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23 Feb 23. IDEX and NAVDEX 2023 conclude with exceptional results and unprecedented success.
– The results consolidate the event’s position as the largest defence event in the world
– The visitor of this edition around 132,507 visitors
– Deals worth AED23.34b were signed during the event, more than 12% increase compared to the previous edition
– Increase in the number of exhibiting companies to reach 1,353 companies from 65 countries, and 41 country pavilions
– 216 national exhibitors, marking a 50% increase compared to the previous edition
– Participating official delegations exceeded 367 delegations from all around the world
– The International Defence Conference attracted more than 1,800 participants, a 25% increase compared to the previous edition
– Recorded 98% for visitor and exhibitor satisfaction and happiness
– The advanced infrastructure and excellent organisation have garnered widespread international praise
Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, the 16th edition of the International Defence Exhibition (IDEX 2023) and the 7th edition of the Maritime Defence Exhibition (NAVDEX 2023), organised by ADNEC Group in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence, were concluded today. The exhibitions, which ran from 20 to 24 February at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC), saw the participation of more than 1,353 companies from around the world, and the visitor of around 132,507 visitors. This year’s edition marked a historic achievement for the event, which is considered the most important defence exhibition in the world. The success of this year’s edition cemented the global position of IDEX & NAVDEX as the largest defence event in the world, marking another success story in the journey of the exhibition, which began nearly 30 years ago.
His Excellency Major General Staff Pilot Faris Khalaf Al Mazrouei, Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee of IDEX and NAVDEX 2023, said: “Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, the largest edition of IDEX and NAVDEX concluded with wide global participation. The exhibitions’ massive turnout reflects the prestigious position of the UAE on the regional and international levels.”
His Excellency added: “We are proud of the rapid development of the national defence industry, which contributes to consolidating the position of Abu Dhabi as a destination that attracts decision-makers from all over the world, and a hub for innovation and creativity. This historic achievement would not have been possible without the great support of our wise leadership, to enhance the position and competitiveness of the two exhibitions over the past three decades.”
His Excellency thanked ADNEC Group, all the teams in the Higher Organising Committee, all sub-committees, and national institutions in the public and private sectors, who contributed to the success of this global event, saying: “IDEX and NAVDEX is an ongoing success story for the UAE and the national defence industry, and a role model for the world of which we are very proud of,” His Excellency added.
His Excellency Major General Dr. Mubarak Saeed bin Gafan Al Jabri, Vice Chairman of the Higher Organising Committee of IDEX and NAVDEX, said: “Over the past five days, the UAE has been the focus of the world’s attention and a destination for experts and specialists in the defence industry. The conclusion of IDEX and NAVDEX marks a new historical achievement for the UAE. The current edition witnessed an increase in the number of participants, exhibitors, and visitors, as well as the number of partnerships and the volume of deals announced at this global event, in addition to record participation by leaders and decision-makers, as the number of participating official delegations exceeded 367 delegations from all around the world.”
His Excellency said: “The success story of the two exhibitions goes beyond the record numbers of visitors and participants, to highlight the UAE’s excellence in defence and the qualitative leaps of the sector over the past three decades. It also shows the UAE’s continuous endeavours to source the latest technologies of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and employ them in the service of humanity, as well as maintain international peace and security.”
His Excellency added: “The two exhibitions contributed to the transfer and localisation of advanced knowledge in the country, and strengthening capabilities of national human resources. This was also evident through the panels and workshops that were held during the two exhibitions and the International Defence Conference, which attracted more than 1,800 participants from all over the world. Aside from this, the Worthiness & Safety Conference, which was held for the first time on the sidelines of the two exhibitions, witnessed wide-scale participation by decision-makers and industry experts.”
“I would like to extend my sincerest thanks and appreciation to our wise leadership for their continuous support to ensure the success of this international event, and to all our partners in national and international institutions. We look forward to achieving more successes during future editions through the cooperation and deliberate efforts of all partners, to consolidate the leading position of IDEX and NAVDEX,” His Excellency concluded.
