Key events in May: Kyiv Defense Tech Week, SAHA 2026, XPONENTIAL 2026, “Land of Engineers” and more

In May, Kyiv Defense Tech Week will wrap up in Ukraine’s capital, SAHA 2026 will take place in Istanbul, the Naval Defense Tech Hackathon by European Defense Tech Hub will debut in Karlskrona, and XPONENTIAL 2026 will be held in Detroit.

These are just a few of the notable events taking place throughout the month. Read more about these and other events in Defender Media’s regular digest. The full list of events is available in the calendar.

Kyiv Defense Tech Week

Where: Kyiv, Ukraine
When: April 27 – May 3

In late April and early May, Kyiv will host a series of events focused on defence innovation. Kyiv Defense Tech Week will serve as a platform for collaboration among engineers, startups, military, government representatives, media, investors, and researchers working in the defence tech sector.

The program includes the University Defense Tech Forum, Invest In Bravery Summit, European Defense Tech Hackathon, as well as field testing and closed-door meetings with international investors and key ecosystem players.

Defender Media is a media partner of the event.

Engineering the US–Ukraine Defense Tech Partnership

Where: Washington, USA
When: May 5

On May 5, Washington, D.C. will host a gathering of the Engineering the US-Ukraine Defense Tech Partnership. The platform aims to build a long-term strategic partnership between the United States and Ukraine in the defence tech sector.

The event will bring together Ukrainian defence innovators, local investors, technology companies, and policymakers for direct engagement around solutions that have already been validated in real combat conditions.

SAHA 2026

Where: Istanbul, Türkiye
When: May 5-9

Building on the success of its 2024 edition, the international defence and aerospace exhibition SAHA EXPO returns in a significantly expanded and strengthened format.

During the previous event, SAHA EXPO brought together nearly 1,500 companies from 120 countries, facilitated over 22,000 scheduled B2B meetings, contributed to 130+ strategic partnership agreements, and generated $6.2 billion in commercial contracts — marking a major milestone for the global defence and aerospace market.

Naval Defense Tech Hackathon

Where: Karlskrona, Sweden
When: May 7-10

The first defence maritime hackathon by the European Defense Tech Hub will take place at a naval base in Karlskrona.

Participants will have the opportunity to present their maritime solutions to the Swedish Navy, test them against some of the best Ukrainian unmanned surface vessels (USVs), and collaborate with other defence companies to develop end-to-end solutions in maritime defence.

Resilience Conference Copenhagen

Where: Copenhagen, Denmark
When: May 11

A leading event for the defence and security innovation ecosystem by Resilience Media. According to the organisers, this platform is where breakthrough ideas meet the people capable of scaling them and turning them into real-world solutions.

XPONENTIAL 2026

Where: Detroit, USA
When: May 11-15

A flagship annual event that brings together leaders and participants from the unmanned systems and robotics industry. Built on the idea that collaboration drives innovation, it creates opportunities to engage with experts across the defence, commercial, and civilian sectors, while highlighting the importance of teamwork and technological advancement.

XPONENTIAL gathers global leaders and more than 8,500 experts to exchange knowledge and experience, helping industry participants stay ahead amid rapid technological change and navigate an evolving regulatory environment.

Black Sea Defense, Aerospace and Security International Exhibition

Where: Bucharest, Romania
When: May 13-15

A biennial international exhibition dedicated to the defence, aerospace, and security industry of the Black Sea region. BSDA was founded in 2007 and has been continuously growing since then, with steadily increasing participation from both visitors and exhibitors.

BSDA attracts participants from around the world, including official military delegations from various countries.

A series of hackathons by European Defense Tech Hub

Where & when:

• Kyiv, Ukraine, May 1-3
• Prague, Chech Republic, May 15-17
• Vilnius, Lithuania, May 29-31

European Defense Tech Hub aims to bridge the gap between engineers, the public sector, and investors in dual-use and defence technologies. EDTH hackathons have long become landmark events across Europe and beyond.

In May, the organisers will visit Ukraine as part of Kyiv Defense Tech Week, as well as Prague and Vilnius.

“Land of Engineers”: Season 2

Where & when:

• Ivano-Frankisvk, Ukraine, May 16
• Zhytomyr, Ukraine, May 23

Lobby X, in partnership with the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine, is launching the second national series of events, “Land of Engineers”. This initiative brings together engineers, developers, scientists, and defence tech teams to strengthen Ukraine’s defence capabilities.

In May, events will take place in two Ukrainian cities: Ivano-Frankivsk and Zhytomyr. Defender Media is a media partner of the series.

DroneVation & Defence 2026

Where: Vienna, Austria
When: May 21

DVD26 will bring together innovations in unmanned systems and counter-UAS technologies across air, land, and maritime operations within a single event.

The event will provide industry specialists, military personnel, researchers, and security sector representatives with a unique platform to showcase new UAV developments and discuss them with international experts.