Innovation Day and Range Day 2026 recently took place at the Hevring Range, bringing together private enterprises, military operational units, and academic institutions to share knowledge and explore how emerging technologies can be translated into concrete solutions for defense operations.
Developing modern military capabilities requires close coordination between technology developers, researchers, and end-users. To facilitate this integration, the Danish Ministry of Defense Acquisition and Logistics Organization (FMI) convened key stakeholders from industry, the academic sector, and the armed forces. The parallel events provided participants with a platform to examine current operational equipment alongside technologies designed to shape future force structures, while allowing military personnel to test new systems and provide direct operational feedback, as reported by FMI.
Lieutenant General Kim Jesper Jørgensen, national armaments director at FMI, emphasized that direct engagement between diverse competencies is essential for delivering effective capabilities to a modern military.
“It is important that we bring together industry, operational units, and academia. They each bring their own perspective, and it is in that meeting and continuous collaboration that we generate the greatest possible momentum,” said Kim Jesper Jørgensen.
The concurrent events served distinct purposes within the capability development pipeline. Range Day operated as an annual firing range-based event focusing on weapons, targeting systems, weapon platforms, optronics, ammunition, and target and training materiel. This setup allowed weapon experts from specialized units, the army, and FMI to evaluate solutions, engage directly with manufacturers, and articulate the specific operational requirements of frontline units. Meanwhile, Innovation Day functioned as a dedicated technology event centered on future combat and defense concepts, prioritizing new ideas, emerging technologies, and collaborative framework models.
