On 22 January, a new business accelerator was inaugurated as part of NATO's DIANA initiative in Otaniemi, Espoo (southern Finland). The operations, led by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, will focus on future communication systems and quantum technology to support companies without prior experience in the defence sector.
The accelerator is located in Otaniemi, and the operations are led by VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland in collaboration with Aalto University and the University of Helsinki. This was communicated via a press release from the Finnish Ministry of Defence, stating that the accelerator will offer training in business development within the defence sector to companies participating in NATO's challenge programme DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic).
The technical focus for the Finnish accelerator will be on future communication systems and quantum technology. The services are particularly aimed at start-up companies as well as small and medium-sized enterprises that have limited or no previous experience working with the defence and security industry, according to the press release.
– We began striving to bring NATO's business accelerator to Finland because we are a high-tech country and at the same time a strong expert in defence, says Defence Minister Antti Häkkänen at the inauguration.
Häkkänen further emphasises that the integration of the defence aspect into the national innovation policy aims to create a stronger foundation for both resilience and competitiveness as well as international cooperation.
Nordic Defence Sector has previously written about NATO's DIANA initiative, which by 2026 has selected 150 companies from 24 member countries, including 14 in the Nordic region, for its programme. The Ministry of Defence acts as the national responsible authority for the initiative in Finland.