PwC at BEDEX 2026
BEDEX: building the European defence of tomorrow
12- 14 March – Brussels Expo
Mobilising the defence industry for a resilient Belgium and Europe
Brussels European Defence and Exhibition Conference (BEDEX) brings together 200 exhibitors and more than 35 international delegations making it the must-attend event for players in the Belgian and European defence industry. As the preferred gateway to the defence strategic ecosystem, the meeting is specifically designed to unite stakeholders via a structured programme of presentations, interactive demonstrations, and networking opportunities.
PwC will be present alongside Belgian Security and Defence Industry (BSDI) sharing our in-depth expertise via a number of keynote sessions on how companies can make sure they’re fit for growth, accelerate to build for growth, and move from readiness to resilience.
With PwC, you can align your organisation, people and solutions to defence expectations, making sure you’re trusted, compliant and mission ready. We can help you scale smart, innovate securely, and accelerate sustainable impact across the defence ecosystem. And we can work with you to strengthen your foundation to withstand disruption and deliver with certainty, anytime, under any conditions.
Join us for one of our keynote sessions to make sure your business is fit for purpose, built for growth, and can move from readiness to resilience.
PwC x BEDEX 2026 – Keynotes
- Fit for purpose
- Build for growth
- From readiness to resilience
Fit for purpose
Withstand pressure and enable growth
Why control, not just demand, drives defence growth
Participants: Giovanni Gijsels, Eva Lakova
Thursday, 12 March 2026 | 16h30 - 16h30
Friday, 13 March 2026 | 16h30 - 17h
Trade today is driven as much by geopolitical influence as by commercial logic. We are operating in a period of political and economic pressure, intense technology competition and weaponised interdependence. Companies in the defence and dual-use sectors face greater scrutiny, faster-moving controls and genuine diversion risks.
The question is no longer whether a company is compliant on paper. It is whether its systems are strong enough to sustain growth under pressure.
This session explores how export control maturity and robust due diligence can enable scale, protect market access and reinforce resilience, and how that foundation positions companies for the next phase of growth. We will also consider how incentives and M&A activity can further accelerate that trajectory.
Build for growth
A practical look at how to turn growing requirements into sustainable, profitable capacity.
Participants: Anthony Van Heymbeeck
Thursday, 12 March 2026 | 16h30 - 17h
Friday, 13 March 2026 | 16h - 16h30
Build for Growth shows defence companies how to scale fast and compete stronger. This keynote highlights how smart industrialization; lean manufacturing, automation, and uptime excellence, enables organisations to boost output, reduce cost, and meet rising operational demand.
From readiness to resilience
How to sustain your minimum viable company when tomorrow still rains
Participants: Roy Coppieters
Thursday, 12 March 2026 | 17h00 - 17h30
Friday, 13 March 2026 | 16h30 - 17h
This session explores how organizations can apply the concept of the “minimum viable company” to maintain mission effectiveness under sustained pressure. We will examine practical ways to build resilience in core capabilities and discuss what changes when a temporary emergency becomes the enduring operational baseline. Participants will gain concrete frameworks and examples to strengthen organizational performance in prolonged crisis conditions.
Check out how PwC supports the Belgian Defence Transformation
The Belgian Federal Government has committed to a historic strengthening of defence in response to today’s security challenges. PwC offers a comprehensive suite of services to help NATO, the Ministry of Defence (MOD), and industry stakeholders realise their goals. Our approach is collaborative—we work with military leadership, civil servants, and private sector partners to design and implement solutions.
Thought Leadership Highlights
Contact us
Steven De Bruyn
Partner, Aerospace and Defence, Global Relationship Partner within PwC for NATO, PwC Belgium
Stephan Lepouttre
Director, Aerospace and Defence, PwC Belgium
Giovanni Gijsels
Partner, Brussels, PwC Belgium
Roy Coppieters
