Estonian Defence Week “How to Win the Next War” to Convene 4,000 Defence Leaders in Tallinn

Estonian Defence Week (EDW) will take place in September 2026, hosted by the Estonian Defence and Aerospace Industry Association (EDIA) together with the Ministry of Defence, the International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS) and Tehnopol Science and Business Park.

Building on the strong foundation of last year’s inaugural edition — with international exhibitors including major global players such as Airbus, BlackBerry, and Saab — the 2026 event will take place under the title “How to Win the Next War”, attracting defence companies, investors, policymakers, and military leaders from Estonia and abroad.

"Estonian Defence Week showcases Estonia’s steadfast commitment to security, technological innovation, and allied cooperation — bringing together our armed forces, defence industry, and cutting-edge technologies to strengthen our collective defence today and secure a safer tomorrow,“ said Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur.

“The need for a platform such as Estonian Defence Week has only grown over time,” said EDIA’s CEO Kalev Koidumäe. “Last year’s event clearly demonstrated that both our domestic defence industry and regional decision-makers require a credible and well-structured meeting place. In an increasingly complex security environment, it is essential to align industry, investors, and policymakers in one forum to advance practical solutions and strategic priorities.”

The theme “How to Win the Next War” reflects the evolving nature of warfare, where victory depends not only on military capability but also on innovation cycles, supply-chain security, dual-use technologies, cyber resilience, and close cooperation between industry, governments, and armed forces. “Winning the next war requires readiness in peacetime. This means scalable production capacity, trusted partnerships, credible deterrence and the rapid integration of emerging technologies into operational use,” Koidumäe added.

Starting on Monday, 21 September 2026, at Kultuurikatel Creative Hub, Estonian Defence Week will convene approximately 4,000 domestic and international defence professionals in Tallinn over five days to address pressing security challenges and present the latest defence industry solutions.

The week opens with Defence Innovation Day, organised by Tehnopol Science and Business Park, which will feature leaders from defence, technology and investment and highlight startup pitches focused on dual-use capabilities shaping security across NATO and beyond.

The Estonian Defence Industry Symposium on 22 September will host defence industry experts and policymakers from more than 30 countries.

The ICDS-organised 20th Annual Baltic Defence Conference (ABCD), taking place on 22–23 September, will gather high level defence community — policymakers, military officials, academics, analysts, and media representatives — for discussions on transatlantic defence and military issues.

The central event of EDW is the Tallinn Defence Exhibition (22–24 September), featuring 100+ leading companies from Estonia and abroad and enabling direct engagement between suppliers, investors, and public-sector stakeholders.

The programme will also include the NATO Open Innovation Conference (NOIC), which will take place on 23–24 September and invite Allied innovators from military entities, startups, research institutes, and industry actors to hear and discuss practical, rapidly deployable solutions to defined defence and security challenges.

The week concludes on Friday, 25 September, with hackathons and side events focused on developing practical security and defence solutions.

Media Background

Estonian Defence Week (EDW) is the largest defence and security event in the Baltic region, taking place for the second year. EDW is designed to bring together the most important domains and leading stakeholders of the defence sector, connecting decision-makers, industry, innovators, and partners to strengthen cooperation, showcase capabilities, and advance resilience across the region and beyond.

Estonian Defence and Aerospace Industry Association (EDIA), founded in February 2009, represents over 200 companies across key defence sectors and serves as a strategic partner to the Estonian state in strengthening national defence and supporting industrial growth. 

The International Centre for Defence and Security (ICDS) is the leading think-tank in Estonia specialising in security, defence and foreign policy issues.

Tehnopol is one of the largest science and business parks in the Nordic-Baltic region. Founded by the Estonian Government, Tallinn City and TalTech University, Tehnopol fosters technology transition by providing services from commercial real estate to business consultancy, accelerators and incubation services across its focus areas: health technologies, dual-use and defence technologies (including cybersecurity), artificial intelligence (AI), digital technologies and deep-tech.