Andris Baumanis, CEO of UniLab
UniLab Defence is one of the accelerator sites delivering NATO DIANA’s Accelerator Programme curriculum – connecting start-ups in the DIANA programme with Latvia’s leading universities, national defence infrastructure, and industry partners to support the development of dual-use technologies.
Where is UniLab Defence based and what is its focus?
UniLab Defence is based in Riga, Latvia – at the intersection of Europe’s scientific and military innovation landscapes. As one of NATO DIANA’s newly activated accelerator sites, we focus on autonomy and unmanned systems, advanced communications, and human resilience and biotechnologies. Our aim is to advance dual-use solutions that address real-world operational needs while creating scalable commercial impact.
What is your role within the NATO DIANA programme, and what support do you offer innovators?
UniLab Defence serves as Latvia’s DIANA accelerator site and forms part of the wider UniLab ecosystem – a collaborative platform uniting Latvia’s leading science universities: Riga Technical University, the University of Latvia, Rīga Stradiņš University, and the Latvia University of Life Sciences and Technologies.
This structure allows us to combine research excellence with access to national defence infrastructure and industry partnerships. Start-ups participating in the DIANA programme gain tailored mentorship, dual-use business development guidance, and access to real operational environments for testing, validation and pilot demonstrations. The UniLab Defence team helps connects innovators with investors, end-users, and NATO partners to help them transition from laboratory to deployment.
What makes UniLab Defence unique?
Our uniqueness lies in the combination of operational test ranges, academic excellence, and defence-industry proximity within a single national ecosystem.
The LMT 5G Test Site at Ādaži offers both fixed and mobile 5G laboratories supporting battlefield management, autonomous systems and AI research. It hosted NATO’s first operational 5G experiment and provides advanced tools such as network slicing, edge computing, and data-capture systems for precision measurements.
Nearby, the Selonia Military Training Area – a 250 km² dedicated drone and electronic-warfare range – provides uncontested air and land space for experiments. The site benefits from open spectrum access, multimodal transport links, and terrain suited for realistic defence operations.
These environments enable DIANA innovators to test emerging technologies under real-world conditions, co-develop solutions with allied forces, and gather critical feedback from the Canada-led NATO Enhanced Forward Presence battlegroup stationed in Latvia.
What are you hoping to achieve through your site’s participation in the DIANA Programme?
As a newly activated site of the DIANA programme, our goal is to build a sustainable dual-use innovation pipeline connecting Latvia’s universities, defence ecosystem, and NATO’s transatlantic network. We aim to accelerate the commercialisation of research-based technologies, grow our cohort of founders capable of addressing NATO’s strategic priorities, and strengthen the Baltic contribution to Europe’s defence innovation landscape.
UniLab Defence also aspires to become a model for how small nations can effectively integrate academic R&D, private industry, and defence capability development under a common innovation framework.
How does your site help connect people to your broader networks?
Latvia is rapidly emerging as a hub for drone and autonomous-systems innovation. The Drone Coalition, launched in 2024 by Latvia and the United Kingdom, has already attracted €1.8 billion in support and delivered nearly 5 000 drones. UniLab Defence contributes by running start-up pitch sessions during the annual Drone Summit and hosting demonstrations at the Selonia range.
In parallel, the Autonomous Systems Competence Centre, inaugurated in September 2025, coordinates the national development of air, land and maritime drones and counter-drone technologies, ensuring continuity of supply and cooperation among allies, industry and academia.
Another distinctive connection point is human-performance innovation. Rīga Stradiņš University’s Medical Education Technology Centre, now part of the DIANA test centre network, is the largest simulation centre in the Baltics. It trains over 4000 participants annually and provides tactical and clinical environments using VR/AR and high-fidelity mannequins – ideal for start-ups testing medical and resilience-related technologies.
Through these partnerships, UniLab Defence provides DIANA innovators with direct access to end-users, research talent, test environments, and government stakeholders, creating an integrated pathway from prototype to deployment.
In summary, UniLab Defence offers one-of-a-kind opportunities to de-risk technology, engage end-users early, and accelerate dual-use innovation from concept to capability.
We’re ready to help you build a safer future – join us in Riga!