His Excellency Humaid Matar Al Dhaheri, Managing Director and CEO of ADNEC Group, said: “Under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, and organised by ADNEC Group in collaboration with the Ministry of Defence, this year’s edition of IDEX and NAVDEX was a success by all standards. The high level of participation in this edition coincides with the 30th anniversary of IDEX, which was launched in 1993, reinforcing IDEX and NAVDEX as the largest events in the defence industry on the global level. This year, the number of exhibiting companies increased to reach 1,353 companies from 65 countries. The event, which covers an area of more than 165,000 square metres, welcomed 41 country pavilions.”
His Excellency said: “The current edition of IDEX and NAVDEX reflects the significant growth of the national defence sector, where the number of national companies increased to 216 exhibiting companies, with a growth rate of 50% compared to the previous edition. Aside from this, the UAE pavilion was the largest among the exhibiting pavilions with a total area of more than 23,700 square metres, marking a growth rate of 16% compared to the previous edition.
Over five days, IDEX and NAVDEX witnessed the announcement of many deals and strategic partnership agreements between major national and international companies, which demonstrates its role in supporting national industries, transferring and localising knowledge, and contributing to the promotion of local products in new markets.”
Al Dhaheri continued: “The new initiatives held as part of IDEX and NAVDEX garnered praise by participants and specialists from all over the world. The Startups Platform, in which 83 companies from 25 countries participated, witnessed a high turnout by experts, who were interested in finding out about the most prominent innovations in the defence industry.
“Yesterday, we announced the winners of the IDEX Next Gen Innovation Championship, in which 34 companies from 25 countries competed by presenting their most prominent global innovations to the panel of judges. The other initiatives, including the IDEX & NAVDEX Talks and the IDEX Think Tank, attracted many international experts, who discussed the current state of the defence industry and ways to advance it.”
“ADNEC Group is committed to networking with all its partners to identify their needs to be able to deliver services and events that exceed their expectations. For IDEX and NAVDEX, we collaborated with one of the most prominent specialised companies to gauge the happiness and satisfaction of visitors and exhibitors in the current edition of the event. We were pleased with the results which recorded 98% for visitor satisfaction and happiness, the highest percentage in the exhibition industry globally, compared to 96% in the previous edition,” His Excellency added.
“The exceptional success that we witnessed in the current edition serves as an incentive for us to put more effort and build upon our achievement to be able to launch more successful events in the future, which reflect the strong reputation of the Emirate of Abu Dhabi and the UAE. The secret of the success of IDEX and NAVDEX is the unlimited support of our wise leadership, as well as our partners in the Higher Organising Committee of the two exhibitions, the Ministry of Defence, Tawazun Council and EDGE. I am confident that in the next edition of the exhibition, we will continue our journey of success which has lasted for 3 decades,” His Excellency concluded.
This year, the International Defense Conference attracted more than 1,800 participants, with a growth rate of more than 25% compared to the previous session. The Conference included four panel sessions, which covered the social and economic impacts and risks of widespread adoption of new technologies, talent development and human capital management, the impact of emerging technologies on modern defence operations, and the latest technology trends. The Conference saw the participation of more than 17 speakers, including leaders, ministers, and senior officials in the defence sector from across the world.
This year’s edition witnessed features and initiatives that were held for the first time, which contributed to strengthening the position of the world’s most prominent event in the defence industry. In addition, nine new countries participated in the exhibition for the first time, which include, Uzbekistan, Ireland, Nigeria, Montenegro, Kuwait, Lithuania, Bangladesh, and Monaco.
Hall 13, with a total area of more than 2,200 square metres, was added to host new exhibitors this year. An additional hall that includes a dedicated startup area was also launched, with an area of more than 1,500 square metres to host more than 83 startups from 25 countries around the world, providing them with the opportunity to showcase their most prominent technologies and products. The event also saw the launch the IDEX & NAVDEX Talks, which attracted senior decision-makers in the government and private sectors, as well as the launch of the IDEX Think Tank program for the first time, which included closed sessions for experts and industry professionals.
The current edition of NAVDEX witnessed the participation of a number of naval vessels from eight countries, which include, Pakistan, Bahrain, Britain, Italy, China, Kuwait, India, and the United Arab Emirates. These vessels were on display at ADNEC Port and Zayed Port, which featured a range of marine vessels participating in the exhibition.
