The NATO Innovation Landscape
NATO has several entities focusing on different aspects of innovation throughout its command structure.
Innovation has become part of the fabric of NATO, embedded in our way of working and innovation entities can be found throughout the Alliance. An overview of the primary innovation entities within the NATO Enterprise can be found below.

Allied Command Transformation
Allied Command Transformation is NATO’s Strategic Warfare Development Command. Its mission is to contribute to preserving the peace, security and territorial integrity of Alliance member states by leading the strategic warfare development of military structures, forces, capabilities and doctrines.
From its inception in 2003, Allied Command Transformation has demonstrated the importance of transformation and development as continuous drivers for change – change that will ensure the relevance of the Alliance in a rapidly evolving and complex global security environment.

NATO Innovation Branch
The NATO Innovation Branch, part of Allied Command Transformation, drives innovation throughout the Alliance, supporting our headquarters’ leading role in Alliance Innovation. As the leading agent in open military innovation, we:
- Support military innovation entities in their development
- contribute to the development and implementation of Emerging Disruptive Technologies
- Actively maintain the NATO Innovation Network
- Offer innovative solutions to military capability development

Defense Accelerator for the North Atlantic (NATO DIANA)
DIANA is the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic, an organisation established by NATO to find and accelerate dual-use innovation capacity across the Alliance.
DIANA leverages its Accelerator Programme and test centre network to bring start-ups together with operational end users, scientists and systems integrators to advance compelling deep tech with dual-use solutions for the Alliance. DIANA provides companies with the resources, networks and guidance to develop deep technologies to solve critical defence and security challenges, from operating in denied environments to tackling threats to our collective resilience.

NATO Innovation Fund (NIF)
The NATO Innovation Fund is A standalone venture capital fund backed by 24 NATO allies deploying €1 billion+ in deep tech.
The NIF invests in cutting-edge science and technology, supporting ambitious founders to secure the future for the alliance’s one billion citizens – whether by protecting infrastructure from subsea to space, enabling the climate and energy transition, or ensuring resilient supply chains across all sectors.

NATO Science & Technology Organisation (STO)
The STO is a NATO subsidiary body created to meet the collective Science and Technology needs of the NATO Alliance and its partner nations. The STO does this by generating, sharing, and disseminating advanced scientific knowledge, technological developments, and innovation resulting from its many activities completed within the Collaborative Programme of Work (CPoW).
The STO conducts leading-edge Science & Technology programmes in order to help maintain the Alliance’s military advantage. The STO generates, shares and exploits advanced scientific knowledge, technological developments and innovation to support the Alliance’s core tasks.

NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA)
The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) brings together, in a single organization, acquisition, logistic, medical and infrastructural capabilities, operational and systems support and services to the NATO nations, NATO Military Authorities and partner nations.
As NATO’s primary enabler, its mission is to provide effective and cost efficient multinational solutions to the Alliance, its 32 Nations and Partners. NSPA is a customer-funded agency, operating on a “no profit – no loss” basis.

NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA)
The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) is NATO’s technology and cyber hub. They help the Alliance communicate and work together to fulfill the NATO’s mission of preserving peace and security for one billion citizens.
NCIA was established on 1 July 2012 from a merger of several NATO entities but has a 65-year legacy of supporting NATO operations, missions and exercises. The NCIA is on the frontlines against cyber threats, protecting NATO’s networks 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to prevent debilitating attacks. We provide expertise and services that are critical to NATO’s ability to fulfill its core tasks of consultation, collective defence and crisis management.