The International Convention Center (ICC) in Jerusalem (formerly Binyanei Hauma) will host the World’s Conference on Unmanned, Remote and Autonomous Vehicles 2026 on February 16–17, 2026. This will be the second year that the international conference is held in the capital, bringing together in one place the innovations, research, and policy shaping the next generation of autonomous systems in the air, at sea, and on land.
URAV 2026 will present the latest trends in policy, innovation, and groundbreaking research, and will examine the scientific, industrial, regulatory, and social aspects of integrating autonomous systems into everyday life. Among the central topics of the conference are artificial intelligence applications in autonomous and smart vehicles, developments and innovation in military and security technologies, drones for municipal uses, monitoring of critical infrastructure, and advanced applications of intelligent surface and sub-surface platforms and deep-sea exploration.
The conference seeks to expand global knowledge in the field and strengthen collaboration among experts, policymakers, academics, and industry professionals. Throughout the conference days, expert lectures, professional panels, and presentations of current research will take place, alongside a focused networking area designed to create connections between various organizations operating in this field. This year, special emphasis will be placed on regulation and public responsibility, as well as accelerating national projects in the fields of drones, autonomous transportation, and maritime systems.
Engagement with unmanned vehicles has intensified in recent years, partly against the backdrop of the conflicts in Ukraine and Israel, where unprecedented use of autonomous systems has been recorded, fundamentally changing the nature of the battlefield. Alongside the security aspect, this year the conference will examine the accelerated penetration of these vehicles into the civilian sphere and will present active applications such as precision agriculture, medicine and blood transport, fire detection and firefighting, smart urban and intercity transportation, and preventive enforcement.
Among the key speakers taking part in the conference are Dr. Alon Stopel, Chairman of the Israel Innovation Authority; Dr. David Harari, recipient of the Israel Prize for his role in the development of unmanned aircraft systems; Dr. Judith Hocherman, former VP of R&D at Rafael; Prof. Itzik Klein, Head of the Hatter Department of Marine Technologies at the University of Haifa; Prof. Amir Degani, the Unit of Environmental Engineering, Water and Agriculture at the Technion, and others.
“We are at the threshold of a decade in which unmanned, remote, and autonomous vehicles will change the rules of the game, from transportation and agriculture to security,” said Brig. Gen. (res.) Eitan Eshel, Conference President, Chief Technology, Research, Development and Innovation Officer at Israel Aerospace Industries, and former Head of R&D at MAFAT in the Defense Ministry. “In the coming years, these vehicles will integrate seamlessly into everyday routines and will lead to significant advances in technology, research, and business opportunities.”
The International Conference on Unmanned, Remote and Autonomous Vehicles will open on February 16 in Jerusalem. The event is intended for organizations, policymakers, the business sector, academic professionals, and technological agencies and associations active in the field.
“The main goal of the conference is to connect researchers, engineers, industry professionals from the public and private sectors, and policymakers, in order to present their vision, showcase diverse applications of unmanned vehicles across various fields, and discuss the challenges arising from the autonomy of the vehicles and their complementary systems,” says Ofer Gil, CEO of Paragon, the conference producer. Registration is available on the official conference website until January 25, and the organizers are offering a discount when using the code MEDIA15 during registration.