High participation in the webinar, organised by TECES and SiMoD, confirmed growing interest in the defence sector

The escalating security situation in Europe and globally further underscores the importance of strengthening defence system resilience and expanding defence capabilities. In this context, the integration of civil stakeholders into defence value chains is becoming increasingly relevant – not only from a security perspective, but also as a significant development and business opportunity.

As an introductory step to raise awareness of opportunities in this area, TECES and the Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia (SiMoD) – co-founders of the Slovenian Partnership for Energy and Environment in Defence (SiEnE) – organised the SYnERGY WEBINAR titled "How to Seize Opportunities in the Defence Sector with the Support of the SiEnE Partnership."

The event attracted more than 100 participants from companies, research organisations, and government institutions, confirming the growing interest of Slovenian stakeholders in the defence sector. It also revealed a clear need for additional information, strategic guidance, and professional support – all of which are crucial for a successful entry into this complex field.

For this reason, TECES, as one of the key players in integrating Slovenian partners into national and international defence programmes, has announced a series of educational SYnERGY WEBINARS, organised in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence. These webinars are intended for all those wishing to enter or strengthen their presence in the international defence environment.

A Historic Opportunity to Enter European Defence Programmes and Projects

The webinar opened with Mag. Matej Gajzer, Director of TECES and President of the SiEnE Partnership, who presented the scale and dynamics of the European defence innovation ecosystem." The European Union is allocating more than €8 billion to defence research and development. This is a historic opportunity that Slovenian companies and research organisations must be ready to seize," emphasised Gajzer.He highlighted the European Defence Fund (EDF) and the European Defence Agency (EDA) as key financial mechanisms.

Undersecretary for Military Technology, Research and Development at SiMoD and Slovenia’s national CapTech coordinator, Ajda Vodlan, stressed the importance of active Slovenian participation in the CapTech working groups within the EDA:"Slovenia is actively involved in 11 out of 15 CapTech areas – an exceptional achievement for a country of our size. We are particularly strong in the Energy & Environment CapTech, where Slovenia also has an industry rapporteur – Matej Gajzer from TECES," she noted.

SiMoD Significantly Increases Funding for Research, Development and Innovation

Research, development, and innovation (RDI) activities under the Ministry of Defence have become a key mechanism for strengthening the capabilities of the Slovenian Armed Forces. At the same time, they represent a growing opportunity for Slovenian stakeholders, especially in the field of dual-use solutions.

Head of the Department for Military Technology, Research and Development at the SiMoD,  Dr Liliana Brožič PhD emphasised that the volume of funding for RDI has significantly increased over the past three years, with six public calls for RDI projects published since 2023. "Dual-use technologies have proven to be critical during times of crisis – from migration flows and the COVID-19 pandemic to large-scale natural disasters such as wildfires and floods. This is a strong incentive for Slovenian companies and research institutions to explore their potential in this strategic field," she said.

Globally Competitive Solutions Require Strong Consortia

The webinar also featured  Head of the Energy Efficiency and Green Transition Sector at the SiMoD Colonel Robert Šipec, who is responsible for coordinating national and international activities in the field of energy efficiency and resilience in the defence sector. He stressed the importance of strategic cooperation in developing dual-use technologies: "It is essential to build strong consortia capable of delivering final products that are competitive on the global market. We must prioritise European-sourced materials and components, conduct market research, follow international technology trends, and, above all, know how to cooperate effectively," Colonel Šipec stated. He highlighted the SiEnE partnership as an excellent example of successful collaboration between industry and research institutions, facilitated by the unique cooperation model of TECES and the MoD.

TECES Announces SYeNERGY WEBINAR Series to Support Entry into the International Defence Environment

Despite many opportunities, one of the key challenges remains the lack of accessible information to help companies and researchers identify where they have the greatest potential for success and impact.To address this gap, TECES, in cooperation with the Ministry of Defence, is launching a series of SYnERGY webinars, which will offer in-depth presentations of key financial mechanisms, calls for proposals, and conditions for successful integration into national and international defence programmes and projects.

Additional Information

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