Dutch drone companies take new steps in Europe during drone mission

For many participants, the mission was centred on building new European partnerships.

This mission has been a success for Sioux Technologies. We made a substantial number of new contacts that will be followed up on. The collaboration within the Dutch delegation was particularly noteworthy, and the shared interest was significant.

Hank Guitjens – Sioux Technologies

The mission to Riga was excellently organised and provided ample opportunities to connect with ecosystem partners, end users and government representatives.

Martijn Antzoulatos-Borgstein – LiveDorp

A well-organised mission with plenty of B2B matchmaking opportunities that are highly valuable for our company

Ewelina Noorlander – Tulip Tech

The Drone Summit clearly showed how rapidly drone and defence technologies are evolving. At the same time, it became evident that innovation alone is not enough. To successfully deploy new technologies, strong logistics chains, production capacity and sufficient training opportunities are also essential.

At the drone summit in Riga, I saw how rapidly this technology is developing and what Dutch companies are capable of. We can be proud of our drone sector. By working together more intelligently, innovating faster and applying new technology more quickly, we strenghtn both our secturity and our economy.

Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius – Minister of Defense

Drone Summit 2026 brought together political leaders, defence experts, researchers and companies from more than twenty countries around drone technology, defence and European security.

During the summit, a broad coalition of companies, knowledge institutions and regions presented the National Plan Autonomous and Intelligent Systems for European Security and Strategic Autonomy to Minister of Defence Dilan Yeşilgöz-Zegerius. Through this plan, public and private parties are joining forces to accelerate innovation and contribute to both European security and economic earning capacity.

The mission also created economic opportunities for Dutch companies. Participants connected with potential customers, partners and end users from across Europe. This strengthens new export opportunities, international collaboration and the competitive position of Dutch technology companies.