“Baltic Miltech Summit” Conference – Defence Industry Trends and Important Agreements
The “Baltic Miltech Summit” is an international conference focused on defence politics and technology. This year, it was held in Vilnius for the fourth time on May 7th and 8th, bringing together leaders, innovators from the defence sector, and policymakers. Organised by the Innovation Agency Lithuania and the Defence Resources Agency, the event addressed the latest trends and challenges in defence technology and took important steps to enhance the region’s security.
A New Impetus for the Defence Sector
The conference, initiated by the Ministries of Economy and Innovation, as well as National Defence, brought together more than 1,000 participants and over 200 defence and security companies from more than 30 countries. The event focused on changes in international defence policy and the technological environment, issues related to promoting and financing defence innovation, the increasing importance of space technologies, and cybersecurity threats.
“The development of defence innovations today is no longer a choice, and the defence industry is not just about weapons. It also creates high-value-added jobs. This sector promotes scientific research, helps attract and retain talent, and creates long-term competitiveness. Lithuania aims to become an important player in the European defence ecosystem, and this will be supported by a new initiative called ‘Vytis’, worth 300 million euros. It is designed to unlock Lithuania’s defence innovation potential and accelerate the movement from ideas to implementation and export,” said Minister of Economy and Innovation Lukas Savickas.
Signed Important Agreements
The conference featured insightful speakers, including James Appathurai, the Deputy Assistant Secretary General for NATO Innovation; Natalia Kushnerska, the Head of Ukraine’s Defense Innovation Coordination Platform “Brave1”; Dr. Hans Christoph Atzpodien, the General Director of the Federal Association of Security and Defense Industry (BDSV) in Germany; and Stephen O’Bryan, the Vice President of Northrop Grumman Corporation, along with many other distinguished guests.
The event was opened and welcomed by the President of the Republic of Lithuania, Gitanas Nausėda, Andrius Kubilius, Member of the European Commission responsible for defence and space, Minister of Economy and Innovation, Lukas Savickas, and Minister of National Defence, Dovilė Šakalienė.
During the conference, significant memoranda of understanding were signed between the Lithuanian startup “Granta Autonomy,” which specialises in drone technology, and the German company “Rheinmetall Electronics.” Additionally, another agreement was reached between the Lithuanian laser technology developers “Active Photonics” and the German technology firm “Quantum Systems.”
Furthermore, an important cooperation agreement was established to develop a “sandbox” for testing and prototyping defence innovations. In total, 18 institutions and agencies committed to contributing to the infrastructure needed for creating new businesses.
“Miltech Sandbox” is an initiative aimed at providing infrastructure for the development, testing, and demonstration of defence innovations. The launch of this project is an important step. It will help create a mechanism for inter-institutional cooperation that will allow the Lithuanian military and other institutions to adapt defence innovations developed in Lithuania more quickly,” said Romualda Stragienė, head of the Innovation Agency.
The main program of the “Baltic Miltech Summit” included networking and partner events for industry representatives. Following the conference was a Lithuanian defence technology exhibition, showcasing advanced solutions developed by the country’s defence startups. The event concluded with a “Live Firing Show,” which featured military equipment and weapon demonstrations at the Central General Silvestro Žukausko training area in Pabradė.
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