The Grandstand area at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre and the Water Canal area of ADNEC Marina saw many live demos of the latest equipment and defence vehicles, some of which were on display for the first time, demonstrating the capabilities of vehicles and marine vessels used across various domains.
For the first time in the event’s history, the two exhibitions included an Exhibition Overview, which provided visitors with insights into new and improved features of the exhibitions and introduced them to the most inspiring speakers and the latest updates on exhibitors. The Innovation Journey presented a selection of innovative products on display, making it easier for visitors to identify the best products among thousands of innovations displayed at the two exhibitions.
23 Feb 23. IDEX and NAVDEX Talks, which are held for the first time at the IDEX and NAVDEX exhibitions under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, continue with their sessions that attract thought leaders, policy makers and world-renowned experts to discuss pressing issues in the defence sector.
During the first session, titled “Reflecting the message of the UAE’s leadership to shape our future success: The case of the Covid-19 Pandemic”, H.E. Dr. Farida Al Hosani, Executive Director of Infectious Diseases & Official Spokesperson of the UAE Health Sector, said: “One of the major factors that contributed to our successful response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the UAE was the guidance, insight, and the long-term vision of our leadership. I believe that communication and media played a very important role in our response strategy. If you do not engage with the community, they will not respond. This is what we saw in certain countries. Building trust is very important and connecting with people is something that needs to be built in advance.”
“We used more than 14 languages in our messaging, including an official daily briefing from the government to ensure that people are not misled by social media or messages from other countries. There was complexity associated with code management and storing the vaccine, therefore we worked hard to expand our ability to store new vaccines that require different temperatures and we increased our capacity to around $6 bn to store not only for UAE but other countries regionally and globally. We covered most of our population with the first and second dose, and also most of our population took their first booster. I think this was a major element because once we had more than 50% of our population vaccinated the severity of the disease dramatically changed.
“New technologies, including cloud computing, drones, social media, advanced data analytics and AI can be utilised to deal with any future pandemic. Therefore, we need to adapt to these new technologies and ensure that we have the right regulation to ensure that we can implement these in the right way,” Al Hosani added.
During the second session titled “Cyber security future 2030: How to develop a sustainable defensive ecosystem”, Dr. Bushra Al Blooshi, Deputy Director of Information Services at Dubai Electronic Security Centre, said: “The cyber security challenges might impact the economy’s growth or physical security of the countries themselves. In the UAE, we have one of the world’s busiest airports connecting to over 240 cities globally, and most importantly when it comes to safety, the UAE is ranked as one of the top countries having physical safety and security. The UAE is balancing between digital transformation cybersecurity and all of those global regional competitive measures.”
“Cyber Security isn’t something that you should wait for but it’s something that you should create so being able to adapt within the digital transformation, and using cybersecurity as an enabler for economy can be one of the growth catalysts of this country. We are expecting and aiming to have 25 of our buildings to be 3d printed by 2030. We are aiming to have 25 vehicles in the road within Dubai to be to be connected vehicles autonomous and we are expecting 25 of the total power output to come from the clean energy by 2030. All of those targets and commitments that we give to the leadership of this country is pushing the technological advancements in the country and putting challenges on the cybersecurity sector,” Al Blooshi added.
During the third session titled “Emirati Women in Defence: Seeking new paradigms of thinking”, Dr. Eng. Fatma Bazargan, Director of Enabling Technologies, Requirements & Capabilities at Raytheon Emirates ltd said: “One of the biggest challenges that I have faced during my career was transitioning from the government sector into the private sector, as the work approach and operations were very different between the two. However, now that I have been working in the private sector for years, I would strongly encourage women who are passionate about the defence industry to consider working in the private sector as it can offer them a unique experience and enhance their capabilities in a short time span.”
“The transition from cybersecurity to the defence sector was also a challenge, but I learned that no matter what your educational background or previous experience is, having the right skillsets that can be utilised in any field is key to your success. As the defence sector is still mostly male-dominated, it is important for women to develop their confidence and believe in their capabilities in order to thrive and succeed in their career,” Dr. Eng. Fatma added.
