Source: Messe Essen GmbH
Essen, 8 September 2026
The international defence industry trade fair
Civilian and military experts share their knowledge
When the international defence industry comes together for the first time at the Euro Defence Expo (EUDEX) at Messe Essen from 22 to 25 September 2026, the focus will not be limited to technologies and solutions. With the ‘EUDEX Conference by CPM’, the trade fair will feature an exclusive conference format that addresses current security policy challenges and, in particular, highlights cooperation between military and civilian stakeholders. The conference will take place on 22 and 23 September, running alongside the trade fair, and is organised by CPM Verlag.
More than 350 exhibitors from 19 countries are expected to attend the premiere of EUDEX. As a new international trade fair for the defence industry, it brings together companies, procurement organisations, the Bundeswehr, government agencies and other stakeholders in the security and defence sector. The event gains a distinctive profile by being held concurrently with Security Essen. This brings civilian and military security together in a shared exhibition environment—two sectors whose challenges, technologies and solutions are increasingly overlapping.
Think civil and military security together
It is precisely these interfaces that are at the heart of the EUDEX Conference by CPM. Over the course of two days, high-ranking representatives from the Bundeswehr, politics, public administration, industry, the healthcare sector and civil protection will discuss how Germany can strengthen its defence capabilities and the resilience of society as a whole. The range of topics extends from civil-military cooperation and developments in military strategy, through crisis prevention and healthcare, to innovations in security preparedness and NBC protection.
The event kicks off on 22 September with a keynote address by Retired Lieutenant General Alfons Mais, former Inspector General of the Army. Under the title ‘Rethinking Total Defence’, he will focus on civil-military cooperation as a precondition for national resilience. The programme will then go on to explore, amongst other things, the potential that civilian and military actors can unlock for one another and how cooperation must work in real life in the case of an emergency. Participants in the panel discussions include State Secretary Paul Höller from the North Rhine-Westphalia Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy; Lieutenant General Thorsten Poschwatta, Commander of Air Component Command; and Udo Schröder-Hörster, full-time member of the regional executive board of Johanniter-Unfall-Hilfe e.V., North Rhine-Westphalia regional association.
From NATO strategy to crisis management: a focus on resilience
On the second day of the conference, the focus will be, as well as other topics, on NATO’s military-strategic development, healthcare provision in times of crisis, and cooperation between the state and industry in the field of security prevention. Speakers will include, for example, retired Air Force Lieutenant General Jürgen Knappe, former Commander of the NATO Joint Support and Enabling Command; Gerd Friedsam, former President of the Federal Agency for Technical Relief; and Niklas Kull, Head of Development & Testing at Kärcher Futuretech GmbH.
Julia Jacob, Head of Project at Euro Defence Expo: “The current challenges show very clearly that civil and military security can no longer be considered in isolation from one another. This is precisely where EUDEX comes in. Together with Security Essen, we are creating a space where stakeholders from both sectors can meet, learn from one another and identify specific areas of overlap. The EUDEX Conference by CPM brings this vision to the fore and offers our trade visitors further opportunities for discussion, networking and new approaches to solutions.”
Free to attend – advance registration required
The full programme for the EUDEX Conference by CPM, including all topics, speakers and times, is available on the EUDEX website at https://www.eurodefenceexpo.de. Attendance at the conference is free of charge for registered EUDEX visitors. Advance registration is required to visit the trade fair. Important: A ticket for the Security Essen event, which is taking place at the same time, does not grant access to EUDEX.