XPO Europe to Highlight Unmanned Defense Strategy & UK-Germany Security Dialogue

The integration of autonomous systems, artificial intelligence, and robotics into modern security architectures will take center stage at XPONENTIAL Europe from 24 to 26 March 2026.

Hybrid threats, drone attacks, and sophisticated cyber operations are fundamentally altering the requirements for national defense and the protection of critical infrastructure. To address this shifting landscape, the event will host a dedicated specialist conference organized by the German Armed Forces on 25 March 2026. Located in the Defense Theater at the Düsseldorf Exhibition Centre, this session is designed to explore the operational, technological, and political dimensions of an increasingly unmanned environment.

The Bundeswehr conference, titled “Operational and Innovative Security and Defence Perspectives of an Unmanned Environment”, is supported by Diehl Defence and targets a professional audience from procurement, security authorities, research, and industry. Key discussion points include deterrence through unmanned systems across all domains, the current threat situation in the Euro-Atlantic area, and the application of “meaningful human control” in automated processes.

“Unmanned systems are now a key factor in modern security and defence architectures. The Munich Security Conference has once again clearly demonstrated this. It is crucial that operational experience, technological development and political frameworks are closely interlinked. With our presence at XPONENTIAL Europe, we want to enter direct dialogue with research and industry and look forward to many discussions and contacts. At the same time, together with the supporting programme “Defence meets Wirtschaft” organised by our partner, the British Chamber of Commerce Germany, we are sending a strong signal to the public,” says Rear Admiral Christian Bock, Head of the Bundeswehr Innovation Centre in Erding.

Parallel to the technical conference, a strategic bilateral dialogue titled “Defence meets Wirtschaft” will be hosted by the British Chamber of Commerce in Germany (BCCG). This symposium brings together high-level decision-makers from politics and the military to discuss European defense capabilities and industrial resilience. The dialogue is implemented in cooperation with the British Embassy and the British Ministry of Defence, highlighting the United Kingdom’s role as a primary security partner for Europe.

“The ‘Defence meets Wirtschaft’ Symposium is a wonderful example of bilateral dialogue as envisaged in the Kensington Treaty and our Trinity House Agreement on Defence. As we celebrate the 80th anniversary of ‘Operation Marriage’, the creation by British allied forces of a new federal state – North Rhine-Westphalia – I can scarcely think of a better way for the United Kingdom and the modern economic powerhouse of NRW to mark this milestone and look forward to future cooperation on security, defence and innovation together,” explains Andrew Mitchell CMG, British Ambassador to Germany.

Michael Schmidt, President of the British Chamber of Commerce in Germany, says, “The British Chamber of Commerce in Germany stands for strong and reliable German-British relations. With the strategic dialogue ‘Defence meets Wirtschaft’, we support XPONENTIAL Europe and Messe Düsseldorf as an international platform for innovation and cooperation. The aim is to bring the United Kingdom and Germany even closer together in the field of security and defence through industry and trade, in close cooperation with our partners and allies. The dialogue also fits into the historical context of North Rhine-Westphalia’s 80th anniversary.”

The event will also feature insights from Dr. Marie-Agnes Strack-Zimmermann, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Security and Defence. She is expected to address Europe’s security policy orientation, EU-NATO cooperation, and the practical application of European defense budgets. These discussions occur during the 80th anniversary of North Rhine-Westphalia, further emphasizing the region’s historical and contemporary significance as a hub for security innovation and industrial cooperation.

Defense Advancement is pleased to be collaborating with many companies participating in XPONENTIAL Europe 2026 and will be at Booth A01 Hall 1 throughout the show.