Hala Alzargani from the Center for Innovation & Security Solutions at Lockheed Martin in the UAE, said: “When I joined Lockheed Martin, I was the first Emirati engineer in the company. I am proud that since then I have supported the company in attracting and retaining a number of female Emirati talents, and providing them with ongoing mentorship to ensure that they are well-prepared to secure leading positions in the industry.”
“It’s important for women in our industry to support each other and exchange their knowledge and experience to encourage more women to join the industry and break stereotypes. We are witnessing a change in dynamics as more women are now aware of the opportunities that the defence industry can offer them, and it is our organisations’ responsibility to create career development programs to support women in growing and succeeding in these vital fields,” Alzargani added.
Meera Taher, Electrical Engineer at SAAB, said: “Our wise leadership provides women with ongoing support and endless opportunities to join the defence industry and other vital fields as well. Organisations must provide training programs for women at an early stage, to introduce them to different career pathways and equip them with the knowledge, skills and abilities that are required in those fields. It is essential that we take advantage of these opportunities to achieve the impossible in a country that paves the way for women to excel and secure leading positions across all industries.”
During the fourth session titled, “Advancing defence and security education”, Dr. Ruxandra Vlad, Assistant Professor of Homeland Security, said: “The number one thing that I advise all academic institutions to do, particularly those who are interested in defence education, is to recruit industry-leading faculty with experience in government and military intelligence to ensure a well-rounded learning approach for students. Academic institutions and faculty also need to ensure the applicability of current and modern threats and integrate them into their course offerings.”
“Integrating defence technology in the classroom represents a fantastic opportunity. VR, Metaverse-based simulations, databases, software, and portals make learning more hands-on and enable students to feel as though they’re actually practising what they’re learning. Moreover, partnerships, internships, and industry collaboration are very important to prepare students going forward, as are trainings and seminars to allow students to problem-solve using real-world scenarios, not just things that they read in a textbook.” She added.
During the fifth session titled “Defence Utilization of SMEs as Tech Disruptors” Dr. Ahmed D. Aljaberi, Technology Officer and Advisor at Presidential Guard, said: “When creating a defence strategy, we have to create a clear and concrete plan. One of the challenges facing the defence sector is autonomous systems. Policies are still catching up. For example, some risks may be unknown things about insurance, liability, and more. Therefore, policy is not catching up, and we do not expect it to do so, but that does not stop us from reaching our goals of creating a defence system.”
24 Feb 23. IDEX and NAVDEX Talks conclude their sessions which explored the impact of new technologies on the defence and security industries.
IDEX and NAVDEX Talks, which were held over 3 days for the first time at the IDEX and NAVDEX exhibitions under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE, concluded their sessions. The last day included 6 sessions that brought together thought leaders, policy makers and world-renowned experts.
One of the last sessions of IDEX and NAVDEX talks was attended by His Excellency Mohammed bin Ahmed Al Bowardi, UAE’s Minister of State for Defence Affairs, in addition to a number of VIPs and high-level officials.
During the first session, titled “Security and the emergence of new dimensions: Web3.0, Metaverse, Deepfakes, Misinformation, and beyond”, Professor Martin Spraggon, Keynote Speaker and Author, said: “Web 3.0 applications use a decentralised blockchain that lacks formal authority to control what happens on Web 3.0. This poses major security challenges as it means that users lack protection. Another distinguishing feature of Web 3.0 is the Semantic Web, which concerns artificial intelligence and machine learning that are completely connected. This also brings many security concerns, particularly when it comes to misinformation or deepfakes.”
“Web 3.0 and the Metaverse are disrupting the world significantly. Everything in our lives is changing and will continue to change. This is just the beginning, and there are already concerning implications. Therefore, it is essential that we recognise this and be prepared for whatever is to come,” he added.
During the session titled, “The human experience of an increasingly digital battlespace” Dr. John Hardy, Assistant Dean for Graduate Studies at Rabdan Academy said: “When it comes to the human experience of the battlefield, one of the most important elements is the proximity to targets. We have some significant implications for decision making, depending on the perspective that we take on the battlefield.”
