Tomorrow, 20–21 May 2026, FlySight will participate in the expert workshop “Digital Twinning for European Defence: From Experimentation to Operational R&T Priorities”, hosted at the premises of the European Defence Agency (EDA) in Brussels.
The event brings together representatives from industry, Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs), European institutions, and military stakeholders to explore the evolving role of Digital Twinning technologies in defence applications, with a strong focus on operational relevance and future Research & Technology (R&T) priorities.
The workshop is organised within the framework of the EDDI (“Explore Defence Digital Twins”) study, launched by EDA in 2024, which aims to analyse current Digital Twin technologies, identify operational gaps, and support the definition of European-level R&T priorities. Discussions will focus on how Digital Twins can enhance complex defence systems through advanced modelling, simulation, AI-enabled decision support, and data-driven operational environments.
Representing FlySight will be Andrea Masini, who will present the latest findings of the EDA Study “Explore Defence Digital Twins”, highlighting the main gaps, opportunities, and strategic perspectives emerging from the project. Andrea Masini will also moderate the session dedicated to “Enablers: Data, AI & Infrastructure” and co-chair the expert Working Group on “AI, Standards & Interoperability”, focused on validation, certification, interoperability, and reuse of Digital Twin technologies across nations and defence platforms.
The two-day programme includes high-level institutional interventions from the European Commission DG DEFIS, Ministries of Defence from several European countries, and leading defence and technology organisations including Leonardo, Airbus, Diehl Defence, INDRA SPACE, NLR, CERTH, AVL, AILiveSim, and Thales Alenia Space.
Day 1 – Strategic framing and operational perspectives
The first day will open with institutional and user-oriented perspectives from the European Commission DG DEFIS, followed by the presentation of the EDDI study outcomes. In this context, our CEO Andrea Masini will present the key findings, gaps, and opportunities emerging from the study, providing an overview of the current state of Digital Twinning for defence applications.
The agenda will continue with the EDA HEDI Proof of Concept on AI integration in M&S-enabled wargaming, followed by a broad roundtable discussion addressing the limitations of current approaches and the key challenges to be addressed at European level.
Session 1 will focus on operational applications of Digital Twins, bringing together military end-users from several European Member States, alongside expert inputs on wargaming, mission planning, capability development, and lifecycle management. A dedicated roundtable will explore which Digital Twin use cases are mission-critical for European armed forces and where expectations diverge from current technological capabilities.
Session 2 will address enabling technologies, including data governance, AI-driven simulation, validation and certification challenges, infrastructure integration, and interoperability frameworks. A final discussion will focus on the non-negotiable enablers required for the operational adoption of Digital Twins in defence.
Day 2 – Pitches, working groups and R&T convergence
The second day will open with expert pitches presenting innovative use cases, technologies, and R&T concepts related to Digital Twinning applications in defence.
This will be followed by parallel expert working groups dedicated to four key themes: operational capability gaps, future military scenarios, AI and interoperability standards, and data sovereignty and governance. These sessions aim to transform operational needs into structured R&T concepts, distinguishing between mission-critical priorities and lower-impact technological developments.
A central objective of the workshop will be the collaborative identification of priority Research & Technology areas and the definition of concrete R&T project concepts capable of accelerating the operational adoption of Digital Twin technologies in European defence environments.
Through its leadership of the EDDI initiative, FlySight continues to play a central role in advancing Digital Twinning capabilities for European defence, supporting the development of interoperable, AI-enabled, and operationally relevant solutions for future military applications.
