by Tristan Price
For a long time, the perception was that NATO was slow when it came to innovation in defence and security. That was until 2023, when it founded the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA), now a “shining star” in the Alliance’s efforts to innovate. DIANA focuses on accelerating innovation for NATO’s 32 members to ensure that they maintain a competitive edge in defence against foreign adversaries.
In its two years of existence, DIANA has proven to be quick and effective in its mission of bringing together industry from across NATO to help the Alliance meet the threats environment of today and tomorrow. While innovation and testing institutions were once seen as something only the U.S. could do, DIANA has opened the door to other NATO countries to benefit and leverage such approaches to defence innovation. DIANA has also allowed for cooperation on innovation amongst NATO members allowing for more flexibility and capacity in enabling startups to deliver.
DIANA, COVE, and Canadian Innovation
Thanks to DIANA (based in Halifax, Nova Scotia), Canada has been able to achieve a lot towards closing its defence innovation gap. COVE, a Halifax-based partner to NATO DIANA, is an example of how Canada both contributes to NATO-wide innovation and benefits from it. Since the creation of DIANA, COVE has worked with five companies to innovate on possible solutions for DIANA’s critical infrastructure and logistics challenges. By working with these companies through DIANA, which offers a variety of resources, including funding, and a mentor system providing expertise in business, defence, and technology, COVE is able to assist these companies succeed and become competitive.
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