AED Cluster Portugal co-organised, alongside ASD Europe, the ASD Convention 2026, which took place in Oeiras and Cascais from 27 to 29 April. The event brought together the European aerospace, defence and security communities.
Day 1 set a strong tone for the Convention, starting with the SME networking reception, an important moment for dialogue and connection between SMEs, primes, and institutional and financial stakeholder
The second day of the ASD Convention 2026 in Lisbon began with a strong focus on SMEs and their role in strengthening the Aeronautics, Space and Defence ecosystem.
The morning opened with welcome remarks from Johansson Micael, President of Aerospace, Security and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) and CEO of Saab, and José Neves, President of AED Cluster Portugal, setting the tone for a day centred on industrial capacity and collaboration.
A first panel on building a stronger aerospace and defence SME ecosystem, moderated by Reinhard Marak, featured contributions from Marc Helmig, Guillaume de La Brosse, and Dário Pedro, addressing key challenges related to competitiveness, innovation and integration into global value chains.
The discussion continued with “From start-up to strategic partner”, moderated by Andrea Barbagelata, with insights from Pedro Petiz, Dimitrios Nodaros, Steen Hommel, Katarina Björklund, and Pablo Gonzalez, reinforcing the importance of scaling capabilities and industrial partnerships.
The programme continues with contributions from Federico Cislaghi & Rita Albuquerque (Euronext ELITE), Faysal R. (Deutsche Bank), Paulo Branco (DG DEFIS) and Rui Metelo Marques (NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) on financing opportunities for SMEs.
The networking lunch featured a keynote address by Elise Racicot, Ambassador of Canada to Portugal, highlighting the importance of international cooperation and transatlantic partnerships within the aerospace, space and defence sectors.
After lunch, the Convention moved into a plenary session on European Civil Aeronautics: from industrial strategy to industrial strength, moderated by Vincent De Vroey. The discussion brought together Axel Krein, Duarte Lopes da Silva, Victor Martinez Garcia, Bertrand de Lacombre and Klaus Schneider, focusing on how industrial strategy can translate into sustained competitiveness and technological leadership.
The Convention then turned to its defence and security strand, as discussions shifted towards Europe’s capacity to turn strategic ambition into industrial reality. Rear Admiral Antonio Mateus, Deputy National Armaments Director of Portugal, set the tone with the opening keynote, before a conversation between Camille Grand and Alexander Kamyshin, Adviser to the President of Ukraine, underlined the urgency and stakes behind the discussions that followed.
A dedicated panel on “Buy European, build together: enhancing Europe’s technological sovereignty”, moderated by Burkard Schmitt, Tomasz Husak, Anders Sjöborg, Markus Staudt, Arkadiusz Bąk, Ricardo Pinheiro Alves and Christian Hadjiminas, addressing industrial cooperation, capability development and sovereignty across Europe’s defence ecosystem.
The afternoon of the ASD Convention 2026 concluded with a CEO‑level exchange moderated by Camille Grand, bringing together Éric Trappier, CEO of Dassault Aviation, and Johansson Micael, ASD President and CEO of Saab, for a direct discussion on the broader challenges and priorities facing Europe’s aerospace and defence industries.
João Rui Ferreira, Portugal’s Secretary of State for the Economy, then delivered a keynote address, before José Neves, President of AED Cluster Portugal, closed the day’s proceedings, rounding off a full day of discussions.
The two days of the Convention concluded with a gala dinner at Casino Estoril, offering participants a moment of networking and cultural exchange, highlighted by a live fado performance.
The third day of the ASD Convention was devoted to internal meetings and networking opportunities.
The ASD Convention was supported by: Tekever | Canadian Embassy in Portugal, Lisbon | Quantum Systems | Critical Software | Embraer | KREAB | Elite/Euronext | AvioAero
View the full event programme here: https://www.b2match.com/e/asd-lisbon-2026
