Finnish VTT and Millog are expanding their cooperation within NATO DIANA. Millog will contribute test and validation environments to VTT's test centre, where companies can develop and trial technology for both civilian and military applications.
The cooperation will complement VTT's existing test environments in areas including secure communications, space technology and quantum technology, VTT (Technical Research Centre of Finland) writes in a press release. Through Millog's environments, technology will be evaluated against defence requirements in both physical and digital settings that replicate operational conditions.
According to VTT, the field-testing capability represents a particular contribution to NATO DIANA's work on testing, evaluation, validation and verification (TEVV). The aim is, among other things, to give companies better opportunities to develop solutions for demanding and safety-critical environments.
"Together with VTT, we will support the development of solutions that enhance security in Finland and for our allies. This test cooperation is a natural continuation of our previous collaboration to support research, development and innovation in the defence sector in Finland and internationally," says Toni Piispa, deputy managing director of Millog's Authorities and Industry business area, in the press release.
VTT participates in NATO's Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) with two test centres and an accelerator. The test environments cover 6G, quantum technology, space technology and secure data transmission, while the accelerator is designed to help companies developing dual-use technology reach the defence market.
"Thanks to the cooperation with Millog, the capacity of the NATO DIANA test centre is being further strengthened to support the development of this centre of excellence in Finland and the international competitiveness of Finnish companies. The goal is to enable rapid development of new capabilities for the Finnish defence forces and their allies, in line with NATO's innovation activities and principles for rapid implementation," says Mikko Salomaa, deputy managing director for the defence sector at VTT.
The cooperation builds on an agreement signed by VTT and Millog in late 2025 on innovation in the defence sector. It is also part of a broader effort by VTT concerning defence and dual-use technology. NDS reported in May on VTT's expanded cooperation with the Dutch organisation TNO in areas including drones, sensors, underwater technology and 6G. That cooperation had already led to joint tests at VTT's drone test centre in Oulu (northern Finland).
In June, NDS also reported that VTT, together with Sweden's RISE, Norway's SINTEF, Denmark's DTI and Estonia's Metrosert, had formed the research alliance RTO4DEF. This includes, among other things, the coordination of test and validation environments for critical systems and research with civilian and military applications.