How NATO’s DIANA Program—and One Canadian Accelerator—Fast-Track the Future of Security
As global security threats grow more complex and technology advances rapidly, defence innovation can no longer rely on slow, traditional development cycles. To keep pace, NATO launched DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic) a bold initiative aimed at accelerating the development of dual-use technologies with the potential to serve both commercial and military needs. Selected innovators participate in an intensive six-month program including non-dilutive funding, access to NATO’s global innovation network, and improved access into defence markets that companies often struggle to reach.
What makes DIANA especially effective is its network of accelerator sites across NATO countries, where innovation meets real-world defence applications. One of the most active and impactful is COVE, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. Known for advancing marine and deep-tech ventures, COVE goes far beyond hosting companies. It partners with them, offering hands-on guidance, facilities, and access to defence and security networks to help transform promising technologies into deployable solutions.
At COVE, participants connect with defence experts, technical mentors, and other founders solving related challenges. Rodrigo Alvarez, founder of Elysium Robotics, calls the experience transformative. His company develops artificial muscles that mimic human movement, aiming to give robots natural motion and agility, key advantages in search and rescue, autonomous operations, and tactical environments.
“COVE has been dead on in understanding what our needs are and what our abilities are,” Alvarez says. “They have supported us, made introductions, and found mentors. It’s been phenomenal.”
This kind of tailored, responsive support echoes across the DIANA cohort. Materials Testing Inc. (MTI), a 50-year-old inspection firm, joined DIANA with the goal of modernizing weld inspections, which are critical for defence infrastructure, such as shipbuilding. Through its innovation division, A Robotics, MTI worked with COVE to refine its approach, pilot its automation tools, and access DIANA’s Technical Expertise funding to accelerate development. “COVE bridged the gap between us as technology developers and the users who will benefit from this technology,” says Alec Carlson, MTI’s Director of Operations.
Some companies entered the program with a clear defence application. Others, like Evitado Technologies, discovered one through collaboration at COVE. Initially focused on preventing aircraft collisions in commercial airports, the company realized that its sensing technology could also improve safety and efficiency on military airfields. “Through COVE, we’ve met so many other entrepreneurs,” says CEO Alex Kasinec. “It allowed us to exchange ideas and develop a community of like-minded people. That’s shaped both our direction and our culture.”
That cross-sector collaboration lies at the heart of DIANA’s model. It helps companies identify new paths, markets, and missions. UK-based Honuworx, for example, brought its uncrewed subsea platform, initially designed for offshore energy, to COVE. With mentorship from former military and commercial specialists, the company quickly recognized the potential in naval operations, ranging from underwater surveillance to infrastructure deployment. “The range of backgrounds at COVE helped shape our understanding of where our platform can go,” says CEO Lee Wilson.
Meanwhile, Reaction Dynamics (RDX), based in Quebec, announced a significant funding round that supports the next phase of development for its patented hybrid rocket propulsion system, aimed at rapid and responsive satellite launches. The company plans a suborbital demonstration flight as it accelerates commercialization of its launch technology for both commercial and defence satellite markets. Positioned as a leader in dedicated orbital launch services and rapid satellite constellation replenishment, Reaction Dynamics leverages DIANA and COVE’s networks to align its technical capabilities with NATO’s strategic defence priorities.
“The access to a global defence network, targeted mentorship, and exposure to operational priorities has helped us refine our offering for real-world defence needs,” says CEO and Chief Technical Officer Bachar Elzein.
In each case, DIANA provides the structure, and COVE delivers the substance. Whether guiding a legacy firm through automation, helping a robotics start-up navigate procurement, or connecting aerospace engineers to NATO-aligned priorities, COVE ensures that innovation doesn’t just happen, it reaches the right people, solves the right problems, and enters the right systems.
Several of these companies are currently applying to Phase 2 of the DIANA Accelerator Programme, a key milestone that narrows support to a smaller group of innovators selected through a competitive proposal process. Phase 2 provides additional funding to continue refining solutions in response to challenge needs and end-user feedback. It pairs companies with dedicated DIANA advisors who help shape commercial goals, fundraising strategies, and routes to defence adoption. Participants also receive enhanced access to a global network, mentors, and NATO events, further embedding their technologies within the Alliance’s defence ecosystem.
The momentum these companies built during their first six months at COVE positions them well to leverage targeted opportunities beyond the program, whether through tailored support, strategic partnerships, or real-world deployment. For many, this stage offers more than validation—it opens a clear path toward impact.
As NATO invests more in dual-use innovation, DIANA and its accelerator sites, like COVE, demonstrate the power of proactive innovation. It’s not just about building faster. It’s about building smarter, with clarity of purpose and mission relevance from the start.
For a growing group of innovators across the Alliance, that approach is turning promising ideas into real-world capabilities and reshaping the future of defence innovation in the process.