The New Era of European Borders and Defence Innovation

International Matchmaking and Networking Event for Horizon Europe Cl 3 Calls.

📅 Date: 23–24 September 2026
📍 Venue: Häme EU Office, Square de Meeûs 1, Brussels, Belgium

Estonian Research Council and Enterprise Estonia together with the Lithuanian RDI Liaison Office, Finnish Häme EU Office and Slovak Liaison Office for Research and Development in Brussels (SLORD), are pleased to invite you to a matchmaking and networking event focused on the future of European borders and defence innovation.

Europe’s security environment is changing rapidly. The protection of our borders, critical infrastructure and societies increasingly depends on our ability to combine research excellence, technological innovation and strong European cooperation.

At the same time, Horizon Europe Cluster 3 and the European Defence Fund are creating important opportunities to develop and deploy solutions in areas such as border management, security technologies, resilience, situational awareness, dual-use technologies and defence innovation.

But great ideas alone are not enough. The right partners can make the difference between an interesting concept and a successful European project.

That is what this event is about.

Over two days, the event will combine expert input, matchmaking, project discussions and informal networking to create the conditions for meaningful collaboration.

Whether you are a researcher looking for new international collaborations, a company developing innovative technologies, a public-sector organisation with a real-world challenge, or a stakeholder looking to build a strong European consortium, this event is designed to help you find the connections you need.

The aim is simple: leave the event with more than just new contacts. We want participants to leave with concrete ideas, potential partners, new perspectives and, ideally, the foundations of a future European consortium.

We encourage you to join us, and to bring your ideas, questions and partnership needs with you.

Programme for September 23-24

Registrationis open until 17 September: Register here!

We would also greatly appreciate it if you could share this information with colleagues, researchers, companies and other partners who may be interested in building the next generation of European border and defence innovation projects.

We look forward to bringing the right people together — and seeing what can emerge when excellent ideas meet the right European partners.

 

In case of any further questions, please contact:
Carmen Kivistik, PhD
Head of Estonian Research Council´s Brussels Office
carmen.kivistik@etag.ee