“One of the challenges we have is that we tend to get tunnel vision so we started to focus on the things that we can see, things not produced by the techs, and all the things which are difficult to detect with different types of data systems. In addition, we have a whole range of different new types of non-sensory data, and that could be different kinds of digital information, some of which didn’t exist 20 years ago, some of which don’t exist now,” Dr.Hardy added.
During the third session, titled “Building partnerships for sustainable innovative solutions”, Matt Martin, Director of Technology and Solution Strategy at CAE in the USA, said: “At CAE, we have established partnerships with governments, small companies, universities and academic institutions, which enable us to have access to cutting-edge technology to solve complex military challenges. In addition, the key for our success is the connection to military professionals, which supports us in ensuring that we meet their needs whenever we are developing new technologies. It is essential for us to integrate military professionals into rapid development cycles, to obtain their feedback in real-time and utilise it in our processes to create our technologies.”
Bentzion Levinson, Founder and CEO of Heven Drones, said: “As a small company, partnerships and collaboration are key to our success, particularly B2B partnerships as they pave the way for us to develop innovative technologies based on our customers’ needs.”
Ioseba (Joe) Tena, Commercial Director of Forcys, added: “At Forcys, we work on implementing commercial technology within the defence sector. I believe that continuous experimentation and working alongside the customer to develop our technologies is very important for us to succeed, differentiate our offerings and stay ahead of our competitors.”
During the session titled, “Formulating a National Security Strategy using Quantum Science and Technology”, Dr. Patrick Bell, Assistant Professor at the National Defense College, said: “Nations must confront challenges that are increasingly emerging and that cannot be planned for effectively with a classic strategy. These include climate change, the COVID-19 pandemic, digital disinformation, or natural disasters, such as the recent earthquake in Turkey for example. Using a quantum strategy, nations can leverage the inherent uncertainty of current geopolitical competition and transform threats and challenges into opportunities using quantum game theory and simulation. By employing quantum technologies, we can assist decision-makers with assessing various scenarios. This is how we can move from firefighting to finding solutions.”
During the session titled, “IoMT for strengthening military forces in the era of all-to-all” Jay Edwards, PwC Middle East Defense Partner at PwC said: “There are huge opportunities to automate and improve processes across a number of sectors. With the increased military capabilities, military forces are eager to adopt technologies and tools that can help them achieve information superiority.”
“In the future, military combat will be powered by a network of sensors, wearables, and IoT that uses cloud edge computing to create a cohesive fighting force. The advantage that will be gained from this is the ability to integrate a huge amount of data and use AI to process it in real time on the battlefield, to ensure all decisions are relayed to frontline personnel as quickly as possible,” he added.
During the sixth session titled, “Drones challenging the future”, Professor Dr. Gert-René Polli said: “I strongly believe that adapted and specialized UAVs will increasingly become an indispensable tool for law enforcement, as well as for the intelligence community who will start using these technologies on the operational level and on a tactical level. The deployment of UAVs for the purpose of transportation and logistics solutions is something that is new and has the potential to grow in this market. This technology has the potential to grow and challenge our current logistics.”
22 Feb 23. Team Defence Software Enabled Defence Workshop – 29th & 30th March 2023
Location: QinetiQ Malvern. The Malvern Conference Facilities
Address: Malvern Technology Centre, St Andrew’s Rd, Malvern WR14 3PS
Date: 29th & 30th March
Daily Timing: 8:30 to 16:00
In-person capacity: 80 attendees
Open to TD-Info Members and Non-Members
This workshop is designed to offer an opportunity to shape defence software acquisition thinking and its future direction. It will explore current Software Acquisition Management Improvement (SAMI) work aimed at providing firming foundations in how Defence software is acquired, managed, and supported, to the more disruptive strategic measures required of Defence and many things in between.
As a live and virtual event, the workshop style event is designed to provide a view of the current software acquisition baseline, and then through several discrete workshop (and lenses) consider how software acquisition might involve.
The workshop titles include:
- Software Acquisition Management Improvement Foundations
- Bold Enterprise Disruptors
- Ends, Ways & Means Capture
The workshop will consider theme challenges, opportunities, the potential of a TD-Info MOD / Industry SAMI Working Group focused on Software as a Military Asset, plus informing SAMI funded programmes of work.
