Here comes the defense trade show

Users and suppliers of defence and security technology from all over Europe – including approximately 1,300 exhibitors and more than 20,000 expected trade visitors – will come together again at Enforce Tac 2026, to be held in Nuremberg from 23 to 25 February 2026. As Germany’s leading trade fair for security and defence, Enforce Tac provides an exclusive, protected setting where key decision-makers can discuss the latest developments related to security and defence. Complementing the exhibition, the Enforce Tac Conference to be held on the first day of the trade fair is a separate forum where experts can discuss strategic and technological issues. The central theme of this year’s Enforce Tac is “Networked Security” as the answer to hybrid threats, technological disruptions, and growing demands for interoperability. The patronage role of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz underscores Enforce Tac’s importance as a platform for security and industrial policy at the national and European level. The institutional sponsor and conceptual partner of Enforce Tac is BDSV, the Federation of German Defence and Security Industries, an industry association that promotes professional dialogue among leading representatives of industry, politics, and users of defence and security technology.

“Enforce Tac stands for a holistic, integrated approach to security. It brings together decision-makers from government, the armed forces, politics, science, and industry, within a protected space. With its focus on networked capabilities, operationally relevant innovations, and international partnerships, it impressively demonstrates how all-round defence might look in practice – from personal equipment to complex interconnections among systems,” stresses Chancellor Friedrich Merz.

As an entry-restricted trade fair, Enforce Tac is only open to security agencies, military forces, and selected representatives of industry, politics, and scientific research. Thus, it provides a unique framework in which security-relevant technologies, processes, and concepts can be discussed among equal partners. “Enforce Tac is a place where the close link between internal and external security is on full display,” explains Exhibition Director Jasmin Rutka. “This is where the users of defence and security technology come face to face with developers, industry representatives with government agencies, start-ups with established suppliers of complex systems. Direct discussions among key players are the best way to put solutions into practice faster and make Europe’s security architecture even more resilient.”

Focus on networked security

The central theme of “Networked Security” is amply reflected in the technical and strategic depth of the supporting programme of Enforce Tac 2026. Key questions of European security architecture such as the implementation of Operation Plan Germany, the protection of critical infrastructures, and the role of digital resilience are among the topics to be addressed on the Main Stage and the Inno Stage. Panels and expert presentations will take up issues such as hybrid threats, disinformation in the information space, cyber-attack vulnerabilities, and regulatory developments such as the Umbrella Act for Critical Infrastructure Protection (KRITIS-Dachgesetz). The golden thread linking all these issues is the integration of government, military, and industrial structures. Security is understood as the interactive totality of internal security, cyber-capabilities, economic strength, and technology independence.

This trend is also highlighted at the it-sa Pavilion and accompanying formats. In cooperation with the IT security trade fair it-sa, Enforce Tac will highlight the growing importance of cybersecurity for security- and defence-relevant systems, with a particular emphasis on topics such as secure communications, the protection of critical infrastructures, endpoint protection, and software-based security architectures. The pavilion will highlight the linkage of conventional security and defence technologies with IT and software expertise. This trend, which is also reflected in concepts such as “software-defined defence”, places new demands on both suppliers and users of defence and security technologies.

Forge of tomorrow’s innovations: Inno Stage for Start-ups

Start-ups are playing an increasingly important role in the technological transformation. The new Inno Stage at Stand 10.0-537 in Hall 10.0 is a dedicated platform where 30 start-ups and innovative technology suppliers will present their solutions to a knowledgeable audience. The main theme to be addressed on the first day of the trade fair is transfer-oriented research and defence innovation. The University of the Bundeswehr Munich will present its own innovations and the Palladion Defence Accelerator. Topic such as AI-supported combat management (“GhostPlay”), disinformation analysis, simulation, cloud solutions for defence capabilities, and quantum-secure communication (MuQuaNet) exemplify the degree to which scientific knowledge can be applied to create concrete security-relevant applications.

