BEDEX concludes in Brussels after establishing itself from its first edition as a new European meeting point for the defence industry.
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Press Release, Brussels, 14 March 2026: The first edition of BEDEX – Brussels European Defence Exhibition & Conference, organised at Brussels Expo from 12 to 14 March, concludes today after three days that brought together more than 200 companies from 27 countries, more than 70 official delegations and several thousand visitors from the professional sector and the general public.
Organised in the capital of Europe and close to NATO headquarters, BEDEX brought together industry leaders, institutions, procurement authorities and innovation stakeholders around the major technological and strategic challenges of the defence sector.
Key figures of BEDEX 2026 – These figures confirm the international interest generated by this first edition organised in Belgium:
- 200+ exhibiting companies
- 27+ countries represented
- 10,983 B2B & 6,328 B2C visitors over the three days
- 70+ official delegations
- 23 strategic conferences
- 90 international speakers
- 20,000 m² of exhibition space
- 3 exhibition halls at Brussels Expo
- 3 days of event (2 professional days + 1 public day)
- Two professional days dedicated to strategic meetings
On 12 and 13 March, BEDEX hosted two professional days dedicated to meetings between industry leaders, procurement authorities, international delegations and political decision-makers. In total, 23 strategic conferences bringing together more than 90 speakers addressed the major transformations of the sector, notably:
- autonomous systems and drones
- artificial intelligence applied to defence
- cybersecurity
- space technologies
- dual-use industrial technologies
Strong institutional presence – The first edition of BEDEX benefited from the presence of numerous institutional and industrial personalities. Among them:
- Mark Rutte, Secretary General of NATO
- Andrius Kubilius, European Commissioner for Defence and Space
- Bart De Wever, Prime Minister of Belgium
- Theo Francken, Belgian Minister of Defence
The event also brought together major international companies such as RTX, Lockheed Martin, Safran, Airbus and John Cockerill Defence, as well as a large ecosystem of innovative Belgian SMEs.
A showcase for the Belgian defence industry – BEDEX also highlighted the quality and diversity of the Belgian defence ecosystem, a sector that could generate up to 8,000 jobs in the coming years according to sector estimates.
A European ambition – For Joan Condijts and Yassine Rafik, founders and organisers of BEDEX: “BEDEX aims to establish itself sustainably among the major international events of the defence industry. As the seat of NATO and the capital of Europe, Brussels represents a natural place to foster dialogue between institutions, industry and innovation.”
Towards the next editions – Building on the momentum created this week, we are pleased to announce that the next edition of BEDEX will take place in Brussels from 15 to 17 April 2027. From now on, BEDEX will be held every two years, with the following edition scheduled for 2029.
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