ASSIST Software at IKT Security Conference 2026: Edge AI and Sovereign Infrastructure for Defense Environments

At the IKT Security Conference 2026, on September 16 and 17 in Linz, ASSIST Software, alongside Codesphere, presented a working architecture that combines edge AI, field robotics, and sovereign infrastructure for defense and mission-critical environments. The conference took place at the Design Center Linz, bringing together experts from government, defense, research, and industry.

The presentation was delivered by Tudor Andronic, Managing Director of ASSIST Software GmbH, and René Döhring, Chief Product Officer at Codesphere, at one of the most significant cybersecurity and information security gatherings in the German-speaking world, which brings together experts from government, defense, research, and critical infrastructure. 

The centerpiece of the ASSIST demonstration was a quadruped robotic platform equipped with a 360-degree camera and a locally deployed computer vision model. The system detects militarily relevant objects, including firearms, hand-carried explosive devices, and threat indicators, with all processing happening directly on the platform. Live video and detection data are transmitted to the operator via XR headsets in real time, without requiring a permanent connection to centralized infrastructure.

The platform is designed for environments where connectivity is limited, intermittent, or deliberately restricted. It provides the operator with real-time situational awareness while retaining operational decision-making with the human operator.

Beyond the robotic platform, ASSIST demonstrated how field data connects to broader decision support. The company's defense portfolio includes AI-supported unit behavior, scenario generation, physics-based combat modeling, and AI-assisted after-action reviews. Detection data captured at the tactical edge can feed directly into simulation environments that support command-level analysis and operational planning. 

Operational AI capability and infrastructure independence are closely connected. A system that processes data at the edge, transmits it to protected infrastructure, and feeds it into a simulation environment must remain operational even as the deployment environment changes.

Codesphere addressed this dimension in the joint presentation. Their Virtual Cloud Platform allows applications to run consistently across sovereign cloud, private infrastructure, public cloud, and on-premises environments through a single operating model. For defense and public-sector organizations, that means software can move where the mission demands without losing operational continuity or control.

ASSIST Software develops the application intelligence layer. Codesphere provides the infrastructure layer on which it runs. The combination demonstrated at IKT 2026 allows mission-critical software to remain portable and operational across changing infrastructure conditions, while the responsible organization retains control over where and how it runs. 

ASSIST Software was founded in 1992 in Suceava, Romania, and operates in the DACH region through ASSIST Software GmbH in the Augsburg Technology Center. The company develops custom software and AI systems for complex operational environments and is among the first in Romania to hold ISO/IEC 42001 certification for AI management systems.

Codesphere is a virtual cloud platform that upgrades any infrastructure into a modern, sovereign cloud environment. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Karlsruhe, Germany, Codesphere allows organizations to develop, deploy, and manage applications consistently across public cloud, private infrastructure, and on-premises environments, without being locked into a single provider. The platform is designed for regulated and security-critical environments where infrastructure independence, operational control, and digital sovereignty are core requirements. 

Tudor Andronic, Managing Director of ASSIST Software GmbH, is an international technology and digitalization expert with over 30 years of experience across AI, robotics, retail, and digital transformation. He has held leadership positions at IBM, Mettler Toledo, and Bizerba, and speaks regularly at leading technology and business conferences, including the Millstätter Wirtschaftsgespräche.

René Döhring, Chief Product Officer at Codesphere, brings more than 15 years of experience in software engineering and technology leadership in defense and security-critical environments, including senior roles at e. sigma Systems, now part of Diehl Defense, and as Group CTO and CIO at Telio.

If you are working on edge AI, sovereign infrastructure, or operational resilience in the defense, public sector, or critical infrastructure sectors, get in touch with the ASSIST Software team. 

1. What did ASSIST Software present at the IKT Security Conference 2026?
   ASSIST Software was presented alongside Codesphere, a joint architecture that combines edge AI, field robotics, and sovereign infrastructure for defense and mission-critical environments. The demonstration centered on a quadruped robotic platform with a 360-degree camera and a locally deployed computer vision model that detects militarily relevant objects and transmits live data to operators via XR headsets, without requiring a permanent connection to centralized infrastructure. ASSIST also presented its broader defense portfolio, including AI-supported simulation, scenario generation, physics-based combat modeling, and AI-assisted after-action reviews.
    
2. What is the collaboration between ASSIST Software and Codesphere?
   ASSIST Software develops the application intelligence layer: AI systems that process data locally at the tactical edge, support simulation, and feed decision support systems at the command level. Codesphere provides the operating layer: a virtual cloud platform that allows these applications to be deployed and managed consistently across sovereign cloud, private infrastructure, public cloud, and on-premises environments. Together, they form an architecture in which mission-critical software remains portable and operational across changing infrastructure conditions.
    
3. Why does infrastructure independence matter for defense AI systems?
   Defense applications must operate across environments with varying connectivity, security requirements, and regulatory constraints. When software is tightly coupled to a specific infrastructure provider, moving it to a different environment requires substantial redevelopment and reduces operational flexibility. Infrastructure independence allows mission-critical software to remain operational across changing environments while the responsible organization retains control over where and how it runs.