ZEN.COM Expo – Centrum Wystawienniczo-Kongresowe Województwa Podkarpackiego, Jasionka 953
Location
Rzeszów, Poland
Organizer
Marshal's Office of Podkarpackie Voivodeship (Urząd Marszałkowski Województwa Podkarpackiego)
Cost
paid
Scale
regional
Recurrence
annual
Reg. deadline
31 Aug 2026
Format
On-site
Why it matters
Podkarpackie is one of Central Europe's most established aerospace manufacturing bases, and this summit is the region's strategic move to pivot from aviation to drone/dual-use technology — directly relevant to defence suppliers and SMEs seeking to enter or expand in the UAS and dual-use market. The co-located Dual Use Challenge pitch finals offer startups direct access to VC funds, investors, and industrial primes on a single day. For defence-adjacent firms, the live airfield showcase at Stalowa Wola–Turbia — including counter-drone systems — provides rare hands-on demonstration access in a NATO-ally operational context.
Carpathian Drone Summit 2026 is the inaugural edition of an international event dedicated to unmanned aerial systems (UAS), dual-use technology, artificial intelligence, and autonomous systems. Held across two days, it combines a main conference and EXPO at ZEN.COM Expo in Jasionka (30 September) with live operational drone demonstrations at Stalowa Wola–Turbia Airport (29 September). The programme features two thematic stages (Strategy and Impact), expert panels, an exhibition zone, and three satellite tracks: the Dual Use Challenge startup competition, Dual Use Hackathon, and Dual Use Drone Showcase. The event is anchored in Poland's Podkarpackie region, home to the established Aviation Valley cluster, and aims to become a recurring European hub for drone-sector collaboration between industry, academia, public administration, and the military.
Market intel
Moderate pricinglow confidence
Carpathian Drone Summit 2026 is a brand-new event and no post-show data or confirmed exhibitor list is available at this stage. The organiser (Podkarpackie Voivodeship) has framed it as the foundation of a European drone brand, with recruitment of startups and exhibitors ongoing through August 2026. Commercial and exhibitor data should be revisited after the September 2026 edition.
AI-researched Tue, 18 August 2026. Estimates from public sources. Verify with the organizer.
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