Amid the increasing demands of the technology-security-defence ecosystem, NATO has taken a further evolutionary step with the launch of the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) and the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF).
The success of DIANA and the NIF will depend largely on the allies, which will have to ensure their internal coherence and coordination to address the challenges of integrating deep tech into NATO - challenges that span governance, financing, political willingness, and organisational mindset. While the allies are showing greater willingness and putting forward governance mechanisms to integrate deep tech and contribute to DIANA and the NIF, the shift in financial and organisational mindset is still a major challenge that will need to be duly addressed to ensure that NATO does not fall behind on the technological cutting edge and leave room for the growing influence of third countries.
Importantly, the success of any technological innovation that has been developed at the NATO level depends on its implementation and uptake at the national level, as well as across allied markets. That is why this analysis addresses two important questions of willingness and effectiveness:
- To what extent will allies seize the opportunity to benefit from DIANA and NIF activities at the NATO level to transform their national defence initiatives into new, disruptive advancements that provide security and defence responses through deep tech?
- Will the shift in mindset that is taking place at NATO, through DIANA and the NIF, have the expected long-term results in security and defence at the national level?
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