SecD-Day 2025, held from January 29 to 30 in Helsinki, marked a significant milestone as Finland’s largest defense and security conference to date. Organized by the Finnish Defence and Aerospace Industries (PIA), the two-day event attracted around 4,200 professionals from the defence and space sector.
SecD-Day 2025 provided Expando an opportunity to showcase our offerings within rugged computing and electronics. Such as our HALF19® server family, rugged monitors, space grade components and GPU board computers to the Finnish market. It was an excellent platform for networking, current discussions, and sharing the latest insights. Under the theme “There is no security without industry”, the event highlighted the crucial role of the sector in ensuring security.
SecD-Day is the largest defence industry exhibition ever held in Finland, exceeding all expectations in terms of impact. A total of 190 companies from 15 different countries participated.
Important and interesting seminars from high-level speakers
The conference featured a high-level program with keynote speeches, panel discussions, and industry presentations.
Initially the opening ceremony featured Finland’s Minister of Defence, Antti Häkkänen, and NATO Support and Procurement Agency’s General Manager, Stacy A. Cummings. Patria’s CEO Esa Rautalinko, took part in a panel discussion on the development of European defense. This has been a hot topic since Russia launched its war of aggression against Ukraine. In addition to Finland and Norway, Sweden, the Baltic countries, and Poland have now started to develop their defense systematically.
Rautalinko pointed out that without binding procurement decisions and a long-term perspective it will be a challenge. The capital-intensive defense industry will not be able to increase its production to the level required.
One notable session was “Transparent Battlespace – Has technology really removed the fog of war?” presented by Mr. Markku Korhonen, Managing Director of Kongsberg Defence Oy. This talk delved into how modern technology influences battlefield awareness and decision-making.
Key takeaways from SecD-Day 2025
- Huge interest in Nordic defense and defense companies
SecD-Day 2025 demonstrated a strong and growing interest in Nordic defense capabilities. Companies from the region attracted significant attention, reflecting the increasing recognition of Nordic innovation, reliability, and expertise in defense and aerospace. - High energy and collaborative spirit across the Nordics
A defining aspect of the event was the strong sense of collaboration between Nordic companies, as well as between the defense industry and armed forces. - Increased urgency for faster processes and adoption of new technology
The event also underscored the growing urgency to accelerate innovation and streamline adoption processes for new technologies. With security challenges evolving rapidly, there is a clear need for defense organizations and industry players to work together. - The importance of defense industry collaboration
The recurring tagline “There is no security without industry,” was emphasized during the event. The critical role of collaboration between industry stakeholders in ensuring comprehensive security. Discussions centered on the necessity of partnerships to address emerging threats and challenges effectively.
Expando’s alignment with industry trends
At Expando, we recognize the significance of these insights and are committed to aligning our offer in line with industry developments.
- Move from “Just in time” to “Just in case” – Increase stock piling across the board
- Reduce risks, time to delivery and costs – Modified COTS is a good way in rugged computing and electronics. Expando is a balanced option to maximize system requirement fulfilment while speeding up delivery at the same time.
- Rather effect now than perfect tomorrow – be able to fight tonight. Reduce number of specific requirements and embrace standards.
- Improve Sensor – Shooter integration and decrease OODA loop timeframe. More data centricity and faster decisions closer to the data. Edge computing and AI will be key to win.
Looking ahead – Upcoming SecD-day event
SecD-Day 2025 has reinforced our commitment to innovation, collaboration, and comprehensive security. We are inspired by the advancements showcased and the discussions held, and we remain dedicated to playing a pivotal role in shaping the future of defense and aerospace industries.
As we move forward, Expando will continue to leverage these insights to enhance our offerings, ensuring that we meet the highest standards and contribute effectively to global security initiatives.
The next SecD-Day Conference and Exhibition will take place in two years, on 2–3 February 2027, at Helsinki Expo and Convention Centre and Expando will return to exhibit.
