Swiss Drone Security Forum 2026: Strengthening the Swiss drone ecosystem
Bern, 19.10.2026 — On 19 October 2026, the Taskforce Drones will host the first edition of the Swiss Drone Security Forum 2026. The event will take place at the Thun military training area and will bring together more than 300 stakeholders from Swiss research, the armed forces, the administration, authorities, politics and industry. The aim of the joint exchange during the Security Forum will be to strengthen Switzerland’s drone ecosystem.
Drones are considered to be the key technology for Switzerland’s future. The Federal Council’s Armament Policy Strategy aims to actively strengthen Switzerland’s drone ecosystem. The Security Forum will make an important contribution to this. On behalf of the Taskforce Drones, it promotes networking and exchange in the Swiss drone sector. The goal is to address common issues and to develop concrete contributions to Switzerland’s future defence capabilities.
The exchange will pave the way for the DDPS’ Centre for Unmanned Systems for drones and robotics. In the Tech Hub, the needs of the forces will in future be bundled with the technological skills of armasuisse and the expertise of higher education institutions, start-ups and industry.
Presentations and subsequent panel discussion
The Security Forum will be opened by Thomas Rothacher, Deputy National Armaments Director and Head of the competence sector Science and Technology (S+T). Chief of the Armed Forces Lt Gen Benedikt Roos will outline the armed forces’ perspective of drones and defence capabilities. In his presentation, National Armaments Director Urs Loher will highlight the importance of the ability to adapt and cooperate as well as speed in the drone ecosystem. The CEO of Innosuisse, Dominique Gruhl-Bégin, will present resilient and secure technologies for defence and mobility. Ivo Capaul from the Center for Security Studies (CSS) at ETH Zurich will talk about the perspective of research on Switzerland’s drone ecosystem. Benjamin Wepfer, member of the Executive Board at Centaurium UAS AG, will conclude the presentation session with reflections on the measurability of security in the drone ecosystem.
Following the presentations, a panel discussion will be held on the various perspectives, priorities and current work of the speakers within the Swiss drone ecosystem, as well as a Q&A session with the audience.
Exhibition and theme-based breakout sessions
The event will be rounded off by an exhibition in which representatives from industry and research will present their technologies, skills and services. The exhibition will serve to raise the awareness of various different security-relevant technological approaches in the drone and counter-UAS sector.
During the afternoon, theme-based breakout sessions will be held, in which issues will be jointly addressed to develop concrete contributions to Switzerland’s future defence capabilities. Amongst other things, issues about the testing options and testing grounds in Switzerland, military requirements, procurement and export processes as well as resilience and independence will be discussed.