Defence events in 2027

SecD-Day has rapidly become the largest defence and security exhibition ever held in Finland and a key Nordic meeting point, offering direct access to Finnish and international primes, authorities and foreign delegations following Finland's NATO accession. For SMEs and startups it provides a comparatively affordable route to reach national armaments buyers, strategic partners like Patria and Millog, and international primes in a growing Northern European defence market.

Less a sales event, more a strategic signal-reading event. Tracks where transatlantic and EU security priorities (and therefore future budgets) are heading. Invite-only, but the surrounding fringe is open networking.

The entry point to Gulf defence budgets and offset programs. High-value procurement decisions are made here; relationship-building and local partner introductions matter more than booth size.

Avalon is the Indo-Pacific's premier aerospace and defence marketplace, drawing 900+ exhibitors and 60,000+ trade visitors including senior procurement decision-makers from the Australian Department of Defence, allied air forces, and major primes — making it the region's highest-density opportunity for contract leads and capability showcasing. For SMEs and startups, dedicated state government pavilions (Victoria, NSW, California, and others) provide subsidised floor space and direct access to prime contractors and international buyers. The co-located Chief of Air Force Symposium, which in 2025 gathered 20 Chiefs of Air Force from around the world, elevates the event's strategic and diplomatic significance well beyond a standard trade show.

Poland is a frontline NATO state rapidly scaling its drone procurement and C-UAS capabilities, making Warsaw an increasingly strategic market for UAS suppliers targeting defence and dual-use contracts in Central and Eastern Europe. Co-location with the broader Warsaw Security & Defence Expo block gives exhibitors direct access to uniformed services, government procurement representatives, and defence-adjacent buyers in a single venue. For SMEs and startups, the event's relatively low entry costs and regional profile offer a cost-efficient route to the Polish and wider CEE market before competing at larger global shows.

As Germany's first fully integrated defence exhibition, launched amid the Zeitenwende and a defence budget projected to reach EUR 180 billion by 2030, DSEI Germany offers suppliers direct access to the German MoD, Bundeswehr, European procurement authorities and international delegations in a single venue. A dedicated Newcomer Zone for German SMEs and start-ups plus regional and international pavilions make it a strategic market-entry platform for smaller and non-German firms seeking early positioning in a rapidly expanding market. Exhibiting at the inaugural edition allows companies to establish an early foothold before the show scales further.

Soldier modernisation programs are recurring and broad. A focused venue for firms in wearables, power, optics and edge compute to reach program offices.

The event has emerged as a central European meeting point for the dual-use autonomy sector, connecting primes, SMEs and startups with government, military and academic decision-makers. Its explicit dual-use and defence focus—featuring companies like Rheinmetall and Quantum Systems alongside a dedicated startup zone—gives suppliers direct access to procurement-relevant audiences and live demonstration opportunities. For SMEs and startups it offers a lower-cost route into defence and civil autonomy markets, partnerships and investor exposure.

DEFSEC West is the only dedicated defence, security, and aerospace trade show in Western Canada, filling a long-recognised gap for SMEs and primes seeking Canadian content supply chain partners in the region. The Government of Canada participates with a whole-of-government procurement presence, making it a direct access point for companies navigating Canadian defence contracting. With two-thirds of 2027 space already sold off the back of a strong inaugural edition, it is rapidly becoming a must-attend event for any company targeting the Canadian defence market.

The premiere 2026 edition drew over 25,000 visitors and 360+ exhibitors, signalling strong demand for a Central-and-Eastern-European security and defence platform at a time of heightened Polish defence spending. Its integrated drone, rescue and firearms tracks plus a substantive conference give SMEs and startups direct access to uniformed services, public administration and R&D institutions such as Łukasiewicz. Ministry of National Defence patronage and attendance by senior decision-makers make it a relevant procurement and networking venue for dual-use suppliers.

Primary venue for the US Navy and maritime industrial base. Critical for firms in shipbuilding, autonomous maritime systems and naval C2.

SOFINS is unique in Europe as a focused meeting point between the special-forces community and industry, giving suppliers direct access to operators, buyers and dozens of foreign delegations. Its live-testing format and roughly 600 pre-arranged business meetings let SMEs and startups demonstrate niche innovations directly to decision-makers, shortening the path to procurement. For deeptech and dual-use firms, the SOFLAB competition and selection process offer high-value exposure to a curated, high-intent audience.

