At the SIDEC conference on future technologies and artificial intelligence

SLOVENIA, October 22 - The fair was visited today by a wide range of interested professionals, and featured company presentations and numerous meetings between company representatives. The directors of defence procurement for the Slovenian and Montenegrin ministries of defence, Mag. Željko Kralj and LTC Radovan Kostić, signed a memorandum of transfer for Belin unmanned aerial systems, which the Montenegrin ministry purchased from C-Astral from Ajdovščina through the government-to-government system, in the presence of the defence ministers of both countries.

Today, the SIDEC conference featured panels on future technologies and artificial intelligence. At the first panel of the SIDEC expert conference, speakers presented key trends in future technologies in the field of defence and security, as well as an in-depth review of the strategic guidelines of key European organisations, including the European Commission, the European Defence Agency (EDA), NATO, and the Ministry of Defence.

Kristine Rudzite, Head of the EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS) at the European Commission's Directorate General for Defence Industry and Space, gave a presentation summarising the development of EU programmes and instruments in the field of defence and security, from the European Defence Fund (EDF) and the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) to the White Paper on European Defence – Readiness for 2030 (ReArm Europe Plan) and the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) adopted in March this year. She focused in particular on the role of the EDF and the new EUDIS initiative, which together constitute the EU's central financial mechanism for the development of defence technologies and the promotion of cooperation between Member States. The EDF, worth €7.3 billion, is dedicated to defence research and development, while the new EUDIS, with a budget of €1.5 billion, is specifically tailored to small and medium-sized enterprises and new players in the defence market.

Nathalie Guichard, Director of Research, Technology, and Innovation at the EDA, presented the work of this intergovernmental agency of EU Member States and its 15 Capability Technology Groups (CapTechs), which are specifically focused on filling capability gaps. Among them, she cited the E+ZERO project as an example within the energy and environment group, which aims to develop energy-positive and zero-emission rapidly deployable buildings, with the Slovenian TECES cluster as the lead partner and the Slovenian Ministry of Defence playing a coordinating role. She also presented the second phase of the project Swarm of biomimetic underwater vehicles for underwater intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (SABUVIS II), in which Germany, Poland, and Portugal are participating alongside Slovenia. Nathalie Guichard then summarised the main features of the Hub for EU Defence Innovation (HEDI), which is particularly suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises wishing to rapidly develop dual-use products, as the hub brings together researchers, industry, start-ups and the military as end users.

Director of NATO's Regional Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) in Estonia Kadri Tammai emphasised that DIANA combines innovation, technology and entrepreneurship for a safer future for Europe, describing it as a turning point in the defence industry of NATO member states. She said that the defence industry was once considered a driver of innovation and development, but today there is a lot of cutting-edge technology in the civilian environment that can be transferred to the defence environment. The DIANA program significantly accelerates the development of technologies with a high technological threshold, or so-called "deep tech" solutions for dual use – from artificial intelligence and robotics to cyber security and energy. Startups in DIANA receive financial support, access to military users and mentors without relinquishing intellectual property. The initiative builds trust between researchers, industry and defence, and promotes a culture of agile innovation, with the cycle from idea to product development and user testing dramatically shortened to two years.

Due to the changed security situation, Slovenia is also allocating more funds to defence, with ten times more than in 2022 earmarked for research and development this year, said Dr. Liliana Brožič from the Logistics Directorate of the Ministry of Defence. With two percent of the defence budget, we are ensuring the agreed share for research and development. Two percent of the defence budget is allocated to research and development, as agreed. As Dr. Brožič said, during the period in question, there has been increased cooperation in the field of research and development between the ministry, Slovenian small and medium-sized enterprises, universities, test centres and start-ups, the Defence Industry Cluster, and other stakeholders. Cooperation has also intensified through involvement in the international environment and in initiatives such as the NATO Science and Technology Organization (STO) and the DIANA accelerator, as well as within the framework of the EU's EDA and European Defence Fund programs. As she emphasized, stable funding for research and development, strengthening cooperation between the ministry, science, and industry, appropriate research infrastructure, high-quality staff with new (military) skills, a smart strategy with clearly defined priorities, integration and connectivity with the international environment, and a combined impact that must support digital transformation, climate change, social inclusion, and higher quality of life.

The Vice-Dean for Scientific Research and International Cooperation at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in Ljubljana, Prof. Dr. Franci Pušavec, who has extensive experience in the operation of hubs, connecting educational and research organisations with companies, and working in an international environment, presented the faculty's involvement in research and application projects in more detail.

The second panel was dedicated to the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the field of defence. Representatives of domestic and foreign companies discussed the development of realistic and adaptable learning environments and operational scenarios for training and simulations that enable stakeholders to be better prepared for diverse and complex security situations. The speakers, including representatives of two faculties of the University of Ljubljana, also discussed the use of AI avatars for training direct communication in hostile situations and advanced AI solutions for situational awareness, which enable decision-making in critical situations.