ExpoDefensa 2025 Strengthens Colombia Role in Latin American Defense.

At ExpoDefensa 2025 in Bogotá, Army Recognition spoke with Charles Beaudoin, President of Coges Events and a former French Army general, about the exhibition’s evolution and regional impact. He said the show now reflects Latin America’s security priorities while aligning with global defense technology trends influencing procurement and policy decisions.

Speaking on the sidelines of ExpoDefensa 2025 in Bogotá, Charles Beaudoin, a former French Army general and President of Coges Events for the past five years, described the exhibition as a platform that has matured beyond a regional trade show into a strategic meeting point for defense stakeholders. Organized in partnership with the Colombian Ministry of Defense, the event increasingly mirrors the operational realities facing Latin American armed forces, while integrating global advances in land systems, cyber defense, unmanned platforms, and command-and-control technologies, according to organizers and participating industry officials.
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Over the past ten years, the partnership bewteen Colombia Ministry of Defense, Corferias, and Coges has transformed ExpoDefensa into the second largest defense and security exhibition in Latin America.
(Picture source: Army Recognition)

Leading Coges Events, the organizer of Eurosatory, Charles Beaudoin, explains that the company has evolved far beyond a traditional trade show organizer. Today, Coges positions itself as a structured meeting platform for defense and security stakeholders, operating primarily in a business-to-government environment. This role requires constant interpretation of a rapidly changing geopolitical and technological climate in order to provide states with relevant and timely responses.

The involvement of Coges Events in ExpoDefensa originated from a Colombian initiative. Initially a national exhibition, the show entered a new phase when Colombian authorities approached Coges during Eurosatory. A cooperation agreement was subsequently signed with the Colombian Ministry of Defense and Corferias, the association managing the Bogotá exhibition center. Over the past ten years, this partnership has transformed ExpoDefensa into the second-largest defense and security exhibition in Latin America.

Rather than replicating a European model, ExpoDefensa has been shaped around local realities. Colombia faces two persistent security challenges: protecting large natural areas affected by illegal gold mining and countering drug trafficking networks. These issues generate strong demand for surveillance capabilities, particularly unmanned aerial systems capable of long endurance and wide area monitoring, as well as cyber defense solutions addressing increasingly pervasive digital threats.

Advanced technologies and artificial intelligence are now central to the exhibition. A notable feature of ExpoDefensa is its strong dual use dimension, with roughly half of the participating companies offering solutions applicable to both civilian security and military operations. This reflects a broader shift toward defense models that integrate civilian technologies to enhance flexibility and cost-effectiveness.

ExpoDefensa also derives its legitimacy from Colombia's own defense industrial base. The country has established industrial actors such as Industria Militar Colombiana (INDUMIL) and continues to invest in advanced capabilities across land, naval, and air domains. The recent announcement of a national defense innovation campus further underlines Colombia, ambition to develop high-level technological expertise. Without such an industrial foundation, sustaining a defense exhibition of this scale would be difficult.

Among the 240 companies exhibiting in 2025, approximately 140 operate in areas such as drones, artificial intelligence, cyber defense communications, and intelligence. This concentration highlights how advanced technologies now dominate defense exhibitions worldwide, regardless of region or scale.

Conventional platforms remain present. The Gripen multirole fighter aircraft displayed at the show illustrates this balance. Designed for high operational availability, the Gripen can operate from short runways, integrates an Active Electronically Scanned Array radar, and supports a wide range of air-to-air and air-to-ground munitions. Armored vehicles and naval models are also showcased, reflecting Colombia need to secure its maritime approaches in addition to land and air domains.

Coges Events contribution lies not only in content but also in organization. Defense exhibitions require specialized management far removed from civilian consumer events. Coges coordinates international exhibitors while Corferias supports national participation. A dedicated structure connects official delegations with targeted exhibitors, ensuring meetings aligned with procurement interests and operational requirements, a capability still rare among defense trade shows.

Looking ahead, Charles Beaudoin sees strong growth potential for ExpoDefensa. Alongside Brazil and Mexico, Colombia now hosts one of the three most important defense exhibitions in Latin America. By further integrating subcontractors supporting the Colombian Armed Forces, similar to the Eurosatory model, the exhibition could significantly expand its attendance and industrial impact.

The full video interview with Charles Beaudoin is embedded below.