The key events of march: Brave1’s US investment roadshow, the EDTH hackathon series, and Drone World Expo in Warsaw

In mid-March, Kyiv will host the “Arsenal of Talents” defence tech job fair, as well as a new Def.Talks event dedicated to OSINT.

Even more events for representatives of the defence industry are being prepared by Ukraine’s allies. Among the key highlights are the Drone World Expo in Warsaw, the Brave1 USA Investment Roadshow, and the Tectonic Defense Summit in Austin.

In addition, March will feature a series of hackathons organized by European Defense Tech Hub, the Nordic Space & Defence Summit in Stockholm, XPONENTIAL Europe in Düsseldorf, and the EUDIS Defence Hackathon Spring 2026, which will take place simultaneously across eight locations in the EU and Norway.

Learn more in our March digest.

Drone World Expo

Where: Warsaw, Poland
When: March 3-5

The Drone World Expo is dedicated to the latest unmanned aerial vehicles and other advanced technologies, including Urban Air Mobility (UAM), artificial intelligence (AI), Big Data, and Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) systems. The event brings together industry leaders and showcases solutions that are transforming technical inspections, logistics, environmental monitoring, and aerial mobility.

Brave1 USA Investment Roadshow

Where: Boston, New York, Washington, Dallas, Austin, San Francisco
When: March 4-17

In March, the Brave1 state defence technology cluster will hold the US Roadshow — an investment tour across American cities. The platform will present Ukrainian drones and other defence tech solutions to leading U.S. venture funds, family offices, corporations, and policymakers.

The roadshow will last two weeks. The programme will include:

• Investment demo days, where companies will pitch their solutions;
• Closed-door meetings with venture funds, corporations, and family offices;
• Visits to U.S. manufacturing facilities and infrastructure sites.

Ukraine Tech: On the Battlefield and Beyond

Where: New York, USA
When: March 6

Ukrainian Institute of America will host a conference focused on Ukraine’s emergence as a key testing ground for advanced technologies. The event will feature panel discussions, networking opportunities, and a keynote by Kimberly Kagan, founder and president of the U.S.-based Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

EDF Info Days 2026

Where: Brussels, Belgium
When: March 10-11

The flagship annual event provides participants with detailed information on the EDF 2026 calls, presents the latest programme updates, and creates opportunities for international networking and project presentations.

On the first day, DG DEFIS experts will introduce the EDF 2026 calls and offer guidance on preparing proposals. The second day will focus on international networking, matchmaking sessions, and pitching to form R&D consortia. Separate sessions for investors will highlight funding opportunities, relationship-building, and the presentation of defence-related solutions.

Tectonic Defense Summit

Where: Austin, USA
When: March 11-12

Tectonic Defense Summit will bring together developers, end users, and investors shaping the future of modern warfare. The organisers promise a new-format event that goes beyond traditional industry conferences.

Positioned not as a standard “classic” conference, the summit offers a space for live discussions and candid conversations at the heart of the defence industry. The programme includes two days of panel sessions and hands-on discussions, emphasising ideas, knowledge exchange, and networking without formalities.

Arsenal of Talents

Where: Kyiv, Ukraine
When: March 14

Arsenal of Talents is a major job fair that, for the second time, will bring together employers and job seekers in the arms and defence tech sector.

The event’s highlight is its format: in-person, offline interactions where employers and candidates can meet, ask questions, and connect — maximising the chances of creating the perfect employer–candidate match.

The European Defense Tech Hub Hackathon Series

Where and when:

• Athens, Greece, February 27 – March 1
• Rzeszów, Poland, March 6-8
• Brussels, Belgium, March 13-15

The team at European Defense Tech Hub aims to bridge the gap between technologists, the public sector, investors, and operators in the dual-use and defence technology sectors. EDTH hackathons have long been the largest in Europe. This March, the organisers will visit Poland, Belgium, and Greece.

Def.Talks: OSINT as a Filter for International Cooperation

Where: Kyiv, Ukraine
When: March 17

The DEF.Talks event series brings together leading industry experts to discuss current trends, challenges, and opportunities. At the March 17 meetup, the focus will be on OSINT:

• How to uncover hidden connections and strategic threats before signing a contract;
• OSINT in practice: digital tools for vetting international partners;
• Entering foreign markets without blind spots – real-world case studies.

Speakers include UCDI’s Ihor Fedirko, ARX Robotics’ Ihor Kornilov, and YouCountrol’s Serhii Milman.

Nordic Space & Defence Summit 2026

Where: Stockholm, Sweden
When: March 18-19

A key event for space and defence technologies in Northern Europe, the summit will bring together startups, corporations, investors, media, and government agencies from Scandinavia and the Baltics to discuss new Space & Defence ecosystems, build business connections, and foster innovative partnerships. The programme includes keynote presentations, a networking dinner, themed pitching sessions, exhibitions, and side events, including the Kista Space & Defence Tour and the DeepTech Alliance Next Gen Compute Exploration Program.

XPONENTIAL Europe 2026

Where: Düsseldorf, Germany
When: March 24-26

Europe’s leading event dedicated to autonomous systems, mobility, and robotics.

The trade show, featuring its own conference programme, targets autonomy experts, researchers, engineers, program managers, policymakers, executives, and end-users working in autonomous navigation across air, land, sea, and space.

EUDIS Defence Hackathon Spring 2026

Where: Europe
When: March 26-28

The spring session of the EUDIS Defence Hackathon will take place simultaneously across eight locations in the European Union and Norway from March 26 to 28, bringing together regional innovation ecosystems to address key European defence and security challenges. The hackathon, part of the European Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS), is embedded within a broader EU initiative aimed at strengthening defence readiness and accelerating the adoption of breakthrough innovations by 2030.