Portugal hosts two NATO innovation centres

Portugal was picked to host two defence innovation centres under NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic - DIANA. These two centres are to start operating in 2023.

The DIANA project is an instrument to accelerate the development of emerging and disruptive technologies within NATO, mainly dual use technologies to be applied in security and defence.

Portugal will host the Accelerator Network Site and a Test Centre, to be set up at Arsenal do Alfeite, S.A., in Almada, and at the Navy Operational Experiment Centre in Tróia, respectively. Setting up these structures on national soil is a relevant opportunity for the national defence economy and bringing it closer to the innovation network that is now starting within the Alliance.

Among the NATO member states, Portugal was one of the countries where two applications were approved.

NATO is currently in Portugal via the Joint Analysis & Lessons Learned Centre in Lisbon, the Communications and Information Academy, and the Naval Striking and Support Forces NATO (STRIKFORNATO), in Oeiras.

Portugal belongs to the group of 12 founding members of the Atlantic Alliance, along with Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Holland, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, Norway, United Kingdom, and United States. The Alliance has 30 allies at the moment.

On 4 April, 73 years elapsed since the Treaty of Washington was signed, which set up the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.