On Tuesday (25 October 2022), NATO Under-Secretary-General Mircea Joana stressed that innovative and non-traditional approaches to problem solving are key to NATO’s response to current and emerging security challenges. Speaking to more than 1,000 experts from industry, academia, government and non-profit organisations at the NATO Edge conference in Mons, Belgium, Mr Geoană said: “We want disruptors from all areas of life: public, Private and academic. People who think and act differently. At NATO, we are now committed to uniting disruptors to shape a peaceful future. Because security is everyone’s job.”
The Under-Secretary-General explained how NATO initiatives such as the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) or the €1 billion NATO Innovation Fund, when operational in 2023, are already preparing for further technological innovations to develop “reality for today’s real world” Real-world solutions to problems.”
The NATO fringe conference, titled “Spotlight on Technology”, is organized around four themes: digital transformation, innovative partnerships, technology resilience and agile procurement. Hosted by the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency), NATO Edge is the flagship event for 2022, showcasing the most innovative technologies and ideas supporting the alliance’s digital transformation.