Expodefensa becomes one of the most important defense event in South America.

Today, December 4, 2017, it was the official opening of ExpoDefensa 2017, an international event dedicated for the defense and security industry. ExpoDefensa becomes one of the most important defense and security event in South America with more than 250 exhibitors from 55 countries.

The official opening ceremony of ExpoDefensa 2017, defense and security exhibition which takes place in Bogota, Colombia from the 4 to 6 December 2017.

The sixth edition of Expodefensa is developed for the second time in partnership with Coges International, the organizers of Eurosatory the biggest defense and security fair in Europe. Expodefensa wants to be the reference point of Latin American continent in the world thanks to the large presence of foreigner guests and Colombia’s orientation to the creation of technology with a stronger international vision.

The opening ceremony was attended by the Colombian Minister of Defense Luis Carlos Villegas and all the Colombian Chief of Staff from the Land, Navy and Air Forces. There was also a large presence of foreign delegations from South America including the Ecuadorian Minister of Defense and the Minister of Defense of El Salvador.

Therefore, Colombia’s minister of Defense, Luis Carlos Villegas, revealed that the change of the country’s political and military context with the peace arrival and its strength has led the defense and safety industry to develop technology “with a stronger international vision” to accompany organizations like the United Nations (UN), the Organization of American States (OEA in Spanish), European Union (EU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).

“We’ve put this knowledge to disposition of Colombian and foreign forces in order to bring solutions from learned experiences in the region and in other parts of the world”, pointed. The minister of defense noticed that “the industrial and services enterprises generated 1.100 million dollars last year, a record number for the country”.

The opening ceremony of ExpoDefensa 2017 was attended by the Colombian Minister of Defense Luis Carlos Villegas.

From this total, Colombian Military Industry, Indumil, achieved 310 million dollars between 2015 and 2016, which have allowed them to obtain current business with South Africa, Panamá, United States, Israel and Arab Emirates, among others. For its part, Corferias’ director of International Business, Roberto Vergara, pointed that the fair wants to be the HUB event in Latin América, Central América and the Caribbean, where it wants to consolidate commercial relations among the countries and the business men joined to this industry. He added that “in all economy sectors, the competition is ridden on knowledge, and because of that value chains must be stronger.

The strategic position of nations depends on its economic, military and innovative influence”. Coges International executive director, Patrick Colas Des Francs, affirmed that the worldwide enterprises and actors present in Expodefensa locate the fair as “one of the biggest international encounters” in matter of defense thanks to four main development pillars: international dimension, business search, technological knowledge and brain of sector’s actors.

“The presence of international delegations during three days of friend countries, worldwide companies and actors that weren’t in Expodefensa to the current date, shows the internationalization of Expodefensa and its reinforcement as one biggest international events in matter of defense and security on the planet”, assured.