German-Norwegian Defence Dialogue 2026

Information

Date and time:
Wednesday, September 23rd 2026, 12:00 - 18:00

Location:
Radisson Blu Hotel Trondheim Airport
Lufthavnveien 30
7502 Stjørdal
Find on map

Language:
English

Participation fee:
3125 NOK incl. VAT for members of the German-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce

3750 NOK incl. VAT for non-members

Who can participate:
German and Norwegian entities, as well as specially invited partners and guests

Registration for members and non-members:

Register here

Unmanned Systems: German‑Norwegian Cooperation for European Resilience

The evolving security environment in Europe, shaped by geopolitical tensions and the ongoing war in Ukraine, is driving increased demand for defence capabilities and closer cooperation among allies.

Unmanned systems have become essential for modern defence, contributing to improved situational awareness, operational effectiveness, and overall resilience.

The German‑Norwegian Defence Dialogue 2026 brings together stakeholders from government and industry from Norway and Germany to explore compatibilities and opportunities for cooperation. The dialogue focuses on how joint efforts can support capability development, strengthen European resilience, and create new pathways for industrial collaboration. The event is designed as a platform for exchanging ideas and knowledge about market and technological developments.

This year, key thematic areas include:

Unmanned systems (UxV)
Unmanned systems have become a key capability in modern defense and are among the fastest-developing and most in-demand areas. Together, we will explore opportunities for joint development, production, and integration of unmanned land-, air-, and maritime technologies to meet growing operational demands.
International cooperation & Ukraine
Understanding how the evolving security environment and experiences from Ukraine shape capability needs, and how German‑Norwegian cooperation can contribute to ongoing support efforts, industrial scaling, and resilient supply chains.

Combine the Conferences!

The German-Norwegian Defence Dialogue takes place directly after the Nordic Defence and Security Conference organised by NORDSEC. This is a leading conference that aims to be the meeting place for cooperation among all stakeholders involved in strengthening total defence across the Nordic region. Both events have been closely coordinated. For more information, see further below.

Abstraktes Bild mit vier geschwungenen, bogenförmigen Formen: zwei gelbe und blaue Segmente an den Seiten sowie zwei rote, nach oben und unten offene Bögen in der Mitte, die zusammen ein symmetrisches Muster bilden. — Forsvarskonferansen / NORDSEC

German‑Norwegian Defence Dialogue

Preliminary Program

12:00 – 13:00	Registration with Lunch & Network
Part 1	Setting the Scene: German-Norwegian Defence Industry Cooperation Moderator: Dr. Dalia Samra-Rohte, Managing Director, German-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce
13:00 – 13:05	Welcome Dr. Dalia Samra-Rohte, Managing Director, German-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce
13:05 – 13:20	Keynote: Focus Norway – German-Norwegian defence cooperation Marte Gerhardsen, State Secretary, Norwegian Ministry of Defence (confirmed) Q&A – 5min
13:20 – 13:35	Keynote: Focus Germany – German-Norwegian defence cooperation Dr. Kay Pixius, Deputy Director General, Directorate Rü II (Air Armament, Defence Economics and Investment Screening), German Federal Ministry of Defence (TBC) Q&A – 5min
13:35 – 13:50	Panel Discussion: How to enhance German-Norwegian Defence Industry Cooperation (and offset) Potential Panelists: Marte Gerhardsen, State Secretary, Norwegian Ministry of Defence Dr. Kay Pixius, Deputy Director General, Directorate Rü II (TBC) Rheinmetall Nordic – Jarle Maaren, Vice President, International Coordination (TBC) Rohde & Schwarz Norge – Ove Ladegård, Managing director (TBC) Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace – Kyrre Lohne, Vice President International Relations (TBC) Stark Defence – Johannes Arlt, Senior Vice President of Nordics, Outreach and Strategy SINTEF Industry – Giuseppe Fragapane, Research manager - Digital Production (TBC) Nammo (TBC)
13:50 – 14:10	Coffee break
Part 2	Trilateral perspective - Norwegian-German Cooperation & the role of Ukraine Moderator: Dr. Christian Wildhagen, Wildhagen Nordisk Konsult
14:10 – 14:15	Introduction: Dr. Christian Wildhagen, Wildhagen Nordisk Konsult
14:15 – 14:30	Keynote: Ukraine - The Innovation Hub for Europe’s Security Mykyta Rozhov, Chief Business Development Officer, Frontline Robotics
14:30 – 14:40	Presentation: Ground-Based Systems and Battlefield Lessons from Ukraine Urs Eiselin, Founder, Eisilin Land Systems
14:40 – 14:50	Presentation: Drones and Counter-UAS Capabilities: Industrial Perspectives and Lessons from Ukraine Johannes Arlt, Managing Director Norden, STARK Defence (TBC)
14:50 – 14:55	Commentary: Dr. Robin Allers, Associate Professor, Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies
14:55 – 15:15	Panel Discussion: Lessons learned from Ukraine, potential for future cooperation, securing robust value chains Dr. Robin Allers, Associate Professor, Norwegian Institute for Defence Studies Mykyta Rozhov, Chief Business Development Officer, Frontline Robotics Johannes Arlt, Managing Director Norden, STARK Defence (TBC) Urs Eiselin, Founder, Eisilin Land Systems Dr. Kay Pixius, German Federal Ministry of Defence Radionor (TBC)
15:15 – 15:35	Coffee break
Part 3	Industry Cooperation in Practice: Future Use Cases for Unmanned Systems Moderated by: Hedda Langemyr, Security and defence analyst
15:35 – 15:40	Introduction: Hedda Langemyr, Security and defence analyst
15:40 – 16:00	Presentation: Norway’s Future Capability Priorities in a Changing Security Environment (TBC) Øyvind Kvalvik, Deputy Director General and Director of Strategy and Development, Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (TBC) Q&A – 5 min.
16:00 – 16:20	Presentation: From Innovation to Capability: The German Approach to Future Defence Requirements (TBC) Major General Christian Bender, Head of the Bundeswehr Innovation Centre (InnoZBw), German Armed Forces (TBC) Q&A – 5 min.
16:20 – 16:50	Panel discussion: Industry Cooperation in Practice: Future Use Cases maritime domain Øyvind Kvalvik, Deputy Director General and Director of Strategy and Development, Norwegian Defence Materiel Agency (TBC) Major General Christian Bender, Head of the Bundeswehr Innovation Centre (InnoZBw), German Armed Forces (TBC) Andreas Burmester, Maritime Coordinator, Ministry of Economic Affairs, Transport, Labour, Technology and Tourism of Schleswig-Holstein (TBC) Ole Andreas Alsos, Shore Control Lab, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Eirik Hovstein, Vice President Defence & Security, Maritime Robotics
16:50 – 17:00	Wrap-up & Next steps Dr. Dalia Samra-Rothe, Managing Director, German-Norwegian Chamber of Commerce
17:00 – 18:00	Networking Bier & Brezel

Sign up for the conference here

Recommendation: Join multiple events in Trondheim!

Nordic Defence and Security Conference 2026 (September 22-23 until 12:00)
German-Norwegian Defence Dialogue 2026 (September 23 from 12:00)
Live demonstrations (September 24, 09:00-13:00)

To make the most of participants’ time in Trondheim, the German-Norwegian Defence Dialogue 2026 has been scheduled to begin directly after the Nordic Defence and Security Conference 2026 (NORDSEC) concludes at 12:00 on 23 September.

The events have been closely coordinated to create a seamless and complementary programme for those wishing to attend both.