EU Defense Night 2026
EU Defense Night is the European Union Delegation’s annual flagship convening in Washington, D.C., showcasing the EU’s expanding role in the defense domain. Now in its third edition, it brings together hundreds of national and state policymakers, defense and space industry leaders, investors and venture capitalists, policy experts, and media from both sides of the Atlantic to discuss opportunities in European defense and space production, as well as EU-U.S. defense and security cooperation.
The inaugural 2024 edition, held on the eve of the 75th NATO Summit in Washington, highlighted Europe’s ambition to scale up its defense capabilities, driven in part by Ukraine’s operational needs and combat experience. The 2025 edition, held shortly after the NATO Summit in The Hague, underscored the EU’s commitment to European security through an unprecedented $910 billion financial mobilization in the sector.
In 2026, as the EU is preparing a new European Security Strategy, the EU Delegation partnered with industry stakeholders, and the European Investment Bank Group to spotlight emerging defense initiatives enabled by the new EU instruments and EU Member State financial commitments. The event highlighted opportunities for business collaboration, explored cutting-edge technologies and lessons learned from Ukraine, and reaffirmed the importance of the EU-U.S. partnership. In the context of firsthand battlefield experience from Ukraine, high-level discussions examined how startups and advanced technology ecosystems contribute commercially viable solutions to the defense industrial base, with a focus on artificial intelligence and drones, energy resilience, and critical minerals.
View photos from the 2026 edition
PROGRAM
4:00 - 4:30 p.m.
REGISTRATION | 1st floor - Healy Hall
WELCOME REFRESHMENTS | 2nd floor - Healy Hallway
4:30 - 5:30 p.m.
INVESTORS FORUM | 3rd floor - Gaston Hall
Address
Jean-Christophe Laloux, Director General, EIB
Markus Berndt, Deputy Director General, EIB (opening remarks)
Why Look at Europe as an American Venture Capitalist?
Patrick Schneider-Sikorsky, Partner, NATO Innovation Fund
Alberto Yepez, Founder, Forgepoint Capital
Jeffrey Cunningham, Investment Director, Lockheed Martin
Eveline Buchatskiy, Managing Partner, D3 Venture Capital
Patric Gresko, Division Head, EIB (moderator)
Why Consider American Investors?
Alberto Reguera, Defense Head, Multiverse Computing
Laurens De Poorter, CEO, Belfort Labs
Christian Garrett, Co-Founder, Onodrim Industries
Hristo Stoykov, Defense and Security Head, EIB (moderator)
5:30 - 6:00 p.m.
COCKTAIL INTERMISSION | 2nd floor - Healy Hallway
6:00 - 8:00 p.m.
DEFENSE NIGHT | 3rd floor - Gaston Hall
Keynote Address
Andrius Kubilius, EU Commissioner for Defense and Space
Jovita Neliupšienė, EU Ambassador to the U.S. (opening remarks)
Producing at Scale and Speed: EU-U.S. Industrial Cooperation
Andrius Kubilius, Commissioner for Defense and Space, European Commission
Michael P. Duffey, Under Secretary for Acquisition and Sustainment, U.S. Department of War
Magdalena Sobkowiak-Czarnecka, Polish Secretary of State, National Defense Ministry
Howard Bromberg, VP of Global Business Development and Initiatives, Lockheed Martin Corporation
Juan de la Cueva, Chief Business and Commercial Officer, Navantia
Nick Schifrin, Foreign Affairs and Defense Correspondent, PBS News Hour (moderator)
Fireside Chat | Post-Ankara: Where is Transatlantic Security Heading?
Alex Velez-Green, Chief of Staff and Senior Counselor to the Under Secretary for Policy, U.S. Department of War
Matthew Kroenig, Professor, Georgetown University
Defense Innovation: Commercial Solutions and Lessons from Ukraine
Amb. Dr. Martin Schaefer, Political Director, German Federal Defense Ministry
Kusti Salm, CEO, Frankenburg Technologies
Brady Cline, VP of Global Sales, Swarmer
Caitriona Perry, Chief Presenter, BBC (moderator)
The Evolving Role of AI for Defense and Its Impact on Modern Warfare
General Tim Ray (Ret.), President & CEO, BENS
Dr. Anshu Roy, Founder & CEO, Rhombus Power
Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl, CEO, DIGITALEUROPE
Caitriona Perry, Chief Presenter, BBC (moderator)
8:00 - 9:00 p.m.
NETWORKING RECEPTION | 3rd floor - Riggs Library
featuring the EU Ambassadors' Book Collection for America250
European Union, 2026