In April 2026, ECADSOL Group took its place on the exhibition floor at SIADE 2026 in Abidjan. Over two days, our team presented our engineering approach to autonomous systems and mission software to an audience of military leaders, officials and industry delegates from across Africa and beyond. We attended as an exhibitor, to show our work and to hear what Ivorian and regional institutions need.
The setting
SIADE 2026 took place on 13 and 14 April at the Stade Félix Houphouët-Boigny in Abidjan. Organisers expected around 15,000 attendees from more than 30 countries, with France and the United States as technical partners. The theme was technological sovereignty by 2030. SIADE's stated ambition is to establish Abidjan as a centre of gravity for African defence and technology. That ambition matches ours closely.
Why we were there
Our thesis is simple. Capability that is designed, built, sustained and supported close to the point of use is more resilient than capability that is imported and maintained from abroad. SIADE gave us the opportunity to put that thesis in front of the people who will decide whether it is needed.
On the stand
Our stand presented three strands of ECADSOL's work:
- Autonomous and uncrewed systems.
Our platform families across air, land and sea, designed for African operating environments and at concept or development stage. We are open about where each platform stands; credibility depends on it. - Digital autonomy.
Mission software and the interfaces operators use to supervise autonomous systems, including OSIRIS and HELM-X, both in development. Digital government capability and workforce platforms already live through our partner ecosystem in Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Somalia. - Engineering authority.
The systems engineering, assurance and through-life discipline that sits beneath every product we build, delivered with our strategic partners.
HELM-X, our immersive human–machine interface, was on the stand as a physical demonstrator. Visitors sat in the rig and used a VR environment to explore how an operator might supervise an autonomous system. The demonstrator showed the interface concept, not a finished product.
The conversations that mattered
The most valuable part of any exhibition is the conversation it starts. At SIADE, our team spoke with serving officers across services, government officials, and industry partners from several nations. Three needs came up repeatedly:
- Maritime and border security.
Visitors asked how uncrewed systems could support monitoring where crewed assets are stretched. - Sustainment and supply.
Several visitors described the cost and risk of relying on foreign suppliers for spares, software and upgrades. - Skills.
Visitors asked how local engineering, assembly and training capability could be built in-country rather than imported.
These are the questions ECADSOL is organised to answer.
Looking ahead
SIADE 2026 confirmed what our team believed going in: the demand for sovereign, supportable capability in West Africa is real, and the conversation about who will deliver it is already under way. ECADSOL intends to be part of the answer, with capability built alongside Ivorian partners and supported through life.
To discuss partnership, investment or industrial collaboration, contact us at info@ecadsol.com.
