At today's CEO Breakfast Briefing, "Bridging Civilian and Military Innovations," organized by DUIHK, BBJ and BSD, held at the Dorothea Hotel, the integration of civilian digital innovations into Hungary's defence sector was highlighted, fostering collaboration between civilian and military stakeholders to enhance digital defence capabilities, and providing ample opportunities for extended networking.

Barbara Zollmann, CEO of the German-Hungarian Chamber of Industry and Commerce, and Robin Marshall, Editor-in-Chief at BBJ, welcomed guests which included members of the diplomatic corps, defence attachés, N7 Holding, Viki and CEOs of international companies. Wolf Illner, Managing Director at BSD, spoke on the defence industry’s strategic significance, advocating for a harmonized approach between sectors.

In the first keynote “Strategic Approaches to Digital Protection in Complex Environments” keynote speaker Dr. Gergely Németh, CEO Defence Innovation and Research Center, Hungary, addressed the audience with the words: “you are all important”, stressing the need for civilian and military innovation to address future challenges together amid evolving geopolitical challenges. He emphasised his dedication to what he believes to be the motor of the discussion: building bridges between civil and military sectors, between today and the future.

The panel discussion, "21st Century Topic No. 1: Digitalization and its Challenges for Military & Civil Society," moderated by Antal Kerekes of PwC, featured speakers like Andreas Dohrn (DND Digital), Izhar Lev (Elbit Systems), László Blénessy (4iG Plc.), and József Hajdu (CAE D&S Central Europe). They discussed themes such as "Collaborating for a Secure Digital Future" and "Innovative Civilian Technologies Enhancing Military Capabilities." The consensus: in the information age, data is the new "god of war," necessitating advanced AI for data processing, which raises tensions between technological progress and protectionism. The conversation highlighted digitalization's dual role in shaping both future and present-day realities.

The second keynote, "Drones: Transforming Military Operations and Beyond," was delivered by Dr. István Sárhegyi, Chief of Staff to the Chairman of 4iG Plc. He outlined a new government approach that increasingly involves the private technology sector, highlighting the need for closer cooperation between civilian and defense industries in Hungary. As a flagship company in UAV, C-UAV, Space, and Defense Digitalization, 4iG emphasized the critical role of geodata in processing vast amounts of information.

The second panel discussion, "The Drone Challenge – Civil and Military Benefits and Negative Effects," moderated by Wolf Illner, featured Mihály Czeglédi (DND), Stefan Loebel (Airbus DS Airborne Solutions), Emese Balogh (Rotors and Cams), and Nándor Baranyai (Pro Patria Electronics). Topics included "The Broad Spectrum of Drones: Combat, Defense, and Reconnaissance," "Drone Defense Systems: Protecting Against Unmanned Threats," and "Dual-Use Drone Technologies: From Civilian Innovation to Military Application."

Key takeaways from the discussion highlighted that more and more private companies are driving innovations that are crucial for the military sector. The pace of new innovations coming onto the market is putting pressure on the military sector to make smart and fast choices. The discussion further highlighted that drones serve as a platform revolutionizing decision-making in warfare and enhancing autonomy. The urgency of conflict drives technological progress, shifting drones from mere "toys" to critical assets with profound security implications, fundamentally rewriting modern warfare doctrines. Engaging in drone technology development inherently involves advancing anti-drone measures.

Agenda

08:00 - 08:30 - Arrival, Breakfast and Networking

08:30 - 08:45 - Keynote I.: “Strategic Approaches to Digital Protection in Complex Environments”

• Dr. Gergely Németh, CEO Defence Innovation and Research Center, Hungary

08:45 - 09:35 - Panel I.: 21st Century topic No. 1 Digitalisation and its challenges for Military & Civil Society

Roundtable Panelists:

• Andreas Dohrn, Managing Director, DND Digital
• Izhar Lev, Director of Global Business Development - Network Warfare Systems Business Line, ESCC, Elbit Systems
• László Blénessy, Member of the Board of Directors at 4iG Plc.
• József Hajdu, Managing Director - CAE D&S Central Europe
• Moderator: Antal Kerekes, Partner, PwC Technology Advisory Services

• Topics:

• Collaborating for a Secure Digital Future: Policy and Practice
• Civilian Tech in Military Applications: Success Stories and Lessons Learned
• Innovative Civilian Technologies Enhancing Military Capabilities
• Developing a Mobile and Flexible Digital Infrastructure
• Innovative Solutions for Disaster Control and Response
• Creating Synergy Between Civilian and Military Digital Infrastructures
• Best Practices in Protecting Critical Digital Infrastructure
• Future Trends and Collaborative Opportunities in Digital Security
• Securing Mobile Infrastructure in the Armed Forces

• 09:35 - 09:45 - Keynote II.: “Drones: Transforming Military Operations and Beyond”

• Dr. István Sárhegyi, Chief of Staff to the Chairman of 4iG Plc., Acting CEO at 4iG Space and Defence Technologies Plc.

• 10:00 - 10:50 - Panel II: The Drone Challenge - Civil and military benefits but also its negative effects

  Roundtable Panelists:

• Mihály Czeglédi, Head of Business Development and Strategic Projects DND
• Stefan Loebel, Director Business Development, Airbus DS Airborne Solutions
• Emese Balogh, Business Development Manager of Rotors and Cams
• Nándor Baranyai, CTO, Pro Patria Electronics
• Moderator: Wolf Illner, Managing Director BSD

Topics:

• The Broad Spectrum of Drones: Combat, Defence, and Reconnaissance
• Drone Defence Systems: Protecting Against Unmanned Threats
• Success Stories of Drone Reconnaissance and Combat Missions
• Dual-Use Drone Technologies: From Civilian Innovation to Military Application
• Future Trends in Military Drone Use and Collaboration Opportunities
• Innovative Drone Capabilities: Meeting European Defence Needs
• Integration of Drones into Modern Military Forces
• Regulatory Challenges and Solutions for Drone Deployment
• Enhancing Reconnaissance Capabilities with AI-Driven Drones
• Building a Resilient Drone Defence Ecosystem

10:50 - 11:00 - Summary, Takeaways, Thank You's

11:00 - 11:30 - Networking and Farewell

The event is supported by the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Hungary, the Swedish Chamber of Commerce in Hungary and Swisscham Hungary.