Start-ups and industry partnerships will be the main themes of the second and third days of the trade fair. In cooperation with BayStartUP, start-ups will introduce themselves in pitch sessions and discuss cooperation models, technology transfer, and scaling with representatives of established suppliers and SMEs. Presentations on the subject of start-up industry partnerships and collaboration with defence primes will underscore the economic dimension of security-relevant innovation. In this way, Enforce Tac is positioning itself as the laboratory of the future, where new approaches, business models, and technologies are forged.

Deeper knowledge with Master Classes and specialist dialogue
The supporting programme will be complemented by the Master Classes of Carl-Cranz-Gesellschaft. These compact specialist formats are designed to deepen the participants’ knowledge of technological and use-relevant topics and convey cutting-edge expertise in a practice-oriented manner. The Master Classes reinforce Enforce Tac’s claim to be an innovation platform and knowledge hub for security-relevant technologies.

Enforce Tac’s participants appreciate this opportunity to engage in frank, open discussions. “Europe’s security challenges call for speed, technological excellence, and close collaboration between suppliers, buyers, and users of defence and security technology. Enforce Tac is the perfect setting for such discussions because it brings together those players who parlay innovations into actual capabilities,” says Dr. Jan-Phillipp Weisswange, Acting Head of Press and Public Relations at Rheinmetall AG.

Live demonstration of the technologies of the future

The integrated use of different technology solutions will be on display in the exhibition halls, of course, but more importantly, it will be demonstrated live in the practice-oriented special areas of Enforce Tac 2026, especially Enforce Tac Village, where exhibitors will demonstrate the integrated use of different systems such as protected communication, sensors, situation analysis, mobility and deployment coordination, in realistic operational scenarios that reflect the typical requirements of modern security situations. Enforce Tac Village presents “Networked Security” in a way that conventional product presentations simply cannot. On this stage, security systems are demonstrated in motion, in the hands of people, and in combination with other systems. This form of presentation is ideal for evaluating the performance and relevance of the products in question because it visibly shows the combined interaction of different systems, including systems from different manufacturers. This kind of operational perspective cannot be shown in a static trade fair stand. Trade visitors are given a first-hand look at technologies being used under realistic conditions in specific application scenarios, which is much more effective than a verbal description.

The Armored Forces Area broadens the spectrum of content presented at Enforce Tac 2026 to include a clearly focused presentation of land-bound military capabilities. This new special area in Hall 11, a deliberately chosen programme supplement, reflects the growing importance of modern land operations in the European security context. This is where selected companies present large-scale military equipment systems, armoured vehicles, and deployment-relevant technologies. The main idea is to show ways of operationally combining protection, mobility, sensors, communication, and leadership capabilities. Thus, the Armored Forces Area creates a structured environment for expert discussions of modernization and future capability requirements.

Focus on skilled workers: Enforce Tac Job Zone

Besides technology, Enforce Tac 2026 will also place a greater emphasis on the subject of workforce development. The Enforce Tac Job Zone is the trade fair’s answer to the growing shortage of skilled workers in security-relevant areas. In cooperation with partners like mission:hire and Defence Career, it provides an opportunity for companies to bring attention to open positions and speak directly with highly qualified skilled workers. The Enforce Tac Job Zone is meant to be a forum for dialogue on the subject of career paths, qualifications, and future prospects in a sector that is facing great technological and security-policy challenges. Besides interacting with potential employees in person, companies that register to participate in the Enforce Tac Job Zone can also utilize digital channels to reach skilled workers and young talents.

Platform for Europe’s security dialogue

Enforce Tac 2026 combines exhibitions, practical demonstrations, an expert conference, and career formats to create a holistic picture of modern security architecture. Technologies are discussed and evaluated in the context of real-life requirements. Thus, Enforce Tac is unique space for discussion at the European level, where suppliers and users of defence and security technology can jointly develop solutions to current and future security challenges.

Important note: Only for members of military forces, government agencies, and organizations charged with police or military security duties.