NATO has selected 150 companies from 24 member countries under the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) programme. More than 20 companies operating in the field of resilient space operations were also included in the programme.
NATO has announced the companies selected for the new term of the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) programme, which it runs to accelerate the development of breakthrough technologies in the field of defence and security. The 150 companies that will join the programme next year were selected from 24 NATO member countries, with a significant proportion consisting of firms connected to the space sector.
In the first phase of the programme, which will begin in January, each selected company will receive funding of €100,000. In addition, companies will gain access to more than 200 test centres connected to the NATO network, enabling them to develop dual-use (military and commercial) technologies.
Additional Funding in the Second Phase
Companies that qualify to move on to the second phase of the DIANA programme will be eligible to receive up to €300,000 in additional support, provided they can demonstrate in detail that they are capable of delivering solutions to at least one of the 10 critical defence and security challenges identified by NATO.
One of these critical areas, Resilient Space Operations, aims to enhance the security, continuity and defence capabilities of space-based infrastructures.
Companies Selected in the Resilient Space Operations Category
According to the list announced by NATO on 10 December, some of the companies selected in this field and their areas of activity are as follows:
- Adaptronik (Italy): Electro-adhesion-based, energy-efficient object manipulation technologies
- Alba Orbital (United Kingdom): Small Earth observation satellites capable of high-frequency imaging
- Applied Atomics (United Kingdom): Space propulsion system using water as fuel
- BruhnBruhn Innovation (Sweden): Edge computing solutions for aviation and space
- Capsule Company (Italy): Water-based propulsion systems for dual-purpose satellites
- Deep Space Energy (Latvia): Radioisotope energy systems for satellite manoeuvres and threat response
- Ecological (Italy): Space traffic management solutions
- Kreios Space (Spain): VLEO support using propellant-free atmospheric propulsion
- Mithril Technologies (USA): Software-defined satellite radar
- Neural Space (Portugal): AI-supported autonomous space defence platform
- Space Power (United Kingdom): Laser-based solar panel charging systems
- Space Solar (United Kingdom): Large modular space structures
- Space Flux (United Kingdom): Predictive artificial intelligence for space operations
- Spectra Defence (United Kingdom): Optical space situational awareness sensors
- WarpWare – ATTX (USA): Orbital debris characterisation
Some companies operating in the space sector were included in other DIANA categories. US-based SkyFi was selected under the Data-Driven Decision-Making category, while Spanish picosatellite operator FOSSA was included in the programme under Contested Electromagnetic Environments.
“They Will Transform NATO’s Defence Capability”
James Appathurai, NATO DIANA Interim Managing Director, summarised the programme’s objective with the following words:
“The mission of DIANA is to find the most innovative companies, help them develop their solutions and grow their businesses, and bring the technologies we need into the hands of NATO operators.”
Appathurai emphasised that over the coming year, these companies will accelerate technologies capable of transforming the Alliance’s defence approach against current and emerging threats.
Record Number of Applications
The 150 selected companies were chosen from more than 3,600 applications. This figure represents the largest group of companies announced since NATO launched the DIANA programme in 2022 and is more than double the number of companies selected last year.
