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The 2026 International Drone Show has sold out all 158 exhibition stands more than two months ahead of its scheduled opening at HCA Airport in Odense.
This year’s International Drone Show, taking place on 3–4 June, represents a significant expansion from the previous year’s 100 stands, reflecting a surge in interest across the global drone industry. Organised by Odense Robotics in collaboration with the UAS Denmark Test Center, the show has quickly evolved into a primary meeting point for European stakeholders, having hosted over 1,000 participants from 35 countries during its last iteration.
Lisa Rosenlyst Hansen, Business Development Manager, UAS & CUAS at Odense Robotics, stated, “We expected this year’s International Drone Show to be the largest to date, but it is still impressive that all exhibition stands are already sold out. It points to a strong event ahead, and we are seeing significant interest in drone technology and the developments taking place right now.”
The 2026 programme is heavily influenced by the shifting global security landscape and the rapid pace of technological innovation. Experiences from the conflict in Ukraine have accelerated demand for drone technology, highlighting a strategic need for Europe to bolster its own technological capabilities. Mykhailo Poddubnov from the DOVZHYK Defense Training Center will provide insights from the Ukrainian drone war and participate in a panel discussion regarding airspace under fire.
“The war in Ukraine has shown how rapidly drone warfare is evolving and how critical it is to translate operational experience into concrete capabilities. International collaboration and knowledge sharing are essential to strengthening our collective readiness,” says Mykhailo Poddubnov.
Michael Larsen, Head of UAS Denmark Test Center, added, “The pace of development in drone technology has increased significantly in recent years. This places new demands on how solutions are developed and implemented. What makes International Drone Show unique is, among other things, the live demonstrations, where participants can experience the technologies in real-world scenarios and gain a concrete understanding of their capabilities in practice.”
Beyond defense and security policy, the conference tracks will cover industrial applications, unmanned systems for land and sea, and the future of integrated airspace. This breadth of content reinforces the regional significance of the host city, which has long fostered a cluster for robotics and autonomous systems through collaboration between industry and research sectors.
The Mayor of Odense, Peter Rahbæk Juel, commented, “The fact that International Drone Show has already sold out its exhibition stands underlines that Odense holds a strong position as a centre for robotics and drone technology in Europe. At the same time, it demonstrates the growing international interest in the solutions and competencies we have built in Denmark – and particularly here in Odense – over many years through close collaboration between industry and research environments.”
