25 years of PMRExpo: Connections Ensuring Security

PMRExpo is celebrating its 25th anniversary in 2026. For a quarter of a century now, the leading European trade fair for Secure Communications has been bringing together companies, authorities and organisations that plan, integrate and further develop secure mission and business-critical communications. Under the leitmotif of "Connections ensuring security", PMRExpo 2026 links a look back at 25 years of industry dialogue with a look forward. As a platform for exchange, knowledge transfer and specialised orientation, it brings together users, authorities and politics with the people who further develop secure communications to be reliable, resilient and future-capable.

"25 years of PMRExpo are a strong balance and at the same time a stimulus to further advance the development of secure communications. This is because the requirements for mission and business-critical communication are becoming more complex. All the more important is a place where people, organisations and technologies come together, share knowledge and work together to further develop solutions. PMRExpo stands precisely for this: it creates connections that reinforce security and agency – today and in the future", says Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer of Koelnmesse GmbH.

"What began 25 years ago as a small, nearly family-like conference has developed into the leading European trade fair for Secure Communications. This success story would not have been possible without the commitment of our entire community. This deserves our special thanks. At the same time, the gaze is directed forward: the future of secure communications does not lie in individual technologies, but rather in the interaction of a multi-technological ecosystem that guarantees malfunction-free and interoperable communication at all times. PMRExpo creates the platform for this with relevance for practice – for specialised exchange, orientation and concrete solutions for authorities and organisations with security tasks (BOS), Critical Infrastructures and companies", says Bernhard Klinger, Chairman of PMeV – Network for Secure Communications.

From professional mobile communication to networked communication

Starting from its roots in professional mobile communication and control centre solutions, PMRExpo has developed into a leading European platform for secure, resilient and networked communication. Today it brings together international participants from authorities and organisations with security tasks, Critical Infrastructures, industry, research, politics and associations and represents the central developments of the industry. The focus is increasingly also on themes like 5G, artificial intelligence, satellite communications, cyber-resilience, Critical IoT as well as civil-military cooperation. These define the specialised exchange and show the extent to which secure communications are today linked with questions of resilience, digitalisation and strategic agency.

The current application status underlines the strong response to the anniversary edition: 290 exhibitors have already confirmed their participation in PMRExpo 2026.

PMeV makes the history of PMRExpo visible

The PMeV – Network for Secure Communications initiated PMRExpo 25 years ago and decisively advanced its development as the conceptual sponsor and licensor. To the present day, it works together with Koelnmesse in the PMRExpo advisory committee to further shape the programme and the concept. Many PMeV members have also been accompanying the event for many years as exhibitors.

PMRExpo 2026 takes place from 24 to 26 November 2026 in Cologne.