19 Feb 23. International Defence Conference panel discussions address strategic and crucial topics for defence and security. The International Defence Conference hosted a broad range of high-caliber speakers from the government and the private sector, addressing key issues in the defence and security space. To an audience of government, academia and corporates, the speakers discussed the potential economic and social consequences of several aspects of technology including the future of defence operations, latest updates and developing talent and managing human capital.
Session 1: “Promise and Peril – the social and economic impacts and risks of widespread adoption of new technologies such as AI, neuro, & biotechnology and extended reality”
This panel explored the social and economic impact and risks associated with the widespread adoption of new technologies such as artificial intelligence, neuro and biotechnology. These technologies certainly offer new efficiencies and opportunities, but they are also introducing new social uncertainty, risks and tensions. That will in turn, create new missions, requirements and dilemmas for defensive security communities.
So what are those technologies that will play an important and impactful role in the future? The human experience as a human society? Is it artificial intelligence? Is it gene biotechnology?
Each one of these technologies is going to bring new capabilities, but also new challenges. H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, Minister of State for AI, Digital Economy and Remote Work Applications, UAE commented, “The limitations are the challenges you have with false positives. Ethical decision-making with a high level of competence is unfortunately not to the degree of a very well trained human being, but with time we’re going to see that as we feed the systems with more and more data, they’re going to be able to give us a better output compared to what we have today.”
AI offers a lot of in terms of efficiency, better decision-making, and perception. However, in the end, the man in front of the machine makes the final decision. Therefore, training people is key. According to John W. Nicholson Jr, Chief Executive, Lockheed Martin Middle East, ‘AI is not about replacing human decision making but rather enhancing human decision making.’ Al is very good at detecting anomalies and this allows the human to come in and verify what needs to be done.”
H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama said that there are many challenges we need analyse. “These systems do not have the same level of empathy and thinking as humans. It is important that the decisions made are not too extreme or offensive.’
Threats are becoming more and more complex and unpredictable. Roy Donelson, Chief Executive, Raytheon MENA says, “One thing that we do is make sure that our operators understand the systems and explain the algorithms and the AI to ensure trust in the system…we want our operators to never have a doubt that the air defence systems will work.”
What are the new dynamics that the defence industry must address? John W. Nicholson, “Many technologies are out there and AI is one of them… you have directed energy hypersonic. The list goes on…how these are integrated…could be the key in the future. Our goal is to deter conflict… to ensure that the capabilities that we and our partners have are so good that no one would want to risk conflict with us.”
How do we stay in control of the technological development and mitigate the rest, whether in the civilian world or the military world, there’s not going to be a perfect match, but what are some of the things that we can currently do to stay in control?
H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, “I think the only answer is more cooperation, more dialogue… there are certain consequences today that do not allow for dialogues to happen and we know that but we need to constantly push one to ensure that we are able to work together to collectively care about the future of humanity.”
Closing statements:
John W. Nicholson Jr, “Collaboration is going to be critical as we go forward.” Investing education and awareness is also critical, “I really think the education of those that use AI will enable them to…advance it to the next level.”
François-Régis Boulvert, “We are at a turning point in changing the way we interact with young people… for me; humans need to stay at the centre of the decision.”
H.E. Omar Sultan Al Olama, “I just hope that we have a lot more of these dialogues and engagements, where we bring multiple stakeholders from around the world to share best practices and knowledge and to present to the world case studies of what can and can’t be our future.” Furthermore, “…don’t underestimate the level of imagination that bad actors have. They will think about using all of these tools to create as much harm as possible. And the only way that we will be able to truly ensure that we eradicate this nature is for us all to work together.”
Session 2: Keeping Pace –how the increasing incorporation of advanced technologies in the workplace is changing approaches to talent development and human capital management
The panel explored and investigated the aspects of the creation and development of human resources and how the human capital will be capable of grasping the opportunities brought by technological progress as well as responding to the challenges that technological advancements bring.
The session speakers included: James Anthony Morse (President, Rabdan Academy), H.E. Robert Kachatryan (Minister of High Tech Industry in Armenia), Antoine Noguler (Head of Strategy at Airbus), and Mr. Hasan Alhosani, Chief Executive Officer of Bayanat.ae.
