As NATO prepares for the Innovation Continuum 2026 (IC26), NATO DIANA is highlighting how its innovators are using Alliance-led experimentation to turn promising technologies into NATO‑relevant capability. For Goldilock, participation in Allied Command Transformation’s IC 2025—with DIANA support—provided a critical opportunity to validate cyber resilience technology in an operational context.
“We set out to develop use cases and experimental evidence that FireBreak can enhance the resilience of C4ISR systems to cyber‑attack in militarily relevant scenarios,” said Stephen Kines, Chief Operating Officer of Goldilock. “That was our primary objective—and IC allowed us to accomplish it.”
Supported by NATO DIANA, Goldilock participated in IC 2025 to test its FireBreak layer‑1 cyber resilience technology alongside NATO entities, industry partners, and the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA). The company worked to integrate FireBreak into full system solutions rather than standalone demonstrations, aligning closely with DIANA’s focus on deployable, dual‑use innovation.
“IC provided hard evidence that we can now share with potential customers and stakeholders, demonstrating the benefit of FireBreak to secure military networks and enhance cyber resilience,” Kines said.
A key outcome of the experiment was demonstrating that FireBreak devices could be controlled over quantum‑safe encrypted channels without introducing significant latency or network side effects—an increasingly important consideration for future NATO communications.
Beyond the technical results, Goldilock contributed directly to NATO experimentation outcomes. “We supported NCIA in the overall cyber resilience experiment through the supply of FireBreak devices and expertise,” Kines noted.
Following IC 2025, the FireBreak devices used during the experiment remained with NCIA and are now part of NATO’s Digital Foundry, where they continue to be demonstrated and used across the Alliance—extending the impact of the experiment well beyond its conclusion.
“The fact that the equipment continues to be exploited and demonstrated within NATO is a real indicator of the value of IC,” said Kines.
Participation also accelerated Goldilock’s development roadmap. “We expect to implement enhancements to our technology based directly on experience gained at IC,” he explained.
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Goldilock and fellow NATO DIANA innovator Kinnami collaborated at IC25.
IC 2025 also highlighted the strength of the DIANA innovation ecosystem. Goldilock conducted side experiments with fellow DIANA company Kinnami, exploring how networks might cache and synchronise data during cyber‑attacks—demonstrating the value of cross‑company experimentation enabled by DIANA’s presence.
Reflecting on the experience, Kines emphasised the broader value for innovators: “IC offers the chance to conduct experiments in a benign but militarily relevant scenario and make quantitative measurements of new technologies. It’s also a great networking opportunity with NATO, national militaries, and industry partners.”
As NATO DIANA looks ahead to IC 2026, Goldilock’s experience demonstrates how DIANA enables innovators not just to participate—but to deliver measurable impact for NATO and the wider Alliance.