Conference Agenda

10:00

Registration & Light Refreshments

10:00

Opening Ceremony

• Brig. Gen. (Res.) Ran Kochav (RanKo) – Defense.Tech Expo IL Chairman
Former IDF Head of Israel’s Air & Missile Defense Forces, IDF Spokesperson
• Gideon Sa’ar, Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Avi Balashnikov, Chairman, Israel Export Institute
• Admiral Giampaolo Di Paola, Former Minister of Defense of Italy, Former Chairman NATO Military Committee; President of Aerea Italian Defense Company

10:30

Opening Assembly – The World’s Future Security & Defense Challenges

Session Chair: Brig. Gen. (Res.) Ran Kochav (RanKo), Conference Chair; Former IAF Head of Israel’s Air & Missile Defense Forces; IDF Spokesperson

Speakers:
• Gideon Sa’ar, Minister of Foreign Affairs
• Maj. Gen. (Ret.) Amikam Norkin, Former Commander, Israeli Air Force (IAF)

11:10

1 on 1 Interview

• Boaz Levy, President & CEO of IAI – Israel Aerospace Industries
• Lilach Shoval, Journalist at Israel Hayom

11:30

The Four Dimensions of Transformation in Israel’s National Security

• Maj. Gen. (Res.) Tamir Hayman, Executive Director of the Institute for National Security Studies (INSS)

11:50

The Airspace – Lessons Learned from Global and Regional Conflicts

Session A: Multi-Layered Air & Missile Defense

Session Chair: Brig. Gen. (Res.) Ran Kochav (Ranko), Conference Chair; Former IAF Head of Israel’s Air & Missile Defense Forces; IDF Spokesperson

Speakers:
• Brig. Gen. (Res.) Pini Yungman, President, TSG, Former Head of Missile Division, Rafael
• Col. (Res.) Talya Lankri, Former Senior Official, National Security Council
• Brig. Gen. (Res.) Eran Ortal, BESA Center, Senior Researcher, Head of Military Program

12:40

Session B: The Airspace – Drones and UAVs

Session Chair: Col. (Res.) Aviv Bar-Zohar, Drone and Counter UAS Expert, Israeli National Drone Initiative

Speakers:

• Brig. Gen. (Res.) Yoely Or, Founder & CEO, Cando Drones
• Lior Segal, CEO, Third Eye Systems
• Hagai Balshai, CEO, Robotican

13:20

Session C: Innovation at the Land Battlefield

♦ Integrating Elite Units into Land Maneuver
♦ The Applied Innovation that Grew from Bottom
♦ Robotics and Innovation on the Battlefield

Session Chair: Brig. Gen. (Res.) Guy Hazoot, CO GF Lessons Learned Center during the “Iron Swords” War; Senior Researcher, INSS

Speakers:
• Col. (Res.) Ofer Ballin, Co-Founder and CEO, Shifters AI
• Asaf Picciotto, CEO & Co-Founder, SpectralX
• Brig. Gen (Res.) Guy Paglin, Former Head of the Merkava and Armored Vehicles Directorate in the IMOD; VP Robotics and Autonomous Systems and Advanced Sensors, Elbit
• Colonel (Res.) Yonatan Rom, Co-Founder, Givon Defense, Former Commander of the IDF Special Operations

14:00

Lunch Break / Exhibition Visit

14:50

Civilian Space – Innovation, Research, and National Security

Session Chair: Mrs. Merav Davidovits (Col. Res.),
Head of Technical Partnerships, Moonshot

Speakers:
• Dr. Deganit Paikowsky, Senior Researcher, Hebrew University; Former Vice President, International Astronautical Federation (IAF)
• Ran Livne, Head of Business Development, Moonshot; Former CEO, Ramon Foundation
• Renana Ashkenazi, Managing Partner, GROVE Ventures
• Tal Inbar, Strategic Aerospace and Missile Research; Senior Research Fellow at Missile Defense Advocacy Alliance
• Aviv Kanelbaum, Head of Advanced Systems Directorate, IAI Space Division
• Barak Ben Eliezer, Co-Founder & Managing Partner, Deep Insight

15:30

The Battlefield of Tomorrow: AI in Defense and Homeland Security – The Israeli Lab

Exploring the evolving role of artificial intelligence in combat and homeland security. What technologies are currently in use? What are the ambitions, limitations, and necessities? This session addresses opportunities and risks, ethical implications, and the critical role of governments in development, investment, oversight, responsible AI, and regulation.

