NATO's Defense Quickener Launches in Tallinn
🤖 Let's talk about the DIANA HQ in hotspot Tallinn, Estonia!
🎉 The regional hub of the NATO Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) recently opened its doors in the innovative city of Tallinn!
🤝 In May, the Estonian defense minister, Hanno Pevkur, and the managing director of the NATO DIANA, professor Deeph Chana, sealed the deal with a memorandum of understanding.
🌟 DIANA has its sights set on 1,300 applicants, eventually selecting 44 companies for their program - nine of which were blessed with the opportunity to thrive in the DIANA accelerator in Estonia.
💡 According to professor Chana, "Estonia's knack for innovation makes it the perfect spot for DIANA's regional hub." This hub will play a crucial role in DIANA's operations, as they strive to strengthen and accelerate emerging technology capabilities across 32 innovation ecosystems.
🎯 The selected companies focused on tackling challenges in energy resilience, undersea sensing and surveillance, and secure information sharing during January's accelerator bootcamp. Successful companies received grants of up to €400,000!
📅 DIANA's next set of challenges and topics are set to drop in July - keep your eyes peeled for key technology priorities identified by allies, including energy, information, sensing, health, infrastructure, logistics and space. Time to get your application ready, as you'll have approximately five weeks to submit! Companies registered in any NATO member country are eligible to apply.
🤝🏻 The construction of the accelerator in Estonia is being led by the Tehnopol Startup Incubator, joined by the Sparkup Tartu Science Park and the mighty Startup Wise Guys. The DIANA hub's foundation is supported by the Estonian economy ministry, foreign ministry, defense ministry, and the city of Tallinn.
🤝🏾 Estonian contributions to the pan-alliance network of test centers include the Tallinn University, the University of Tartu, the CR14 Foundation, the National Defence College, the Estonian Academy of Security Sciences, the Estonian Aviation Academy, and the Estonian National Metrology Institute.
- The DIANA HQ in Tallinn, Estonia is backed by a collaboration between the Estonian economy ministry, foreign ministry, defense ministry, and the city of Tallinn.
- The nine companies selected for the DIANA accelerator in Estonia are focused on addressing challenges in energy resilience, undersea sensing and surveillance, and secure information sharing.
- The Estonian defense minister, Hanno Pevkur, and the managing director of the NATO DIANA, professor Deeph Chana, signed a memorandum of understanding for the establishment of the DIANA HQ in Tallinn.
- DIANA's regional hub in Tallinn aims to strengthen and accelerate emerging technology capabilities in 32 innovation ecosystems, including energy, information, sensing, health, infrastructure, logistics, and space.