James Morse outlines the challenges the education institution is trying to navigate in this emerging field. Mr. Morse said: “As technology continues to evolve, skills of analysis, creativity, critical thinking of leadership are really going to be very important and enduring themes that we need to make sure are covered by education. The future operating environment is definitely going to have a far greater involvement from the private sector, and technology offers great opportunities in education and training.”
H.E. Robert Kachatryan defined the development of the high-tech sector as a top priority for Armenia. H.E. said: “Our overarching objective is to see Armenia as a place where high-value scientific products are produced and consumed within a wider economy, and for that goal to be achieved, we are committed to ongoing investment in human capital, which will establish science and business linkages, functioning networks, and collaborations that are the main pillars of the policies that we are developing.”
Antoine Noguler elaborated on how he, as a leader, is coping with some of the challenges of needing to grasp technological development and how that translates to human resources. Noguler said, “We need to make sure we can overcome this challenge. In big company like Airbus, we need to have not only the top leadership’s willingness and strategy in place but we also need to make sure we can develop the necessary technology.”
Hasan Al Hosani discussed how the defence sector is always leading the research and development process in many aspects, and the usage of technologies is becoming very significant. He commented: “We require artificial intelligence to do deep analysis, generate multiple layers of insights, and then provide these findings to humans so that one can add conviction and personal knowledge and experience to this decision-making process. The human workforce has to evolve and move from lower-tier processing jobs to focusing on upskilling and multiskilling and focusing on higher-level tasks.”
Session 3: Tech at the Forefront –the impact of emerging technologies on modern operations and the future of warfare
Major Gen. Staff Mubarak Ghafan Aljabri, AUSEC for Support and Defence Industries, Ministry of Defence, UAE: The UAE has put in place plans and future strategies to realize the country’s digital transformation. Our leadership has a clear vision on where it wants to be in terms of deploying disruptive technologies. We are working to identify strategic partners, user requirements, human capital and training requirements to succeed in deploying technologies. Regarding AI and machine learning, these technologies are generating huge amounts of data that allow us to analyze, plan and utlize it in the right time to protect and defend our nation and execute our missions.
Vice Admiral Brad Cooper, Commander of U.S. Naval Forces Central Command, said: “We believe a key element to enforcing security is through deterrence and being able to stop something from happening in the first place, and being able to respond if it happens. And that’s where the power of AI and unmanned systems can be so meaningful for individual countries. This can be possible through the power of collaboration and partnerships with world-wide providers of these technologies. Our goal by the end of this year is to grow our unmanned fleet with our partners to about 100 platforms patrolling around the region.”
H.E Dong Joon Yoo, Deputy Minister of Military Force and Resource Management, Republic of Korea: It is important to realize the importance of commercial technology and to keep up with the changes in the environment around us. It is also essential to rebuild systems to make sure that they are able to adapt to changes.
Professor Major General (Ret) Adam Findlay, Professor of Practice, Defence and Regional Security, Griffith Asia Institute, Griffith University: There’s a couple of technologies that we’re seeing in Australia which are very important for the future of warfare. The first is robotics and autonomous systems. We are seeing an evolution on the battlefield right now, with ISR systems and increased accuracy.
There is a centrality to humans that we’re applying these technologies for. There has been a lot of evidence where we’ve applied technology and the human has to adapt to the technology. However, we need to flip that around.
Session 4: The next Frontiers – the human instinct to explore beyond the current dimensions of the terrestrial and physical world and expand the human footprint in both space and digital domain
Nikos Papatsas, Senior Partner, EFA Group, “Our generation is living in a more interesting generation for space. We live in the fourth generation where space has become very important…governments and industry have to come together.”
Anna-Karin Rosén, CEO, SAAB, “We live in a time where space exploration is going in such an interesting direction, and we have the tools to maximise utilising them. Artificial intelligence is going to be a big deal for both defensive space and the commercial use of space because it will allow us to do the impossible.”
Palmer Luckey, Founder/Inventor, Oculus VR, Anduril Industries, USA said, “The number one thing that most governments can do is to create opportunities for companies with new technologies and new ways of doing things to successfully compete against the companies that have existed for a very, very long time.”
