More than 44,000 visitors, strategic agreements, and a decisive boost to defense innovation have made FEINDEF 25, which closed yesterday, May 14, a historic edition, exceeding expectations. A large turnout of professionals, solid institutional representation, and an intense agenda of activities consolidate it as an essential meeting point, a benchmark platform for international cooperation, industrial development, and technological innovation in the defense sector.
The 4th edition of the Spanish International Defense and Security Fair (FEINDEF), held at Ifema, Madrid, from May 12 to 14, brought together more than 600 exhibitors and 91 international delegations across its four pavilions. The opening ceremony was chaired by Ángel Olivares, president of the Feindef Foundation, and included the participation of Ricardo Martí Fluxá, president of TEDAE, and Gerardo Sánchez Revenga, president of AESMIDE. Also in attendance were the Minister of Defense, Margarita Robles; the Minister of Industry and Tourism, Jordi Hereu; the Secretary of State for Defense, María Amparo Valcarce; and Esperanza Casteleiro, Secretary of State and Director of the National Intelligence Center (CNI), along with the Chiefs of Staff of the three armies, who participated in a roundtable discussion on technological challenges and operational transformation in the Armed Forces.
The Secretary of State for Defense, María Amparo Valcarce, participated in the closing session with an institutional speech within the framework of the roundtable "Women, Engineering, and Defense" (MID). She highlighted the role of female talent in the innovation and transformation of the sector and highlighted the objectives of the MID Project, led by the Secretary of State for Defense in collaboration with the Circle of Technologies for Defense and Security Foundation, the Feindef Foundation, Isdefe, and the Royal Academy of Engineering. The project seeks to give visibility to women working in the defense and engineering sectors, highlighting their contribution to society.
Strategic agreements and industrial cooperation
The fair provided the setting for the presentation of industrial and technological plans and industrial autonomy strategies. The active participation of the Global Sponsor companies (Airbus, EM&E, AMPER, Grupo Oesía, Indra, and Navantia) reinforced their leadership in the event’s key content. Topics discussed included the reorganization of the industrial fabric, investment in critical capabilities, and the need for a collaborative European structure to guarantee technological and operational sovereignty.
INNOVA, Cyberdefense, AI, and Disruptive Technologies
The INNOVA Space was the epicenter of disruptive technology, with activities, startup meetings with investment funds, and debates on dual technologies, digitalization, and digital defense. Leaders from institutions such as the CDTI (Spanish Institute of Technology and Communications), ISDEFE (Spanish Institute of Technology and Communications), DIANA (Spanish Institute of Technology and Communications), and INCIBE (Spanish Institute of Technology and Communications).
Protecting the digital domain in times of hybrid warfare requires robust, flexible, and collaborative cyberdefense capable of anticipating and neutralizing threats in an environment where technology, disinformation, and strategic ambiguity are weapons as powerful as traditional ones. Constant adaptation, international cooperation, and the integration of new technologies are essential to safeguard sovereignty and security in the new strategic environment.
Cyber defense thus played a central role throughout the conference, with conferences organized by the Joint Cyberspace Command (MCCE), the National Intelligence Center (CNI), the Civil Guard, and leading cybersecurity companies. Innovative models against cybercrime, deterrence in the digital environment, and the role of cyberspace as an operational domain were discussed.
Advances in AI applied to military logistics, model compression (CompactifAI), and next-generation technological systems were also presented. These included panels on disruptive technologies for the future. FEINDEF 25 also highlighted the role of society in defense, with initiatives such as the panel "In Defense of All," aimed at bringing the sector closer to new generations. In parallel, intense diplomatic and commercial activity continued throughout the fair with representatives from 56 countries.
