- European defense ministers and more than four key decision-makers confirmed as forum speakers.
- High-level security forum to address defense procurement, strategic cooperation, and future battlefield technologies.
As Europe accelerates defense modernization and expands defense procurement following the outbreak of the war in Ukraine, KADEX and GLOBSEC have agreed to cooperate in establishing a new Europe–Asia security and defense cooperation platform.
Under the partnership, GLOBSEC will invite at least four key decision-makers, including defense ministers from Poland, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Finland, and Italy, to participate as speakers at KADEX 2026. The forum is expected to bring together heads of state, defense ministers, senior military officials, defense industry leaders, procurement agencies, and international organizations to discuss practical security and defense cooperation.
KADEX and GLOBSEC will jointly organize a global high-level security forum connecting policy, security, and advanced technologies. Major agenda topics will include global security strategies, defense procurement and industrial cooperation, and preparing for future battlefields through advanced technologies.
Two high-level policy roundtables are also scheduled to take place.
The first session, titled “Partners Aligned and Ready to Act: Europe and Asia Working Together for a Safer World,” will examine how the return of great-power competition is affecting the security and defense strategies of European and Asian nations and discuss potential joint responses.
The second session, titled “From Procurement to Partnership: Europe and Asia in the Defence Industrial Landscape,” will focus on practical cooperation opportunities between European and Asian defense companies amid Europe’s accelerated defense buildup, including possibilities for joint production and integrated supply chains.
A closed-door strategic dialogue dinner bringing together approximately 30 senior stakeholders from the policy, financial, and industrial sectors will also be held during the event.
The KADEX Organizing Committee is scheduled to attend the GLOBSEC Forum 2026, which will take place in Prague, Czech Republic, from May 21 to 23. Retired General Um Ki-hak, Chairman of the Association of the Republic of Korea Army, will personally attend the event to further develop the joint initiative, present KADEX 2026 and the strengths of Korea’s defense industry to participating defense ministers and military chiefs, and deliver official invitations to KADEX 2026.
Chairman Um stated, “To further strengthen the international standing of KADEX 2026, which will be the largest edition in the event’s history, we plan to invite senior officials, including defense ministers and military chiefs from European countries such as Poland, Estonia, and Italy, in cooperation with GLOBSEC. To support these efforts, I will personally visit Prague to hold one-on-one meetings with key officials alongside Martin Sklenár, GLOBSEC Senior Fellow and former Minister of Defense of Slovakia.”
GLOBSEC, headquartered in Slovakia, is an international security think tank that has hosted annual high-level security forums since its establishment in 2005. It has become one of Europe’s premier security platforms, bringing together senior officials from governments, militaries, global defense companies, and international organizations.
Distinguished global leaders including Emmanuel Macron, President of the French Republic, Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović, former President of Croatia, Ursula von der Leyen, President of the European Commission, The Honorable Mark Esper, former U.S. Secretary of Defense, and Pope Francis have previously participated as speakers and key dignitaries.
The GLOBSEC Forum 2026 is expected to host prominent leaders and senior security and defense officials from across Europe, including Petr Pavel, President of the Czech Republic; Edgars Rinkēvičs, President of the Republic of Latvia; Maia Sandu, President of the Republic of Moldova; Roberta Metsola, President of the European Parliament; Hanno Pevkur, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Estonia; Karel Řehka, Chief of the General Staff of the Czech Republic; and Janne Kuusela, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Defence of Finland.
Representatives from major global defense companies including Lockheed Martin, Anduril Industries, Saab, Airbus Defence and Space, and Safran are also expected to attend, along with officials from key international organizations such as the European Union (EU), the European Space Agency (ESA), the European Investment Fund (EIF), and the European Investment Bank (EIB), to discuss future security and defense cooperation in Europe.
Martin Sklenár, Senior Fellow at GLOBSEC and former Minister of Defense of Slovakia, stated, “Europe is experiencing rapidly increasing defense demand amid changes in the security environment. As Korea continues to expand its role in the global defense market based on its technological capabilities and production capacity, we decided to pursue cooperation with KADEX in order to further develop practical frameworks for cooperation between Europe and Asia.”
The partnership combines KADEX’s exhibition capabilities with GLOBSEC’s extensive global security network, elevating KADEX beyond a traditional defense exhibition into a comprehensive global security and defense strategy platform. With a strong focus on Central, Eastern, and Northern Europe, GLOBSEC is expected to create strong synergies for Korean defense companies targeting these strategically important markets.
Meanwhile, KADEX 2026 will take place from October 6 to 10, 2026, and is expected to become the largest edition in the event’s history, expanding approximately 42% compared to the previous exhibition, with participation from 450 companies across 2,032 booths. International participation will include 63 companies from 20 countries across 350 booths. Ten national pavilions—including those of the United States, Saudi Arabia, India, Canada, the Netherlands, Finland, Sweden, Vietnam, Latvia, and Portugal—will further reinforce KADEX’s status as a premier global defense exhibition.
