The NATO Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic has officially opened its North American headquarters in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
The inauguration ceremony was held on Tuesday and attended by Canadian government officials Sean Fraser, minister of housing, infrastructure and communities; Marie-France Lalonde, parliamentary secretary to the minister of national defense; and Jean-Yves Duclos, minister of public services and procurement.
According to Canada’s Department of National Defence, the regional office will house up to 25 international staff and be supported by Ottawa’s initial investment of $26.6 million for over six years.
“As home to several major universities and research centers, hundreds of science and technology startups, and Canada’s Atlantic naval fleet, Halifax is well-positioned to support DIANA, as well as innovators and industry across the country,” Duclos said in a statement.
Established in 2021 at the NATO Summit in Brussels, DIANA aims to promote cooperation on critical technologies and foster innovation through partnerships with the private sector and academia. It operates from a regional office in London, the United Kingdom, and a hub in Tallinn, Estonia, and includes a network of over 20 accelerator sites and approximately 180 test centers across NATO countries, with plans to expand further.
Through industry challenges, DIANA encourages the development of dual-use technologies that address defense and security problems. The 2024 challenges will focus on five key areas:
- energy and power,
- data and information security,
- sensing and surveillance,
- human health and performance, and
- critical infrastructure and logistics.
Selected companies receive grants and access to mentors, test centers and accelerator sites across the alliance. The NATO Innovation Fund, a $1.1 billion venture capital fund, provides additional financial support.