ITEC, the leading international exhibition and conference dedicated to military training education and simulation, is currently taking place in Cologne, Germany (20-22 May) with more than 110 exhibitors representing 16 countries

, including: Australia, Austria, Bangladesh, Belgium, Canada, Chile, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, France, Germany, India, Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey. An increase in Asian participation is also to be noted from South Korea, Vietnam and Singapore.

The overarching theme for this year's ITEC “From Engagement to Preparedness: Implications for Military Simulation, Training and Education” will focus on how military planners must tackle longer term threats following the drawdown of troops from the Afghanistan after a decade of operational deployment.

Opened by Vice Admiral Heinrich Lange, Director Forces Policy at the German Ministry of Defense, this theme will encourage debate on how international militaries can broaden their approach through training and education.

The concepts of diversity and innovation have been included in a comprehensive conference program under the following themes: 

• Innovative Learning Technologies - Use and Implementation
• Military Operations - Shifting from Insurgency Operations to Operational Man oeuvre
• Civil Support Protection, Emergency Services & Disaster Event Management
• Cyber
• Medical Training and Simulation Challenges
• Human Performance and Education
• M&S Technologies & Architectures

ITEC Event Director, Anna Campagnoli said: “Germany is a long established leader in the development and application of training, education and simulation and Cologne provides the ideal venue for ITEC this year. The German Defense Force, the Bundeswehr; the University of Munich and the country's eminent Association for Defense Technology (DWT) are all focused on the important role of training and simulation and their participation at ITEC is a great asset. The contribution of training and simulation is becoming increasingly valuable to a growing range of sectors, from defense and security to healthcare, IT and public safety and ITEC 2014 is a reflection of the event's pivotal position in the global industry”.