NATO DIANA’s Defence & Security Days 2026, held from 10 to 12 February, welcomed more than 1,000 attendees from 34 nations at MOTORWORLD München in Munich, Germany. The international gathering marked the first ‘global’ DIANA event of the year, bringing together the 150 innovators part of DIANA’s 2026 Cohort and countless representatives from government and industry.
Day 1: NATO DIANA Day
The opening day was all about introducing innovators to NATO DIANA’s ecosystem and offerings. It kicked off with inspiring keynote speeches, starting with Kadri Tammai, DIANA’s Regional Director and Head of the Accelerator Programme, who welcomed attendees and highlighted a core message during her keynote: our main challenge is not a shortage of innovation, but rather an adoption deficit – stressing the urgent need to accelerate the adoption, adaptation, and deployment of solutions to keep pace with rapidly evolving threats.
The day continued with a thorough overview of NATO and the defence innovation ecosystem more widely, including insights into NATO’s Rapid Adoption Action Plan and valuable guidance for engaging and better understanding procurement processes from NATO’s Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), NATO’s Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency), and NATO’s Allied Command Transformation (ACT).
After a session on OPEX opportunities available to innovators – which enable these start-ups to demo their technologies to different Allied nations – DIANA’s innovators also benefitted from dual-use regulatory guidance.
At the end of the day, innovators had the opportunity to engage in Challenge-Based Networking sessions:
“Bringing innovators together opened the door to new partnerships and uncovered how their technologies can complement one another. These early collaborations are already paving the way for more integrated solutions for end users,” said Veronika Yordanova, Maritime Operations Challenge Manager at NATO DIANA.
Attendees networking at the Defence & Security Days.
Day 2: Adoption Day
DIANA identifies and accelerates innovative solutions to pressing security and defence challenges, but our mission goes one step further. A huge focus of DIANA’s mission is also on ensuring that these technologies are not only developed, but also adopted, so they can lead to real-world impact. With this in mind, the second day of the Defence & Security Days was dedicated to the theme of adoption.
The day started with a keynote from Jyoti Hirani-Driver, Acting Managing Director at DIANA, who outlined the journey from innovative ideas and concepts to real-world deployment, followed by a welcome from the President of the University of the Bundeswehr Munich, Prof Eva-Maria Kern.
Speaking on the race to adopt cutting-edge technologies, Jyoti Hirani-Driver said:
"Sheer firepower and military size will not determine success - it's simply not enough to win. The win belongs to those who continually innovate, learn, adapt and deliver to the front line faster than the competition."
Jyoti Hirani-Driver delivering her keynote speech during the second day of the event.
Innovators also had the opportunity to hear more about DIANA’s Rapid Adoption Service (RAS). Case studies from previous DIANA cohorts illustrated how innovation is being adopted at pace by both nations and industry, and additional panels explored the complexities of selling to ministries and primes.
Rhys Roberts, Industry Lead and Commercial & Adoption Manager at DIANA, moderated a panel on ‘Selling to a Prime’, he said:
“For innovators, being able to navigate the complexities of working with primes, and understanding what they value and need, leads to more than just commercial success – it helps move innovation from concept to capability, leading to real-world impact.”
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'Selling to Primes' panel speakers; Eric Ottou, Dave Ewing, and Rhys Roberts (left to right).
The afternoon also featured presentations from the Phase 2 2025 Cohort, showcasing some of their most recent achievements and progress as part of DIANA’s programme. The Phase 2 innovators who took the stage were IS-Wireless, Wayren, 52North, RVmagnetics, Edge, Manitty, Reaction Dynamics, DeltaOrbit, Swaza, Zelim, Alea Quantum Technologies, TACTIQL, Kelluu and Kinnami Software Corporation.
“Phase 2 is a pivotal stage for DIANA innovators. Those selected receive additional funding and tailored support designed to accelerate adoption into operational use. Over the past six months, Phase 2 innovators have progressed significantly, scaling to new markets, securing prototyping contracts, and delivering solutions to the hands of end users. It was very rewarding to see them on stage sharing all the progress they have made so far,” said Kaari Kink, Phase 2 Project Manager at NATO DIANA.
Later in the afternoon, innovators participated in more structured networking sessions, and this time they also had the opportunity to engage with end-users and other ecosystem partners working on relevant technology and capability portfolios. To draw the day to a close, attendees joined a dinner networking session, allowing them to continue to strengthen the connections formed throughout the day.
Critical Infrastructure and Logistics panel session.
Day 3: German Defence Innovation Day
The final day, curated and led by Palladion Defence Accelerator and Bayern Innovativ, featured presentations, panels, and live demonstrations. Panels tackled a range of topics – from defending infrastructure against hybrid threats, to autonomy and ISR, healthcare in contested environments, agile space capabilities, and more. Meanwhile, the Kohlebunker Demo Stage was abuzz with product demos and reverse pitches form defence and industry stakeholders.
Creating alliances – with nations, industry and innovators
Overall, DIANA’s Defence & Security Days 2026 was packed with valuable insights for DIANA innovators, as well as critical discussions and opportunities for networking and collaboration.
By uniting nations, industry leaders, and innovators under one roof for this landmark event, DIANA continues to act as a connector and driving force in the ‘Defence Adoption Race’ referenced by DIANA’s Managing Director, Jyoti Hirani-Driver, in her opening keynote. This collective effort remains central to DIANA’s mission to protect NATO’s one billion citizens and safeguard the future:
“No single nation is going to win the race, but as an Alliance, the pool of brilliant talent and technologies we have collectively will allow us to find the best technology regardless of where it is grown in the Alliance. And this is what DIANA does. We are good at finding the best talent and tech across 32 innovation ecosystems, picking the most capable runners for the race and enabling the Alliance to run as one.”