From Prototype to Arsenal
Conference Details
Date: 19 May 2026
Time: 10:00
Duration: 1 day
Location: Berlin, Germany
Cost: € 250
Organiser: European Defense Tech Hub
Conference Description
Europe is entering a new phase of defense innovation: the challenge is no longer building drones — it is producing them at scale.
Current conflicts have demonstrated that strategic advantage depends on the ability to deploy millions of drones, not thousands. Yet today, most production remains stuck in pre-series stages, constrained by fragmented supply chains and limited industrial capacity.
This event brings together leaders from automotive, defense, manufacturing, and venture to answer one core question:
How can Europe industrialize drone production using automotive principles?
The automotive industry offers a proven blueprint for high-volume, cost-efficient manufacturing, while Europe urgently needs sovereign, localized supply chains to reduce external dependencies. At the same time, the dual-use nature of drone components unlocks significant opportunities to drive down costs through shared civil and defense demand.
We focus on practical pathways to scale: platform strategies, modular design, supply chain localization, and leveraging existing industrial capabilities. We will explore key components, including motors, batteries, electronics, materials, and optics, as well as concrete business models and market entry points for automotive suppliers and new players.
The event is designed for executives, engineers, supply chain experts, investors, and policymakers shaping Europe’s industrial base.
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