Its proximity to the EU institutions and NATO gives suppliers direct access to European procurement decision-makers, national armament directors and official delegations in one location. BEDEX explicitly courts SMEs and startups with a start-up village, pitch sessions and investor access, and the inaugural edition already saw on-site contract signings. For firms targeting Belgium's rearmament and wider EU strategic-autonomy spending, it is an emerging gateway market.

LAAD is the premier gateway to Latin America's defence procurement ecosystem, offering direct access to Brazilian Armed Forces and Public Security buyers who hold active acquisition mandates backed by multi-billion-real national defence investment plans. For SMEs and international primes alike, the structured delegation programme — with 1,200+ pre-scheduled meetings in 2025 — provides a uniquely efficient route to decision-makers across the region. No comparable event in Latin America matches its scale, institutional backing, or concentration of qualified military and government buyers.

Focused access to USMC requirements around Force Design and expeditionary operations. Strong fit for autonomy, C-UAS and logistics suppliers.

Poland is one of Europe's fastest-growing defence spenders and is building out a major domestic industrial base, making Katowice a strategically important location for suppliers seeking to enter or expand within the Central and Eastern European defence supply chain. The event's deliberately limited, procurement-weighted exhibition floor gives SMEs and component suppliers direct access to decision-makers with budget authority, accelerating business development. With parallel editions planned in North America and Germany, DMME is positioning itself as a cross-continental platform for defence manufacturing and materials sourcing.

Positioned at a strategic crossroads in Southeast Europe and the Mediterranean, DEFEA connects suppliers directly with Greek armed forces modernization programs and regional defence procurement directorates. It offers extensive B2B, B2G, and G2G networking along with partnership opportunities with Greek defence industry manufacturers.

DWC is the single most important annual procurement and partnership event for the global UAV supply chain, offering direct access to Chinese manufacturers who dominate 70%+ of the consumer drone market and nearly 50% of the industrial drone market worldwide. For defence suppliers and dual-use SMEs, the dedicated low-altitude security and counter-UAS exhibition zone (Hall 5 in 2026) and associated forums provide unmatched visibility into Chinese C-UAS technology trends and potential export partners. The event's scale — 1,200+ exhibitors and 180,000+ visitors in 2026 — makes it an essential intelligence-gathering venue for any organisation tracking UAS threats, capabilities, or supply-chain dependencies.

Japan is loosening export rules and increasing defence spending. An early-mover venue for firms seeking Japanese partners and the Indo-Pacific supply base.

As the largest cybersecurity event in the Benelux, Cybersec Europe gives suppliers, SMEs and start-ups direct access to a decision-maker audience of CISOs, IT-security managers and public-sector buyers concentrated in Brussels, the EU's regulatory and policy hub. Free visitor entry and AI matchmaking lower the barrier for smaller vendors to generate leads, while sessions on NIS2, OT security and digital sovereignty align with growing defence and critical-infrastructure procurement priorities.

IDET is Central Europe's leading defence procurement gateway, drawing military delegations from more than 50 countries and serving as the primary export showcase for the Czech defence industry. For SMEs and startups, it offers direct access to primes such as CSG, Rheinmetall, and KNDS, plus a dedicated startup and innovation focus, making it a practical venue to secure contracts and partnerships in a fast-growing regional defence market.

As part of the combined IDET/PYROS/ISET security fairs, ISET gives suppliers direct access to Czech and Central European public-sector, security-force and armed-force buyers alongside a major defence procurement audience. For SMEs and startups it is an export-oriented platform where cybersecurity and critical-infrastructure solutions can be demonstrated to decision-makers and international delegations in one place.

CANSEC is the single most important gateway to Canadian defence procurement, with 74% of attendees involved in purchasing decisions and over CAD $1 billion in business opportunities generated annually. For SMEs and startups, the CANSEC Connect B2B/B2G programme provides structured access to Canadian Armed Forces procurement officers, DND officials, and allied-nation delegations that would otherwise be difficult to reach. The 2026 edition set attendance records and had 250 companies on a waitlist for 2027 floor space, signalling exceptional demand and commercial urgency.

The ASCF is Australia's only dedicated forum for space cybersecurity, making it the primary venue for suppliers of satellite security, ground-segment protection, and dual-use cyber technologies to engage with Australian Defence Space Command stakeholders, government agencies, and the growing domestic space industry. For SMEs and startups, the co-located exhibition and structured networking provide direct access to decision-makers in a niche but rapidly expanding procurement area. As Australia accelerates investment in sovereign space capabilities under AUKUS and the Defence Strategic Review, this forum is a key pipeline for identifying emerging requirements and commercialisation opportunities.