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NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic has launched five new innovation challenges for dual-use innovators to drive dual civilian-military use technologies.
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The challenges cover the areas of energy and power, data and information security, sensing and surveillance, human health and performance, and critical infrastructure and logistics.
In a recent statement, NATO explained that the challenges provide dual-use innovators with funding, accelerator programming, mentorship, testing facilities, and access to investors and end-users.
Applications for the challenges are scheduled to close on Friday, 9 August.
Forty-four companies from 19 countries were selected to join the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) in 2023 as part of the pilot round of challenges.
The first round included three of the same focus areas, including energy resilience, sensing and surveillance, and secure information sharing.
The NATO press office outlined that technologies selected under the first program included innovative fuel cells, micro wind and hydro-turbines, secure communications, and drone identification technology.
The participants are readying to compete for Phase II of the program, after completing a six-month accelerator program.
DIANA was originally launched in 2021 to cover areas of innovation, including artificial intelligence, space, data, biotechnology, quantum technologies, hypersonics, and energy.
The announcement came as the European Investment Fund (EIF) and NATO Innovation Fund signed a memorandum of understanding to facilitate private capital investment in technologies used by the defence and security sectors.
The partnership is expected to encourage more private-capital funds to become active investors in military-use technologies, the groups confirmed in early July, helping EU-based start-ups, small and medium-sized enterprises, and midcaps access additional investment.
It will also enable the two funds to share knowledge on investments within the industry, reach out to private capital funds, support investment plans, and raise awareness of defence and security investment.
The NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) is a venture capital fund supported by 24 NATO allies and deploys more than €1 billion in technology used in defence and security.
The EIF forms part of the European Investment Bank Group and provides access to finance for small and medium-sized enterprises (SME).
“By facilitating regular dialogue and knowledge sharing, the EIF and NIF will ensure a cohesive approach to strengthening the investment ecosystem for defence, security and resilience,” said Marjut Falkstedt, chief executive of the EIF.
“This will benefit SMEs, midcaps, and the broader European innovation landscape.”
