During the trade visitor days at ILA Berlin, the focus was on international collaborations, strategic partnerships, and industry deals.

Today, Friday (June 12), marks the end of the trade visitor days at ILA Berlin 2026, before the trade show opens its doors to the general public this weekend. 750 exhibitors from 37 countries are presenting their innovations in aviation, space, and defence at ILA Berlin – and used the trade show’s trade visitor days as a platform for business deals, strategic collaborations, and new partnerships.

"This ILA is breaking records and exceeding all expectations. Our members report a level of engagement and negotiation that we haven't seen in a long time – it's broader, more concrete, and more binding. Contracts, memorandums of understanding (MoUs), and product launches demonstrate that the aerospace industry is being redefined as a key sector for competitiveness, security, and technological sovereignty. Trade visitor days have shown that this record-breaking ILA is also an ILA of new beginnings,” said Marie-Christine von Hahn, CEO of BDLI.

Below is an overview of selected partnerships and agreements:

Aviation: Partnerships to Promote Sustainable Aircraft Technologies

At the opening of the ILA, the Lufthansa Group and Airbus signed a strategic agreement to mark their 50-year partnership in the presence of German Chancellor Friedrich Merz. This includes a new component services agreement for the entire Airbus A220 fleet, among other things. Additionally, Airbus and the Lufthansa Group reaffirmed their commitment to making aviation more sustainable.

The Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, the State of Brandenburg, and the Free State of Saxony have signed a strategic cooperation agreement. The Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between the two German states and the European Union’s Aviation Research and Innovation Program aims to strengthen collaboration on the development of disruptive technologies for more efficient, competitive and cleaner aviation in Europe.

Aircraft developer VÆRIDION also announced significant progress for its Microliner electric regional aircraft at ILA Berlin: The company secured orders for more than 100 new aircraft in cargo and passenger configurations in Europe. In addition, VÆRIDION agreed to its first commercial collaboration with General Atomics Aeronautical Systems for its airborne battery system and successfully completed the aircraft-level Preliminary Design Review, a major technical milestone that validates the aircraft architecture and advances the program toward its first flight, scheduled in 100 weeks. 
 

Defence: Partnerships for European Security and Defence Capabilities

The German Defence Minister Boris Pistorius and his Montenegrin counterpart, Dragan Krapović, signed an agreement at ILA Berlin regarding planned government-to-government sales. This agreement facilitates the sale of defence equipment between the two countries.

At ILA Berlin, Airbus Defence and Space and Diehl Defence agreed to intensify their cooperation in the field of integrated air and missile defence (IAMD). The aim of the agreement is to more closely combine the two companies’ complementary technological capabilities and to advance joint solutions for modern air defence systems.

Airbus Defence and Space and Alta Ares, a European defence technology company specialized in counter-drone systems and on-board artificial intelligence, have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to cooperate on the development and integration of European counter-drone solutions. 

Airbus Helicopters and Quantum Systems have signed a cooperation agreement to jointly explore the integration of advanced counter-UAS (C-UAS) interceptors of Quantum Systems capabilities onto Airbus’ military helicopters, beginning with the multi-role H145M.

Rheinmetall, ERC System, and the state of North Rhine-Westphalia have entered into a strategic partnership at ILA Berlin. The goal is to lay the groundwork for the production of the Victor U250 heavy-lift drone in North Rhine-Westphalia.

The State of Berlin and Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) have signed a memorandum of understanding to establish an innovation center for aerospace and defence. The planned innovation center will support startups in the fields of aerospace, defence, security, and dual-use technologies.

HENSOLDT and SE3 Labs, a Munich-based technology company specializing in spatial artificial intelligence and autonomous systems, signed a memorandum of understanding. The agreement establishes the framework for a strategic partnership in the field of spatial and agentic AI.

At ILA, Diehl Defence signed an agreement with Spire Global, a leading provider of satellite data, analytics, and intelligence. Under the agreement, the two companies will work to advance and deepen potential collaboration in the field of satellite-based intelligence and early warning for ballistic and hypersonic missiles by leveraging their complementary capabilities.
 

Space: Collaboration on Space Technologies

Cooperation in the space sector was also strengthened at ILA Berlin: The German Aerospace Center (DLR) and ArianeGroup GmbH renewed their framework cooperation. The agreement combines the research and development efforts of both organizations in the field of launch systems and propulsion technologies, aligning them toward the shared goal of independent European access to space.

The DLR has also entered into a partnership with the U.S. company Starlab Space. Under this agreement, the DLR has reserved ten standardized experiment compartments – known as 'Middeck Lockers' – aboard the space laboratory that Starlab Space is planning to build.

In addition, the DLR and the Canadian Conair Group have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU). The focus of the MoU is on cooperation in the field of aerial firefighting.

The European Space Agency (ESA) and the European Commission signed a joint declaration on In-Space Operations and Services (ISOS), signaling their shared goal of establishing European leadership in the field of in-orbit maintenance.

Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales and Leonardo, has signed a contract with the ESA to develop the two Sentinel-1 Next-Generation satellites. Sentinel-1 NG will provide observation data for environmental protection, climate monitoring, natural disaster assessment, and many other societal applications.

Image: Messe Berlin. This photo and many more can be found in our media database.

About ILA Berlin  

ILA Berlin is one of the world’s leading aerospace trade shows. It covers the aviation, space and defence sectors. Every two years, it brings together leading figures from industry, politics, research and the armed forces to exchange ideas and network. On its public days, it offers the general public the opportunity to experience the latest trends in aerospace. The next edition will take place from 10 to 14 June 2026 at BER Airport. ILA Berlin is organized by the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI) in cooperation with Messe Berlin GmbH. At the last edition in 2024, the ILA attracted around 95,000 participants from 60 countries, 600 exhibitors from 31 nations, 350 speakers and 200 international delegations. Its partners are the State of Brandenburg, the State of Berlin and Berlin-Brandenburg Airport.  

More details can be found at: www.ila-berlin.com

Press photos and videos can be found in our media database.

Press contacts:
BDLI
Florian von Hennet
ILA Spokesperson
Head of Politics & Communications
+49 30 206140 - 14
Von.hennet@bdli.de

Messe Berlin GmbH
Britta Wolters
ILA Spokesperson
Head of Brand Communication
+49 30 3038-2279
britta.wolters@messe-berlin.de

Emanuel Höger
Senior Vice President Communication
Messe Berlin Group
www.messe-berlin.de

Management Board: Dr. Mario Tobias (CEO), Dirk Hoffmann (COO)
Chairman of the Supervisory Board: Dr. Eric Schweitzer
Companies register: Amtsgericht Charlottenburg, HRB 5484 B

Additional information:
www.ila-berlin.de 
www.bdli.de 
www.messe-berlin.de

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