The 2nd DEFEA – Defence Exhibition Athens 2023 was successfully concluded with significant representation from the giants of the global defence industry. The event took place from May 9th to May 11th at the Metropolitan Expo.
The International Defence and Security Exhibition brought Greece to the forefront of defence and diplomatic interest, promoting collaborations between the Hellenic Defence Industry and major companies in the global defence market.
A total of 346 exhibitors from Greece and abroad presented cutting-edge weapon systems to visitors from 78 countries. Additionally, a multitude of professional meetings (B2B) took place during the exhibition, resulting in the signing of significant agreements between domestic and international defence industry companies.
High-level representation
Presidents, vice presidents, and top executives from major companies of the global defence industry attended DEFEA 2023. Among them were the Executive Vice President of Lockheed Martin Europe, the Vice President of Global Sales & Marketing of Boeing, the CEO of Group Naval (France), the Naval Managing Director of Fincantieri (Italy), the Vice President of International Sales of Leonardo (Italy), the President of EDGE (United Arab Emirates), the CEO Vehicles Division of Rheinmetall (Germany), the Executive Vice President of Corporate Development of Rafael (Israel), the Managing Director of IDV (IVECO), the Sales Manager of Elettronica, and many other high-level visitors and exhibitors from the global defence market who gathered in Athens as part of DEFEA 2023.
The International Defence and Security Exhibition saw the participation of numerous European and international entities, defence associations, and European consortia. This year’s event was notable for the involvement of the European Commission, during which the Director-General for Defence Industry and Space, François Armbor, presented the actions of the European Defence Fund to support Research and Development programs. In the same context, the NATO Defence Investment and Technological Research Directorate organized a discussion on the Greek innovation system and the Innovation Fund of the Atlantic Alliance.
Meetings and agreements
During DEFEA 2023, a total of 295 business matchmaking meetings were organized and coordinated by the PRAXI Network, part of the Enterprise Europe Network in Greece. Additionally, numerous meetings took place between official delegations and exhibitors participating in the International Defence and Security Exhibition. DEFEA plays a catalytic role in strengthening and developing the Hellenic Defence Industry (HDI) by providing a suitable platform for interaction among companies that are key players in the global defence market. It also promotes the extroversion of the Greek defence industry.
During DEFEA 2023, significant industrial cooperation agreements were signed that enhance Greece’s role and contribute to its economy and development. These include the acquisition of leading Greek electronics company Intracom Defense (IDE) by Israeli company Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), the agreement between Greek company EODH (Engineering Office Deisenroth Hellas) and German company KMW (Krauss-Maffei Wegmann) for the production of armor for Norwegian Leopard battle tanks, the comprehensive cooperation agreement between German company AUTOFLUG GmbH and the Greek-German consortium ALTHOM GmbH and ALTHOM Engineering E.P.E, as well as the signing of an agreement between the Hellenic Ministry of National Defence and French company MBDA for the support of the long-range SCALP EG missiles of the Hellenic Air Force.
Once again, DEFEA – Defence Exhibition Athens 2023 brought Greece to the forefront, creating significant opportunities for the development of the domestic defence industry, and strengthening the country’s defence and diplomatic footprint, laying the foundation for an even greater and more successful event in May 6-8, 2025.
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