Second 'Drone Summit' given go-ahead by Latvian government

On Tuesday, March 24th, the Latvian government supported the staging of a second international 'Drone Summit' in Rīga at a cost of 300,000 euros.

The Drone Summit will take place on May 27th, 2026, bringing together up to 2,000 participants, including political leaders from the international Drone Coalition member states, military experts, scientists, industry representatives, and drone industry leaders from NATO and allied countries.

“Latvia has proven itself as a drone power – within the framework of the international drone coalition, 20 member states have mobilized for targeted assistance to Ukraine, while also strengthening national drone capabilities. The Drone Summit in Rīga is the leading platform where international partnerships are formed between policymakers, military experts, scientists and industry representatives from the Drone Coalition member states and other partner countries... The holding of the Drone Summit in Riga confirms Latvia’s ambitions to be a significant center for cooperation and innovation in autonomous systems in the region,” said Minister of Defence Andris Sprūds.

Compared to the first summit in 2025, the Drone Summit in 2026 will be expanded and organized as a set of several events, encompassing various NATO and European-level activities in May and June 2026:

• May 22-26 – Tests of unmanned aerial vehicle systems and countermeasure systems within the framework of the NATO Innovation range, organized by NATO, and final demonstrations at the Sēlija training ground for guests of the Drone Summit;

• May 25-26 – international academic conference dedicated to the drone innovation ecosystem, organized by Riga Technical University;

• May 27 – main ​​Drone Summit at ATTA Centre in Riga;

• May 31 – June 5 – Pilot training organized by the European Security Agency (ESA), including an ESA symposium in Riga.

Organisation of the whole thing has been entrusted to Riga Technical University (RTU), which was the main partner in organising the first Drone Summit 2025, and so it is RTU that has been allocated the 300,000 euro funding. 

The International Drone Coalition includes 20 member states, whose goal is to ensure the supply of drones, technological support and assistance in personnel training for Ukraine's needs. It is led jointly by Latvia and the United Kingdom.

More information about this year's event is available on the website www.dronesummit.lv, though the actual agenda has yet to be published. Participation in the event is by invitation only.