From 12 to 13 May 2026, the World Conference Center Bonn (WCCB), including the historic plenary hall of the former Bundestag, once again became the central hub for the German security and defence technology sector. The 39th AFCEA Exhibition offered over 250 exhibitors and more than 6,000 visitors an impressive platform and unique insights into the future of IT solutions for defence and internal security. For us, the visit was an enriching experience that both inspired us professionally and confirmed our own strategic direction.
A hub for innovation
The AFCEA trade exhibition is more than just a traditional trade fair. It highlights the close ties within the industry and the scale of the network. It is here that experts from the German Armed Forces, government agencies, industry and academia come together to strengthen partnerships, exchange knowledge and launch joint projects. The atmosphere was characterised by a high concentration of specialists who spoke with passion and precision about the challenges and solutions in the field of IT-supported defence. The diversity of the solutions on display was particularly impressive, ranging from the smallest plug connection to complex satellite or drone systems. It became clear here that there is a suitable technological solution for every need, no matter how specific.
AI as a decision-making tool. Reliable. Accurate. Solution-oriented.
The role of artificial intelligence was a key theme that ran like a thread through the presentations of many exhibitors and several panel discussions. However, unlike in many other sectors, the focus here is not merely on process automation; rather, AI is seen as a tool for decision-making. There is a consensus within the industry. AI must be secure, controllable and traceable, and must be used within closed systems. Traditional SaaS tools or black-box solutions are out of the question in this context, as the requirements for data security, transparency and reliability are too high.
It was particularly fascinating to see how AI is used not just to perform a single task or find a solution, but to open up a whole range of possibilities. The aim is to generate options that enable decision-makers to act quickly and with confidence in highly dynamic and unpredictable situations.
This is precisely where our EVOLUTION³ production platform comes in. Thanks to its modular architecture, definable standards and secure interfaces, the platform meets the industry’s stringent requirements for interoperability, scalability and security. Our solutions enable the flexible and controlled use of AI, for example to support decision-making during the design phase or to generate learning content in a secure environment. A particular focus is on the ‘Bring Your Own LLM’ (BYO LLM) approach, which enables customers to integrate their own protected language models into our platform. In this way, we ensure maximum data sovereignty and adaptability to specific security and compliance requirements. We will be announcing a release on this topic shortly.
Data as a key capability. Open standards. Interoperability. Modularity.
Throughout the numerous discussions, the importance of data and its processing was repeatedly emphasised. Industry leaders highlighted the importance of open standards, compatibility and interoperability. This is the only way to ensure that systems can communicate with one another and that isolated solutions do not arise. Sovereignty, modularity and scalability are not just buzzwords here, but essential requirements. This is particularly true given the enormous security pressures to which these countless systems are subjected.
The large number of exhibitors clearly demonstrates the wide variety of systems in use within the industry. All these systems must be able to communicate with one another. It is therefore important to put in place an appropriate architecture that allows for a flexible and resilient response to new threats. In this context, the systems’ ability to adapt continuously and their interoperability are just as important as their robustness.
CBTL takes its product strategy one step further. The EVOLUTION³ production platform systematically structures and transmits information. Via various secure endpoints, the platform makes the data available again across the entire system landscape. This allows all information relating to knowledge transfer to be combined and integrated, resulting in a holistic picture of what has been learnt. A dynamic system of existing knowledge is created within an organisation. In this process, data is not only processed, communicated and stored, but also actively used to generate usable knowledge and skills. This provides learners with options for action, enabling them to better understand even complex scenarios and make more informed decisions.
We consistently apply this approach across our EVOLUTION³ production platform.
E-learning as a tool for empowerment. Making knowledge accessible. Anytime, anywhere.
As experts in e-learning, we find the requirements for skills development extremely fascinating. In this context, we find the focus on role- and needs-based empowerment particularly exciting. The pace and modularity of knowledge acquisition are high. Learning content must provide the necessary information quickly and be accessible at all times. The aim, therefore, is to strengthen decision-making skills through multidimensional skills development.
Technologies such as simulations, gamification, and adaptive and interactive learning formats play a key role in this. They make it possible to deliver knowledge in a context-relevant, practical and on-demand manner.
With EVOLUTION³, we offer precisely this flexibility: our adaptive and interactive learning formats dynamically adapt to different learning paths and situations. Whether it’s individual training needs, role-specific content or real-time requirements – our platform ensures that knowledge is available exactly where it’s needed. By integrating metadata and context-related information, learning content can be precisely tailored to requirements – a crucial advantage in environments where speed and precision determine success or failure.
The EVOLUTION³ production platform offers this flexibility. Learning content can be presented using a wide range of educational and interactive options. This content adapts dynamically to learners’ needs and offers various learning paths, whether for individual training requirements, role-specific content or real-time needs. CBTL ensures, through the platform, that knowledge is structured and available anytime, anywhere. With the help of structured metadata and context-related course information, learning content can be precisely tailored to specific needs and delivered. This significantly improves the learning experience. This is a decisive advantage in environments where speed and precision determine success or failure.
A must-read for IT and defence professionals!
Our visit to the AFCEA trade exhibition in 2026 was inspiring. The combination of technological depth, strategic vision and practical relevance makes this event an unmissable occasion for anyone involved in IT solutions for the defence and security sectors. We were particularly impressed by the quality of the discussions and the exhibitors’ innovative spirit.
AFCEA also served as confirmation that we are on the right track with our strategy of a secure and modular production platform. With our solutions, which encompass open standards, definable FRAMEWORK elements, secure on-premise systems, secure data concepts, a verifiable ‘Bring Your Own LLM’ approach and supporting AI assistants, we are ideally positioned to meet the industry’s challenges.
We’re taking away lots of new ideas.
We look forward to presenting our approaches.