During the visit, Committee members sought to understand how NCIA supports NATO's ambitious agenda, maintaining its technological edge and ensuring readiness and resilience of the Alliance in light of the more complex security environment. Notably, they were interested in NCIA's support to Ukraine and development of NATO's capabilities in key areas such as Space, Artificial Intelligence (AI), and Command and Control.
The 14 members of the Science and Technology Committee, coming from 11 different NATO Nations, included national parliamentarians and NATO PA staff. NCIA General Manager, Ludwig Decamps, personally welcomed them at NCIA's campus.
"As members of the Science and Technology Committee, your research into the intersection of new technologies and emerging security trends overlaps with the fundamental mission of NCIA," said Decamps. "You represent the eyes and ears of your national parliaments and your presence here today helps bring us closer to the people we serve."
Following the welcoming remarks, NCIA's Chief of Staff, Hans Folmer, provided an overview of the NCIA's core business, its service portfolio, and the challenges ahead. Antonio Calderon, Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of NCIA, presented NCIA's Technology Strategy. He highlighted the importance of Cloud Adoption, cyberspace and space, AI, data exploitation, next-generation networks and quantum technologies, in both leveraging their advantages and mitigating their threats.
The visit concluded with a practical demonstration of how NCIA contributes to the development and provision of these capabilities, in form of a tour of the CTO Exploiting Data Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory with a joint brief from Chief Command and Control and Principal Data Scientist from CTO.
In conclusion of the visit, NATO PA Chair Dr Agnes Vadai remarked: "We, the national legislators, need to think about the future and the challenges it brings, especially in the technology sector. This visit was of high importance for us, as it will help us translate demands of the technology sector and provide us with arguments of why the investment in technology is critical for the lives of our citizens," remarked Vadai. "Moreover, the presentations and discussions provided us with practical inputs, which we will use when negotiating policies and developing national technology and industry strategies. Ultimately, we are here to reinforce mutual cooperation, which not only helps us save the taxpayers' money, but overall serves to a peaceful and secure Alliance."