Kick-off event at FORT Kraków, January 2026.
FORT Kraków – a collaboration between Krakowski Park Technologiczny and AGH University – is one of the accelerator sites delivering NATO DIANA's 2026 acceleration programme curriculum.
Where is FORT Kraków based and what is its focus?
FORT Kraków is based in Kraków, southern Poland. It uses the facilities of Krakow Technology Park and AGH University. FORT Kraków works closely with the Ministry of Defence in Poland, responding to the needs and ambitions of the Polish Armed Forces. Currently, Autonomy and Unmanned Systems are a key priority.
What is FORT Kraków's role within the NATO DIANA programme, and what support do you offer innovators?
FORT Kraków is an Acceleration Site, hosting innovators during their six-month programme. We focus not only on delivering the same educational and training value as other sites, but also on helping innovators understand and enter the Polish defence market—one of the most important markets within NATO.
FORT Kraków is delivered by a consortium of AGH University of Science and Technology (AGH) and Krakow Technology Park (KPT). AGH contributes strong scientific and R&D capacity, including advanced research expertise and technical advisory capabilities that support technology maturation and rigorous validation. KPT brings a proven track record in acceleration programmes, business development support, ecosystem building, and scaling-focused guidance.
What makes FORT Kraków unique?
FORT Kraków is unique because it combines two highly complementary institutions into one coherent accelerator experience. The synergy between AGH’s research excellence and infrastructure, and KPT’s extensive acceleration know-how and innovation ecosystem access, allows us to support teams both technically and commercially.
Another distinctive, though challenging, aspect of FORT Kraków is its location. Poland is the largest country on NATO's eastern flank, demonstrating determination and a strong sense of urgency in security matters, including leadership in defence spending as a share of GDP.
What are you hoping to achieve through your site’s participation in the NATO DIANA Programme?
We aim to embed the Polish defence innovation ecosystem into an international network of institutions, mentors, and innovators. Through this, we want to learn, expand our scope of activities, and bring Poland even closer to its allies.
Most importantly, we want to contribute to strengthening NATO’s eastern flank by supporting the development and field-readiness of solutions that address current and emerging security challenges – an objective that is especially critical in today’s geopolitical context.
How does your site help connect people to your broader networks?
FORT Kraków actively connects innovators to Poland’s broader innovation and defence ecosystem through close cooperation with key public stakeholders and partner networks. Our site is supported by the Ministry of National Defence, the General Command of the Armed Forces, the Ministry of Finance and Economy, the Ministry of Science and Higher Education, and the Ministry of Development and Technology. This alignment strengthens our ability to facilitate relevant introductions, expert access, and collaboration pathways – spanning government, industry, and research institutions. We use subsequent programme meetings to engage new groups of stakeholders, especially venture funds and businesses.
Poland’s role as a DIANA host country – hosting an accelerator site, multiple test centres, and the NATO Innovation Fund Office – further reinforces our position in the national and regional innovation landscape and helps innovators build relationships that translate into real testing, adoption opportunities, and long-term impact.