Symposium Workshops & Newtworking 
September 21

Pre-registered workshops at Energy Discovery Centre (building connected to the main venue)

15:00–16:30 Autonomy Workshop: “Trusted AI & Autonomy Roadmap”

• data readiness, testing/certification, safety, counter-autonomy, integration

17:00–18:30 Space Workshop: “Space Services for Defence: data-to-decision”

• ISR/communications/PNT, data sharing, service models

19:00– 20.30 Industry Workshop: What are the government’s expectations of the defence industry and what does industry need for rapid production scaling?

• Predictable demand from the government, multi-year procurement contracts, long-term supply chain resilience, funding mechanisms.

20:30–22:00  EDIA/EDW Networking & Reception at Energy Discovery Centre by invitations

Symposium “Next in Defence: Autonomy, Space & Industrial Readiness”

September 22

Narrative

The symposium, held as part of Estonian Defence Week, brings together Estonian and allied defence industry policymakers, investors, and end-users, as well as defence and internal security partners. The aim is to identify opportunities and accelerate real cooperation projects, investments, and potential business agreements.

The 2026
Focus is on three closely interconnected axes: developments in autonomous systems, the space domain as the “backbone” of next-generation capabilities, and defence industry readiness for growing demand.

The core question of the symposium is: how to integrate autonomous technologies into future capability development and space technologies into defence capability that moves from rapid prototype to production and on to the end user.

08:30–09:00 Registration and morning coffee

Block 1: Policy and Capability Development

09:00–10:20 Opening Block: Strategic Framework (Cultural Hub main hall)

09:00–09:10 Moderator’s opening remarks: “Next in Defence: AI, Space & Resilience”

09:10–09:20 Defence Industry Association (EDIA/EKTL) Board Chair Taavi Veskimägi – industry priorities 2026: localisation, investments, end-user access

09:20–09:40 Minister of Defence of Estonia Hanno Pevkur – capability development, procurement, cooperation with allies

09:40–09:50 The future of European defence industry - TBC

09:50–10:00 Mr Andrius Kubilius, European Commission, Commissioner for Defence and Space (Confirmed) – Scaling European industrial and defence capability

10:00–10:20 Estonian Centre for Defence Investments (ECDI) – “From requirement to contract”: procurement and capability development priorities, industrial cooperation practices

10:20–10:30 Streching Break

Block 2: Autonomy and AI

10:30-12:00 Autonomy and AI: From Prototype to Solution

10:30–11:15 Keynote: Peter Sarlin (Confirmed) – “AI-to-Advantage: how to bring artificial intelligence from prototype to operational capability (safely, reliably, scalably)”.

11:15–12:00 Panel 1: AI and Autonomy in Practice “Trusted autonomy in contested environments”

Topics: verification/validation, standardisation/interoperability, integration with NATO systems, data sharing.

Participants: end-user + industry + cyber/safety + investor.

12:00–13:00 Lunch & VIP Lunch

Lunch in the food tent and in Õuetorn.

Block 3: Baltic Sea Region Defence Industries

13:00–14:00 Nordic-Baltic 8 Industry Ministers Panel (The Main Hall, confirmed)

Topic: “Scaling regional defence industry: supply chains, investments, common standards and export support”.

14:00–14:10 Break

Block 4: Space

14:10- 14:35 Space as a Defence Capability Layer: ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance), Communications, PNT (Positioning, Navigation and Timing), Situational Awareness

14:10–14:20 Space Keynote (plenary hall) – astronaut

14:20–14:35 ESA Speaker (European Space Agency, TBC) – “Space for Defence: satellite data, communications and resilience (dual-use) in Europe”.

Block 5: Defence Industry Readiness

14:35- 15:50 Defence Industry Readiness: Demand, Investments, Cooperation

14:35–15:00 What measures accelerate industry-government cooperation?  - Speaker TBC

14:35–15:00 Integrating innovation into the defence industry: from problem to integration - Speaker TBC

15:50–16:00 Closing remarks (plenary hall)

15:50–16:00 Summary and “next steps”

16:00–18:00 Tallinn Defence Exhibition visit

The central event of EDW is the Tallinn Defence Exhibition (22–25 September at Cultural Hub), featuring more than 100 leading companies from Estonia and abroad and enabling direct engagement between suppliers, investors, and public-sector stakeholders

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Venue: Tallinn Creative. Hub, Kursi 3, Blackbox and side halls

Opening hours:  22 September 9:00 - 16:00

*Please note: attending this event does not give you entry to other events scheduled for this week. The only exception is the access to the Tallinn Defence EXPO which is included in your symposim registration.