Session Chair: Mrs. Hadas Lorber
Head of the Institute for Responsible AI, HIT; Tech Partnerships, INSS

Speakers:
• Shuki Yehuda, EVP Strategy Innovation & CTO, Elbit Systems
• Brigadier General (Res.) Eytan Eshel, EVP Technology and R&D – CTO, IAI
• Eyal Greenglass, CTO & VP R&D Dagan Optics
• Ronen Lebi, CBO MachinaLabs.AI, California

16:00

From Research to Operational Reality:
Defense Tech and the Transformation of Military Doctrine

Session Chair: Mrs. Hadas Lorber
Head of the Institute for Responsible AI, HIT; Tech Partnerships, INSS

Speakers:
• Rear Admiral (Res.) Yuval Eylon, Senior Research Fellow INSS
• Major General (Ret.) Yacov Bengo Ph.D., Military Expert
• Dr. Yehoshua Kalisky, Senior Researcher, INSS
• Inbal Kreiss, Chief Innovation Systems Missiles and Space Division, IAI;
INSS, Board Member

Sponsored by INSS – Institute for National Security Studies

16:30

Women at the Forefront of Security Innovation:
Between Vision, Power and Global Influence

A compelling discussion on women’s leadership in Defense and HLs innovation, the tension between technological resilience and the need for international cooperation and substantial resources, and the race for technological and operational superiority in the face of emerging security technologies.

Session Chair: Mrs. Hadas Lorber
Head of the Institute for Responsible AI, HIT; Tech Partnerships, INSS

Speakers:
• Vered Haimovich‏, S‏VP Strategic BD & Innovation, Elbit Systems
• Eliora Lubin, Chief of Staff, 8VC Fund (USA)
• Brig. Gen. Yael Grossman, Commander, C4I Branch’s Lotem Technological Unit, The Israel Defense Forces (IDF)
• Michal Mor, CEO at Smart Shooter
• Dr. Lihi, Senior Engineer, IAI Space Factory

10:00

Registration & Light Refreshments

10:30

Innovation Seminar – Defense.Tech – The Innovation Nexus
Seminar Chair: Col. (Res.) David Rokach, Managing Partner, SOSA HLS & Defense Innovation Hub
Seminar Moderator: Ms.Noam Elsberg, Director, Sosa Innofense

Opening Assembly

Speakers:

• Alex Moore, General Partner for Defense, 8VC Fund; Board Member, Palantir
• Maj. Gen. (Res.) Yoav Har-Even, Former President and CEO of Rafael Advanced Defense Systems Ltd.

11:00

The Current Global Innovation Paradigm in Defense.Tech

Topics:
♦ Open Innovation Models
♦ Global Trends
♦ Dual-Use Technologies

Speakers:
• Shlomo Kalish, Corundum Open Innovation Fund Ltd.
• Israel Lupa, EVP Dual Use New Business, IAI
• Hanan Brand, VP and Head of Startup Division, IIA

11:30

Session A: Counter – UAS (CUAS)
Innovative Solutions to Drone Threats – Expert Panel

Speakers:
• Eitan Rotberg, Co-Founder, Airobotics and Ondas Autonomous Systems
• Sarig Lev, CUAS BD & Marketing Manager, IAI – Israel Aerospace Industries

11:50

The Innovation Stage – Pitches & Presentations
Startup Elevator Pitch Presentations

12:20

Global Collaboration in Defense. Tech

Session Moderator: Amichai Stein, Journalist, Jerusalem Post / I24 News

Speakers:

• Alex Moore, General Partner for Defense, 8VC Fund; Board Member, Palantir
• Robert Harward, Executive Vice President, Shield AI
• Norm Coleman, Former U.S. Senator
• John M. Jansen, Retired US Marine Corps Lieutenant General (3-Star)
• Frederic Landau, General Partner, Kinetica

Sponsored by Kinetica Foundation

13:00

Lunch Break / Exhibition Visit

14:00

Defense.Tech Innovation Growth Engines

Topics:
♦ The New Generation of Investors
♦ Investment Strategies and Approaches
♦ Government’s Role in Advancing Innovation

Session Chair: BG (Res.) Eden (Abraham) Attias, General Partner, OpImapct

Speakers:
• Michael Gale, Group CEO of Al Liwan Group, Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi Emirate
• Dr. Gergely Németh, Chief Executive Officer, VIKI – Defense Innovation Research Institute of Hungary
• Inbal Ariely, Serial Entrepreneur & Investor; Author of ‘Chutzpah: Why Israel is a Hub of Innovation and Entrepreneurship’
• Amitai Peleg, Co-Founder & CEO, Sealartec

14:40

Autonomous Systems – Air, Sea & Land

Expert Panel:
• Major General (Res.) Saar Tzur Major, Operating Partner, Kinetica
• Raul Rikk, Capability Development Director, Milrem Robotics, Estonia
• Idan Levy, Co-Founder & CEO, Skana Robotics

15:00

The Innovation Stage – Pitches & Presentations
Startup Elevator Pitch Presentations

15:40

Defense. Tech Expo Conference Summary
Farewell Ceremony Towards Defense. Tech 2027