Nikos Papatsas commented, “Navigation is number one and this is something that all governments are very interested in protecting as an asset in space…number two is communication and thirdly, the sensors are very important, whether we are talking about radar sensors or electro optical sensors. These are the most important capabilities that one needs to have in order to protect assets.”
20 Feb 23. Pioneering Aerospace – that will be the slogan of ILA when it takes place next year at Berlin-Brandenburg Airport in the heart of Europe. From 05 to 09 June 2024 at #ILABerlin, the focus will be entirely on the future and fascination of aerospace. The leading trade show for sustainability, new technologies and innovation is the platform where the international industry, policymakers, the armed forces, research and science gather to exchange views. Among the key topics will be climate-neutral aviation and the energy transition in the skies. With its trade show segments Aviation, Space, Defence & Security and Suppliers, ILA mirrors the entire value chain of this high-tech sector.
All five partners have now paved the way for holding ILA 2024: the Senate Department for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises of the Land of Berlin, the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Labour and Energy of the Land of Brandenburg, Flughafen Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH, the German Aerospace Industries Association and Messe Berlin GmbH have signed a corresponding framework agreement. In doing so, the parties also underline the importance of #ILABerlin for the Berlin/Brandenburg region and that of Germany as a place for business and innovation.
”ILA is the leading showcase for the aerospace sector in Germany and of great importance for eastern Germany in its role as a high-tech hub for the industry“, said Stephan Schwarz, Senator for Economics, Energy and Public Enterprises in Berlin. ”With its many innovative companies and leading research institutes, the metropolitan region of Berlin/Brandenburg is a big aerospace player. That applies particularly to civil aviation which is the focus of ILA. We are pioneers in the development of new low-emissions technologies and also set new standards at international level, from which the entire business region benefits.“
Jörg Steinbach, Minister for Economic Affairs, Labour and Energy of the Land of Brandenburg: ”The Berlin/Brandenburg region is home to international aerospace groups, SMEs from this sector and numerous suppliers who are dedicated to taking on the challenge of sustainable aviation. Brandenburg has an outstanding reputation particularly in turbine technology. Our aerospace industry is highly innovative – that is something it can impressively prove yet again at ILA 2024. I am already looking forward to the event. The signing of this framework agreement signals the official green light for this leading industry trade show.“
Aletta von Massenbach, CEO, Flughafen Berlin-Brandenburg GmbH: ”We are delighted to be able to welcome international representatives of the aerospace sector to the exhibition grounds at BER again in 2024. Over the five days of the event the capital’s airport will be the meeting place of this high-tech sector. Under the heading ‘Pioneering Aerospace’ and with a special focus on sustainability, the Berlin/Brandenburg region will provide an important boost for climate-neutral aviation for the entire sector. I would like to thank our partners for the trust they have placed in BER and the region in its role as the venue for this leading aerospace exhibition and for the as always close cooperation during the preparations for the show.”
”Taking as its slogan ‘#PioneeringAerospace’, #ILABerlin is the meeting place of the international aerospace sector“, said Volker Thum, Managing Director of the German Aerospace Industries Association. ”In 2024, ILA will again be showcasing the future and fascination of flying – which is climate-neutral, low-noise and highly innovative. Europe’s leading aerospace exhibition shows how space exploration benefits our everyday lives on Earth. Security and defence are the basis of our value system which is founded on democracy and freedom.“
Dirk Hoffmann, Management of Messe Berlin GmbH: ”We are delighted that together with our partners we have been able to secure the holding of ILA in 2024. ILA is the meeting place for everyone who wants to find out about new technologies and innovations in aerospace. Whether industry newcomers or decision-makers from industry, politics and science – ILA Berlin provides the ideal platform for exchanging views on the latest industry topics, networking and establishing leads.”
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DSEI 2023 – POWERING PROGRESS, DEFINING YOUR FUTURE
DSEI connects governments, national armed forces, industry thought leaders and the entire defence & security supply chain on a global scale. With a range of valuable opportunities for networking, a platform for business, access to relevant content & live-action demonstrations, the DSEI community can strengthen relationships, share knowledge and engage in the latest capabilities across the exhibition’s Aerospace, Land, Naval, Security & Joint Zones.
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