ENFORCE TAC 2023 strengthens innovation in the industry

The trade fair for members of authorities with security tasks and the armed forces is decisively investing in the industry's innovation power during the upcoming event from February 28 to March 1.

On the initiative of State Secretary for Economic Affairs Roland Weigert, a new technology hub for the Bavarian security and defense industry is being established in Bavaria. With the technology hub at the state-owned innovation and knowledge transfer agency Bayern Innovativ, a broad network of business and science is to be built for research on future topics as well as with startups. The team of ENFORCE TAC welcomes this development. The trade fair for members of authorities with security tasks and the armed forces also decisively invests in the industry's innovation power during the upcoming trade fair from February 28 to March 1, 2023.

Enforce Tac 2023: Providing startups with the necessary stage

"As a specialist trade fair, we definitely see ourselves as partially responsible for shaping knowledge transfer within the industry and acting as drivers of topics that are currently moving our industry," explains Isabelle Teufert, Event Manager ENFORCE TAC. "Startups within the security and defense industry bring highly innovative and future-proof products as well as impulses to our fair - in my opinion, this makes them a very important part," Teufert continues. All participating startups at this year's ENFORCE TAC have the opportunity to present themselves and their products for free within the newly expanded demonstration area and even within the YouTube format ENFORCE TAC TV.

BayStartUP GmbH notes change of time

"The open handling of the topic of military and military technology was for startups and the startup ecosystem in Bavaria for a long time, let's say, 'a rather difficult topic.' Startups have more or less avoided openly addressing this market, 'dual-use' products were less well received," explains Christoph Rommel, Head of Industrial Cooperation, BayStartUP GmbH. "That has now changed significantly, in connection with the conflict in Ukraine. While startups focusing on the military sector are still rather rare, there are already some startups emerging in this area, for example ARX Landsysteme. There is also a change on the investors' side. Some institutional investors are already investing specifically in these topics, but even some business angels are now showing willingness to seriously engage with startups in these areas, to invest. Thus, the former startup Quantum Systems from Gilching, which manufactures electric drones that are also used in the Ukraine war, was able to close another larger financing round in 2022. The participating investors were also openly communicated," Rommel continues.

The BayStartUp GmbH will not only moderate the startup pitches within the demonstration area at this year's ENFORCE TAC, but Christoph Rommel himself will also give a lecture on the different cooperation possibilities between industry and startups.

Bayern Innovativ GmbH invites to side event

This year alone, the Free State of Bavaria will provide half a million euros for the new specialization field at Bayern Innovativ. State Secretary Weigert emphasized in this context the role of the over 70 Bavarian industry companies as innovation drivers. Bayern Innovativ GmbH itself will host a joint Bayern Innovativ TechHub Lunch on the second day of the ENFORCE TAC. Together with State Secretary Weigert and Rainer Seßner and Matthias Konrad from the management of Bayern Innovativ GmbH, participants should include startups and other companies in the industry based in Bavaria - true to the motto: Encounter, exchange, and networking.

Save the date

The next ENFORCE TAC will take place from February 28 to March 1, 2023, at the Nuremberg Exhibition Center. The trade audience of ENFORCE TAC can now look forward to 22,200 m² in 2023 (2019: 13,730 m²).

ENFORCE TAC online