Five technology research institutes from the Nordic and Baltic regions have signed a vision document and formed the alliance RTO4DEF (Research and Technology Organisations for Nordic-Baltic Total Defence) to mobilise civilian and dual-use research in support of total defence.
The parties are RISE (Sweden), VTT (Finland), SINTEF (Norway), DTI (Denmark) and Metrosert (Estonia). The signing took place at a meeting in Brussels, according to RISE.
The collaboration focuses on research, innovation, testing and knowledge exchange. Its purpose is described as strengthening societal security, total defence preparedness and industrial resilience. The institutes' combined organisation encompasses approximately 10,000 engineers, researchers and specialists, as well as research and technology infrastructure, according to VTT.
The institutes' commitments within the alliance include coordination of test beds and validation facilities for critical systems, coordinated expert support in technologies, standards and industrial capabilities relevant to total defence, as well as strengthened supply security and resilience.
"The geopolitical developments and Sweden's and Finland's NATO membership mean that we, as technology research institutes, are now stepping forward to both strengthen our collective capability and demonstrate how civilian and dual-use research contributes to strengthening Europe's security and competitiveness," says Malin Frenning, CEO of RISE, in the press release.
Johan Rosell, responsible for total defence at RISE, states that the institutes' expertise and technology infrastructure for testing, demonstration and verification constitute a key component in the development of technologies, standards and industrial capabilities relevant to total defence.
VTT states that the alliance is aligned with NORDEFCO's (Nordic Defence Cooperation) Vision 2030 and that it will deepen Nordic defence cooperation. VTT also hosts NATO DIANA's (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic) innovation accelerator and test centre in Finland.