With 250+ senior defence, government, and industry representatives attending, this is one of the UK's most focused annual forums for UGV and UAS procurement discussions, making it a direct channel to British Army, NATO, and allied acquisition decision-makers. SMEs and technology startups can access dedicated exhibition and roundtable partnership slots that place emerging autonomous solutions in front of programme managers and capability developers. The co-location with International Dismounted Soldier amplifies cross-domain relevance for suppliers covering soldier systems, robotics, and human-machine teaming.
Uncrewed & Autonomous Systems 2026 is a two-day senior-level conference bringing together military leaders, government stakeholders, and defence industry innovators to examine the latest developments in UGVs, UAS, robotics, counter-drone systems, and AI-enabled autonomous capability. The event focuses on how uncrewed and autonomous technologies are transforming military operations across land and air domains, drawing on real-world case studies and operational insight from end users. It is co-located with Defence IQ's International Dismounted Soldier conference at Novotel West London, creating a shared exhibition and networking space across both communities.
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Moderate pricingmedium confidence
The 2025 edition drew speakers from NATO HQ, RUSI, the Czech Defense University, UK MoD, and the British Army's 16 Air Assault Brigade, alongside industry participants including Milrem Robotics and GaardTech. Attendees included senior officers from the British Army, US Army, and allied nations. Exact exhibitor counts and floor-space figures are not publicly disclosed; partnership pricing is available on request.
This is the only dedicated regional defence conference in Australia that places prime contractors and SMEs in the same room for structured, direct engagement — making it a critical pipeline event for Hunter-region and NSW suppliers seeking to enter or grow within ADF programs. Senior leaders from all three services and Joint Capabilities attend, providing rare first-hand insight into current capability priorities and procurement pathways. For SMEs and startups, the small-group discussion format offers direct access to decision-makers that larger trade shows rarely replicate.
MSPO is one of the highest-value contracting forums in Europe: the 2025 edition saw over PLN 6 billion in defence contracts signed on-site, making it a critical venue for business development in Central and Eastern European procurement markets. Poland's status as one of the EU's most active defence spenders — with the largest NATO GDP-percentage defence budget — gives suppliers direct access to live procurement pipelines and senior ministry decision-makers. For SMEs and startups, the Canadian Lead Nation programme, B2B matchmaking, and the DEFENDER awards offer structured pathways to partnerships, export opportunities, and visibility with global primes and government buyers.
As NATO's flagship public-communications event in Central Europe, it puts allied air, land and rescue capabilities in front of national leadership, ambassadors, military attachés and hundreds of thousands of visitors, giving suppliers high-visibility exposure alongside primes and government forces. The Special Partner Nation mechanism (Germany in 2026) has historically opened industrial and political cooperation opportunities, and the show serves as a debut platform for new platforms and modernization programs relevant to Czech and allied procurement.
