Supported by Patria: DECOI x Borderland – Defence Innovation Summit will be held in Helsinki on November 17, 2026
Patria is a key partner of DECOI × Borderland 2026, Europe's Defence & Dual-use Innovation Summit, bringing together around 500 investors, startups, defence industry leaders, military representatives and public sector stakeholders during Slush week in Helsinki, Finland on 17 November, 2026. The event connects defence innovation, dual-use technology, and digital border security under one roof.
The event is organised jointly by Finnish Business Angels Network (FiBAN) and Borderland Europe. The main partners of the event are Patria and EUDIS Matchmaking, and supporting ecosystem partners are Bittium, Business Finland, Define Riihimäki, Digital Defence Ecosystem, Latvia, and Tesi.
DECOI × Borderland will feature keynote speeches, panel discussions, and live pitches from 14 selected startups and scaleups across two tracks, in front of an investor-heavy audience of VCs, corporates, and public-sector stakeholders from across Europe. The event provides a unique forum for collaboration between innovators, industry, investors and public authorities shaping Europe's security future.
“Innovation creates real value when it can be turned into capabilities that meet actual defence needs. This requires close cooperation between defence companies, technology developers, research organisations, customers and investors. Events such as DECOI are important in bringing these different perspectives together and helping promising technologies move from ideas towards real-world solutions,” says Kari Renko, Major General (ret.) and Executive Vice President of Strategic Programs at Patria.
As part of the programme, Renko and Mikko Leino, Patria’s Executive Vice President of Defence and Weapon Systems business area, take part in a fireside chat on the topic of “From innovation to capability”, moderated by Elli Flen. The discussion explores what it takes to turn an innovative idea into a real-world defence capability, from innovation and development to a finished solution.
The event will feature keynote speeches, panel discussions, and live pitches from 14 selected startups and scaleups across two tracks, in front of an investor-heavy audience of VCs, corporates, and public-sector stakeholders from across Europe.
More information about the event can be found on FiBAN’s website: www.fiban.org/decoixborderland
Media enquiries and further information:
Sirje Ahvenlampi-Hyvönen, Vice President, Group Communications, Patria, tel. +358 50 557 3822, [email protected]
Patria is a modern and international defence and technology company with over 100 years of experience. Through our top-notch experts and Protected Mobility, Defence and Weapon Systems and Sustainment Solutions business areas, we ensure reliable operations for our customers and serve as a partner in critical functions on land, sea and air – when if is not an option. Patria’s operating countries include Finland, Sweden, Norway, Latvia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Poland, Slovakia and Japan.
Patria is owned by the State of Finland (50.1%) and Norwegian Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace AS (49.9%). Patria owns 50% of Nammo, and together these three companies form a leading Nordic defence partnership.
www.patriagroup.com
