IPEC 2026 - Defence & Security – Smart | Sovereign | Sustainable Europe

09:00 – 09:10 
Welcome and Introduction
Dr. Ronald Künneth, Nuremberg Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Automation Valley Nordbayern 

Smart Defence and European Resilience 

09:10 – 09:30 
AI-Driven, Cost-Effective Multi-Layer C-UAS for Modern Defence and Security: Turning Battlefield Lessons into Smart, Scalable Capability 
Jaanus Tamm, CEO and Founder, Defsecintel Solutions, Estonia 

• Cost-effective, scalable, multi-layer C-UAS is built for rapid deployment across defence, border security, and critical infrastructure and is effective against low-flying hostile drones. 
• AI-enabled sensor fusion and C2 accelerates decision-making and improves detection accuracy against diverse aerial threats. 
• Smart, AI-driven C-UAS are necessary complement to large air-defence systems, closing the ultra-short-range capability gap. 
• (Battlefield) lessons from Ukraine directly shape modular and rapidly upgradable product development. 
• SMEs and scale-ups strengthen the European defence ecosystem, increasing responsiveness, innovation, and strategic autonomy. 
• Dual-use and civil–military synergies as enablers for faster deployment and broader operational value. 

Website: https://defsecintel.eu 

09:30 – 09:50 
Captured. Cracked. Countered. Copied. – How & Why to secure Embedded Software in Defensive applications from Reverse-Engineering 
Dr. Marc Fyrbiak, Co-Founder & expert in reverse engineering and embedded systems security, Emproof BV, The Netherlands 

• Why software and AI now define military superiority — from autonomous drones to intelligent sensor and targeting systems. 

• How embedded software is attacked and reverse engineered — and why unprotected code represents a strategic security risk. 

• How to effectively protect embedded software and AI models — explained clearly and accessibly, without requiring deep technical expertise. 

Website: https://www.emproof.com 

AI, Data and Autonomy in Defence 

09:50 – 10:10 
AI Search and Reasoning to Radically Accelerate Large-Scale Industrial Projects 
Igor Carron, CEO, LightOn, France 

• The real focal points of AI for industry and defense: data understanding, fully on premise and confidential. 
• Examples of how clients in defense and industrial sectors use AI on premise in their organisations (we have use cases we are authorized to share publicly). 
• Shedding light on European AI and directions for Franco-German initiatives in industrial AI. 

Website: https://www.lighton.ai

10:10 – 10:30 
N.N. on Production Technologies for Defence Industry
N.N., Siemens, Erlangen/Nürnberg 

Website: https://www.siemens.com

10:30 – 10:50 
Break 

Resilient Supply Chains and Industrial Cooperation in the European Defence Sector 

10:50 – 11:10 
Hardening PNT: Securing Critical Infrastructure in a Contested RF Era – A Practical Blueprint for Resilient Critical Infrastructure 
Gustavo Lopez, Senior Market Access Manager, Septentrio, Belgium 

• A concise risk view per application: which assets are most exposed and why 
• Practical defence patterns that combine low-cost COTS building blocks with military-grade concepts (authentication, hardened receivers, hybrid PNT, monitoring). 
• An informed roadmap for procurement and R&D: where to invest now (detection + hybrid PNT) and which future technologies to track (LEO PNT, wider signal authentication). 

Website: https://www.septentrio.com

11:10 – 11:30 
Trustworthy Voice AI for Defence & Security: From Sovereign Technology to Smarter Decision-Making 
Jiří Nezval, Phonexia, Czech Republic 

• Understanding the role of Voice AI in defence and governance, including its relevance for addressing AI-generated voice deepfakes 
• Practical insight into how voice biometrics and speech analytics work in real-world security operations 
• Recognition of Voice AI as a complementary digital capability alongside traditional defence assets 

Website: https://www.phonexia.com

11:30 – 11:35 
Defense & Security - seen from VDE as a technological association
Markus B. Jaeger, VDE Global Head of Political Affairs, Head of Division VDE Defense, Chairman EUREL Board of Directors

Website:  https://www.vde.com/topics-en/defense-en

11:35 – 12:00 
Innovative Project Ideas – Virtual Blog Showcase 
To foster the dialogue between the participants, we will present selected innovative projects submitted by participants. Contributions will be curated and published on the IPEC platform blog. 

12:00 – 12:20 
Closing Remarks and Outlook 
Dr. Dina Barbian, eco2050 Institute for Sustainability GmbH 

Eligibility and Registration Notice
Participation in the event is subject to eligibility requirements. Access cannot be granted to individuals or entities from countries subject to EU or German arms embargoes, including in particular Russia, Belarus, Iran, North Korea, and China.

Registration must be completed using a professional (business or institutional) email address. Registrations using private email addresses cannot be accepted.