Countries from Scandinavia to the US significantly ramped up their presence at DSEI 2023.

Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) returned to ExCeL London from 12-15 September, 2023 with its largest ever installment.

Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine influenced the scale of the presence of international exhibitors, with a significant uptake in companies from the Scandinavian region attending DSEI 2023. This came after Finland and Sweden joined the NATO alliance in 2023 and 2024 respectively. 

DSEI 2023 featured over 50 countries, with 36 country-specific international pavilions. Placing international cooperation at the forefront, DSEI hosted representatives from not only the UK armed forces, but also the NATO alliance and the respective defence and security organisations from nations across the globe.

 Estonia, a key NATO ally, increased its presence at the event, booking a space three times larger than DSEI 2019 to showcase its solutions. In the pavilion, Milrem Robotics was a key exhibitor. An autonomous machine and system developer, Milrem Robotics delivered its flagship unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) to Ukraine last year.

Similarly, Slovakian company KONŠTRUKTA - Defense supplied a number of self-propelled howitzers to the Ukrainian war effort. Making its first appearance at DSEI, KONŠTRUKTA showcased new products in ammunition and electronic systems.

In addition, the Swedish pavilion represented high-tech companies including Carmenta, which develops geo-spatial software to enable the visualisation and analysis of geospatial information.

DSEI 2023 also attracted companies from wider afield, notably from the Asia-Pacific region, reflective of the larger effort to bolster defence ties and capabilities. South Korean company Hanwha Systems demonstrated its wide range of solutions in the defence sphere, including its involvement in military reconnaissance satellite programmes and avionics solutions. Both play key roles in fixed wing, rotary wing and uncrewed aircrafts. Its UK subsidiary, Hanwha Phasor, showcased its satellite communications flat panel antenna for undisrupted multi-orbit connectivity.

Meanwhile, the North American pavilion welcomed more than 225 companies that encompass a broad span of cross-domain capabilities, from uncrewed aerial systems and fire suppression systems to lightweight protective armour. More than 90 of the companies were first-time exhibitors, indicating that Canada and the US are serious growth markets for DSEI. Outside the North American pavilion, household North American defence companies such as Northrop Grumman, L3Harris and Raytheon also exhibited. 

With a strong international presence, DSEI provided possibilities for companies across the world to establish meaningful relationships and collaborate with governments, suppliers and industry - both SMEs and large organisations.

Grant Burgham, DSEI Director, commented:  

“It is hugely encouraging to have had so many international companies in attendance at this year's DSEI. DSEI offered a valuable opportunity in the biennial defence trade show calendar to connect UK companies and their international counterparts, promoting cooperation and bi-lateral trade with international allies. Cooperation is a crucial component in stimulating technological advancement, and by giving companies from all over the globe this platform, it no doubt furthered our own capabilities as a nation and those of our allies”.