More than 130 participants from 16 European countries gathered in Maribor from 10 - 12 February 2026 for the SENTINEL 1st All Partners Event – “Aligning Expectations”. Hosted by TECES, the Green Tech Cluster and coordinator of the EDF-2024-SENTINEL project, the event brought together 42 consortium partners, representatives of the European Commission, members of the End-User Advisory Board (EAB), and participating Ministries of Defence and Armed Forces. Among the welcome speakers was Borut Sajovic, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia.

The event marked the first in-person gathering of the full consortium since the project’s launch and served as a key milestone for strategic alignment. Its primary objective was to consolidate a shared understanding of project goals, harmonise expectations among consortium partners, and ensure close coordination with participating Ministries of Defence. 

Emphasis was placed on aligning priorities both within the consortium and at the institutional level, and on strengthening the integrated cooperation between technological development and operational requirements.

The event was officially opened by Borut Sajovic, Minister of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia, who framed SENTINEL within the broader European security context. He highlighted that one of the most pressing strategic challenges facing Europe’s defence posture today lies at the intersection of energy security, fuel dependency and deployable operational readiness. “The SENTINEL project marks a significant milestone for Europe, strengthening defence resilience at a time when energy security is central to both national and collective security. Enhancing operational readiness through innovative and sustainable energy solutions is essential to the future of European defence capabilities. By bringing together 42 partners from 16 countries and integrating civil and military expertise, SENTINEL reinforces European cooperation and supports the development of interoperable smart energy solutions for multinational defence operations.”

Active and Continuous Engagement of Ministries of Defence as a Coordination Priority 

Building on this strategic perspective, Mr Matej Gajzer, SENTINEL Coordinator and Managing Director of TECES, emphasised the responsibility and operational complexity of leading such an ambitious European initiative: “As coordinator of the SENTINEL project, we fully recognise the strategic importance and complexity of leading a project of this scale, particularly given the strong involvement of European Ministries of Defence. Conducting demonstrations in real military environments makes the project both highly demanding and significantly impactful. Ensuring the active and continuous engagement of Ministries of Defence is one of our key priorities at the coordination level. Our objective is to align all stakeholders effectively, so that technological development, demonstrations and operational validation move forward in a fully synchronised and coherent manner.”

Building a Shared Understanding of the Key Energy Capabilities 

Following the opening addresses, the programme combined strategic guidance from the European Commission and the European Defence Fund (EDF) with plenary sessions and technical keynotes. A central focus of the first day was establishing a shared understanding of the Key Energy Capabilities, which serve as the project’s core pillars. Achieving common interpretation and alignment around these capabilities was recognised as essential to ensure coherent implementation across demonstrations and work packages and to guarantee synchronised technological development across the consortium.

From Technical Workshops to Strategic Alignment 

The second day focused on advancing technical coordination and governance alignment. Dedicated workshops addressed Demonstrations 1 to 5, enabling in-depth discussions on integration challenges, implementation pathways and next steps. In parallel, the first SENTINEL General Assembly meeting addressed strategic and governance matters at the consortium level, while the inaugural SENTINEL End-User Advisory Board meeting brought together 10 participating Ministries of Defence to further align operational expectations with project activities. The EAB reaffirmed its commitment to actively supporting the project and emphasised the importance of harmonising common military requirements across participating Member States. 

From Fragmentation to Alignment: Shaping Common Military Requirements 

The final day of the programme featured a dedicated session focused on end-user perspectives and expectations, further reinforcing the project’s commitment to operational alignment. As emphasised by Colonel Robert Šipec, Chair of the SENTINEL End-User Advisory Board: “SENTINEL is a highly demanding project, and expectations from Ministries of Defence are correspondingly high. Our role as end users is to ensure the project delivers robust, resilient energy solutions that operate under adverse conditions while reducing the logistical footprint of military camps and operations. Establishing harmonised and aligned military requirements across participating Member States is a critical prerequisite for ensuring operational relevance and enabling future common procurement pathways.”

The programme continued with dedicated workshops covering Work Packages 2-5, which allowed partners to further refine implementation pathways and strengthen coordination across work packages. The event then moved into closing discussions focused on consolidating key outcomes and confirming agreed next steps. Particular emphasis was placed on ensuring continued synchronisation across the consortium as the project moves into its next phase.

SENTINEL 1st All Partners Event achieved its primary objective: aligning strategic goals, harmonising expectations and strengthening coordination between project partners and participating Ministries of Defence. By bringing all stakeholders together in person, the consortium established a common understanding of priorities, clarified implementation pathways and reinforced shared ownership of the project’s core pillars.

The alignment achieved over these three days provides a clear, coordinated framework for the coherent execution of demonstrations and work packages in the next phase of implementation, ensuring continued synchronisation across the consortium.

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