NATO's research organisation, the Science and Technology Organization (STO), has appointed a new head of its Collaboration Support Office (CSO). On 1 July, French Major General Patrick Aufort took up the post, succeeding Norwegian John-Mikal Størdal after five years in the role. Aufort will lead the STO CSO for a three-year period.
According to a press release from the STO, Patrick Aufort joins from the French defence authority the Defence Innovation Agency (AID), where he has served as director since 2023. Prior to that, he held several senior positions within the French defence procurement agency DGA (Direction Générale de l'Armement), including responsibilities for aviation materiel, airborne command and control systems, and electronic warfare.
As head of the STO CSO, Aufort will be responsible for the organisation's Collaborative Programme of Work (CPoW), which coordinates NATO's joint research and technology development. He takes up the post as the programme undergoes a restructuring to better meet the future needs of the Alliance's member nations.
"I am proud to join NATO's Science and Technology Organization and its scientific network at a pivotal moment, and to contribute to making the STO a strategic asset within NATO for rapidly integrating scientific knowledge and adopting new technologies for the benefit of Alliance forces," said Patrick Aufort in the press release.
The outgoing CSO director, John-Mikal Størdal, wrote a guest column for Nordic Defence Sector in December 2025, in which he argued that science and technology must become a strategic priority if NATO is to maintain its technological edge. He highlighted, among other things, the need for increased investment in emerging technologies, faster innovation processes, and closer cooperation between allies to strengthen deterrence.