The Israel Ministry of Defence led a delegation of 32 Israeli defence companies to the second Finnish-Israeli Defence Industry Seminar held this week in Helsinki. The delegation was organised by the ministry’s International Defence Cooperation Directorate, known as SIBAT, and included seven defence technology startups for the first time.
The startups participated under the Ministry of Defence Directorate of Defence Research and Development’s Mafat for Startups programme. The seminar was co-organised with the Finnish Ministry of Defence and the Finnish Defence and Aerospace Industries Association.
The Israeli delegation was led by Brig. Gen. (Res.) Yair Kulas, director of SIBAT, and met with approximately 30 Finnish defence companies. The two-day programme included structured business-to-business matchmaking sessions, professional briefings, regional security updates and innovation showcases.
According to the Israeli Ministry of Defence, the delegation represented a broad range of Israel’s defence industry. The main areas of focus included air defence, unmanned aerial systems, counter-UAS technologies and border protection.
The delegation also included companies specialising in autonomous systems, advanced munitions, command-and-control and communications, electro-optical systems, homeland security and cyber intelligence. The ministry said the seminar reflected continued efforts to expand Israeli defence exports and strengthen industrial partnerships with trusted partner nations.
The Israeli Ministry of Defence described Finland as a reliable partner with a defence industry offering advanced technological capabilities and strong commitment to bilateral cooperation. The seminar also highlighted growing industrial links between the two countries in response to evolving regional security requirements.
Participating Israeli companies included Aeronautics, Elbit Systems, Israel Aerospace Industries, Rafael Advanced Defense Systems, Uvision Air, XTEND Systems and a range of specialised defence technology firms. The ministry said the delegation demonstrated Israel’s ability to present combat-proven technologies and emerging defence innovation to international partners.
