partnerships between the Bundeswehr and small and medium sized enterprises (SMEs) no longer take place solely in times of peace. Development, production and supply cycles must already be conceived, designed and prepared in line with the anticipated requirements of procurement under potential scenarios of tension and defence.
This presentation examines the resulting challenges in several steps:
- What distinguishes the different scenarios, and which requirements arise for the Bundeswehr and SMEs alike?
- At which levels does demand emerge through and for the Bundeswehr?
- Which conditions must be met to ensure that a resilient partnership between the Bundeswehr and SMEs can meet the required demands even in times of crisis, tension, and defense?
The aim is to provide an overview of the structural and operational prerequisites for sustainable cooperation and to outline how such partnerships can be designed to remain effective and reliable under changing security conditions.
4:45 p.m. - 5:05 p.m.
Resilient Multi-Satellite Formations for Surveillance and Secure Communication
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Multi-satellite systems form very resilient networks in space for surveillance, navigation and telecommunication functionalities. These can be cost-efficiently realized by many small satellites with cooperative and self-organizing capabilities to form a base for data fusion to achieve reliable high-performance results.
Advantages of cooperating satellite networks include:
- higher resilience and robustness against disturbances,
- increased availability of observation data,
- improved temporal coverage,
- graceful degradation in case of failures,
- innovative distributed measurement principles,
- sensor data fusion for high quality results,
- scalability according to threat situation.
This will be illustrated by concrete examples in orbit, addressing surveillance, and secure communication by Quantum Key Distribution (QKD).
5:05 p.m. - 5:25 p.m.
Global Space Budgets 2026: Demand Shifts, Defence Growth and Market Consolidation
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Drawing on the latest signals from Novaspace's internal market intelligence activities on civil and defence space budgets, the presentation will focus on where government demand is shifting fastest: which nations and domains are driving growth, and why defence is increasingly outpacing civil spending. It will outline the key market drivers and trends shaping the landscape, including consolidation and supply chain dynamics. Several targeted deep dives will illustrate how selected institutional buyers are structuring innovation and procurement, and what this means for the industry in terms of how best to engage.
5:25 p.m. - 5:55 p.m.
Closing Panel Discussion
Efficiency and Transparency in Supply Chains: Challenges and Best Practices for Subtier Integration
Brian Bauer
Radia
Martin Fries
Airbus Defence and Space
Daniel Leimbach
STARK
Raymond Mutz
ONBERG Autonomous Systems
5:55 p.m. - 6:00 p.m.
Closing Remarks & Outlook
Maria Beyer-Fistrich
Editor-in-Chief Aerospace & Defence
Vogel Communications Group
* Subject to change
