Mario M. Veljovic, General Manager of VAD Technologies, reflects on GISEC Global 2026 and explains why industry specialisation, continuous learning and locally focused technology events will shape cybersecurity progress across the region
How would you assess GISEC Global 2026 on day two, and what are your impressions of the new venue?
We are delighted to participate at GISEC Global 2026 alongside our partner Nextcloud. This is the first time VAD Technologies has exhibited at the event with one of its partners, making it an important milestone for us. The new venue has created a more focused environment. Day two has been particularly busy, with more end customers visiting and spending meaningful time in discussions. Although the previous venue benefited from its central location, visitors here appear more engaged and willing to explore solutions in greater depth.
With AI reshaping cybersecurity, how is VAD Technologies helping customers address evolving security requirements?
Cybersecurity has traditionally been a fragmented market, with many vendors addressing specific areas of the security stack. AI is adding further complexity by increasing the need for secure, high-performance infrastructure that can support demanding workloads. VAD Technologies aims to bring more cybersecurity vendors into its ecosystem and help them deploy their solutions across large-scale projects and data centres in the region. Our role is to connect high-performance data centre infrastructure with cybersecurity capabilities, enabling customers to build environments that can support AI securely and effectively.
VAD Technologies participates in major technology events across the region. How do you see regional dialogue influencing the global technology community?
Major regional events remain important, but country-level exhibitions, trade shows and community gatherings are becoming increasingly influential. Strong participation across markets such as Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Turkey demonstrates growing interest in local technology ecosystems. Global platforms bring the industry together, but local context remains essential. Each market has distinct priorities, opportunities and requirements. Events that combine international expertise with local insight can strengthen collaboration, accelerate technology adoption and help emerging markets contribute more actively to the global technology dialogue.
What is your message to the regional cybersecurity community for the remainder of 2026 and the year ahead?
Cybersecurity professionals must remain open to learning because new technologies and threats continue to emerge rapidly. Even after more than 30 years in the technology industry, I continue to learn every day.My advice is to stay focused. Once you identify an opportunity, commit to it, build deep expertise and maintain the stamina required to succeed. Avoid trying to cover every area. Specialisation, continuous learning and strong ecosystem collaboration will be vital for addressing cybersecurity challenges in 2027 and beyond.
Image Credit: VAD Technologies
Source: Tahawul Tech
