After two years of strategic international work, Spain becomes a global reference for defense diplomacy and economic intelligence
Madrid, Spain – Defense is no longer just negotiated in ministries. It is built through global exhibitions, public-private cooperation and strategic intelligence. FEINDEF 2025 marked a historic milestone for Spain: its flagship defense fair is now among the top 10 worldwide — not by chance, but by design. At the heart of this success is ACK3, a consulting firm specialized in economic intelligence, risk management, and strategic influence. Over two years, ACK3 led a focused internationalization effort that brought to Madrid a level of global presence never seen before at FEINDEF.
“Our work behind the scenes has been to ensure FEINDEF is not just seen, but remembered — as a place where things happen, and decisions are made. FEINDEF 2027 will be even more international and more relevant in light of the geopolitical currents we’ll face in the coming years.”
— Jorge Ventura, Head of Marketing at ACK3
Today, FEINDEF is no longer just a defense fair — it is Spain’s emerging platform for industrial diplomacy and strategic dialogue. And this rise coincides with the international recognition of Spanish innovation and engineering. Spain is one of the most dynamic defense-exporting economies in the world. Spanish engineers have consistently stood out for their ingenuity, creativity and adaptability. Combined with a thriving consultancy ecosystem, our defense, intelligence and security solutions are increasingly sought-after by governments and corporations seeking reliability, vision and innovation.
Official opening of FEINDEF 2025 with record international presence.
What is FEINDEF?
FEINDEF (International Defense and Security Exhibition) is Spain’s flagship event for defense and security industries. Organized by the Ministry of Defense and held biennially in Madrid, it convenes governments, armed forces, multinationals, technology startups, strategic advisors and international institutions.
Thanks to the 2025 edition, driven by ACK3’s international strategic leadership, FEINDEF has earned its place among the top 10 global defense exhibitions. It is no longer just a stage — it is where reputations are built, long-term alliances are forged, and influence is projected.
“We are building more than an event — we are helping position Spain as a country with strategic weight in global defense affairs.”
— Jorge Quintana, CEO, ACK3
Ángel Escribano (Indra's CEO) speak at Lockheed Martin’s stand, next to the ACK3's one.
Economic intelligence as strategy
ACK3’s approach was never short-term. From the outset, the firm developed a structural strategy with a clear geopolitical goal: to position FEINDEF as a transcontinental bridge between Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Latin America — regions often excluded from the dominant Euro-Atlantic defense narrative.
“FEINDEF is now on the global map because we understood that promoting Spanish defense abroad had to be more than a communication campaign — it had to be a strategic positioning effort.”
— Jorge Ventura, Head of Marketing, ACK3
Through targeted intelligence, embassy coordination, and high-level diplomatic engagement, ACK3 succeeded in securing the participation of major international delegations and defense firms — many of whom had never attended FEINDEF before. According to SIPRI, Spain ranks among the top five defense exporters in Europe. FEINDEF 2025 reinforced this position by catalyzing new interest, visibility and investment from abroad.
ACK3’s stand became a meeting hub for high-ranking officers, defense ministers, foreign buyers, international partners, technology firms, young analyst and economic intelligence professionals, veterans and disruptive startups. The consultancy actively enabled dialogue and built bridges between stakeholders with often divergent interests, making strategic alignment possible.
“FEINDEF 2025 shows how Spain can lead by influence, not just by presence. It’s a victory of strategy over scale.”
— Jorge Quintana, CEO, ACK3
Former Director of Spain’s Intelligence Agency (CNI) visits ACK3’s stand at FEINDEF.
Bridging continents: Africa and the Middle East
A major part of ACK3’s outreach focused on emerging markets. Working alongside Turkish diplomatic missions and other regional actors, ACK3 succeeded in bringing key African and Middle Eastern defense firms to FEINDEF for the first time. Many of these companies now view Spain as a launchpad for their growth into Europe and Latin America — validating FEINDEF as a platform not only for showcasing capability, but for real international expansion.
FEINDEF 2027: anticipating the next global cycle
As the geopolitical landscape shifts, FEINDEF 2027 will aim higher: a space not only for defense technologies, but for economic diplomacy, sovereignty strategy and transnational cooperation. ACK3 is already working on this next phase — identifying trends, anticipating disruptions, and creating new international opportunities for the Spanish defense sector.
“FEINDEF 2027 will be even more global, and even more aligned with the flows of power, influence and competition that are already shaping the international landscape.”
— Jorge Ventura, Head of Marketing, ACK3
It is a hub of real influence
Throughout the event, the ACK3 stand became a crossroads of strategic relevance. Senior officers from the Armed Forces, the National Police and the Guardia Civil, CEOs of major defense companies, foreign government representatives, tech entrepreneurs, and intelligence professionals all came through its doors. Also present were young professionals in cybersecurity, veterans seeking to transition into industry, startup founders, international delegations, and long-time partners of ACK3. The stand served as a dynamic, inclusive platform for multilevel exchange.
Part of the ACK3 team during a strategic meeting at FEINDEF 2025.
It also functioned as a launchpad for international companies looking to grow from Spain into the European or Latin American markets. Through ACK3, many of them were able to participate in FEINDEF with no added cost, while gaining access to critical industry players and new business ecosystems. The result was a stand that not only showcased ACK3’s capabilities — it embodied them.
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