On 23–24 September 2026, the University of Defence Club hosted a conference entitled “Optical and Defence Technologies in the New Security Environment: Cooperation between Industry, Research and the Armed Forces for a Safer Czechia and Europe”, organised by the Czech Optical Cluster in cooperation with the University of Defence. This joint event focusing on military and defence issues was held for the fifth consecutive year.
Originally conceived as one-day workshops, the event evolved in 2024 into a conference bringing together industry, academia, research organisations and representatives of the defence sector.
This year’s conference focused on harnessing Czech technological and research capabilities to develop advanced optical, optoelectronic and other defence technologies. The programme extended beyond optics to cover defence research funding, European and NATO cooperation, computational simulations, laser and counter-drone technologies, synthetic environments, and the measurement of material properties.
The conference was opened by representatives of the Czech Optical Cluster and the University of Defence, whose opening speakers included Colonel General Staff Professor Zdeněk Pokorný. Other prominent speakers included Radek Hauerland, Vice-President of the Defence and Security Industry Association of the Czech Republic, who addressed cooperation between NATO and the defence industry. Speakers in the technology-focused sessions included Jan Kubát from CRYTUR, Guido Voll from Meopta, Vladimír Chlup from PRAMACOM-HT, and Jan Brajer from the HiLASE Centre, who presented potential uses of laser technologies in defence and counter-drone applications.
The programme also featured presentations by experts from the University of Defence, industrial companies and research institutions, alongside a panel discussion and practical technology demonstrations. The second day had a stronger technical focus, with presentations covering thermal diagnostics, optical and laser parameters, and the assessment of camouflage material properties, among other topics.
The conference provided a forum for research institutions, industry and users of defence technologies to exchange experience, helping to strengthen cooperation across these sectors in the development and deployment of advanced defence technologies.
Author: Ivan Pemčák, photos: Viktor Sliva
