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Oct 11 2024

NCIA convenes industry partners and NATO stakeholders to consult on its Technology Strategy

From 8 to 10 October 2024, the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) welcomed industry partners and key NATO stakeholders to its campus in The Hague, Netherlands, to participate in a three-day consultation on its first Technology Strategy. The Strategy will be formally unveiled in December at NATO Edge in Tampa, Florida, United States.

NCIA’s Technology Strategy, driven by the Chief Technology Office (CTO), outlines NCIA’s vision for harnessing technology to drive innovation, efficiency, and effectiveness across NATO. It further enables NATO’s digital transformation by facilitating the experimentation and rapid adoption of new technologies. The Strategy combines technological work streams, non-technical success factors, and a new NATO Digital Foundry, which will provide a rapid integration, testing and experimentation, deployment and exercise environment where NCIA, industry, Not-for-Profit (NFP) partners, and NATO stakeholders can collaborate together.

Cooperation with industry, NFPs and other NATO stakeholders is fundamental to the Strategy’s ambition. The three-day consultation in The Hague provided the opportunity for participants to offer expert feedback, support, and guidance to help inform the Strategy’s direction.

The first two days focused on industry participation through panel discussions covering the Strategy’s six key technological themes: data exploitation, cloud computing, space technologies, next generation networks, cyber security & cyber operations technologies, and quantum technologies.

On day three, NATO stakeholders learnt more about the new NATO Digital Foundry, and the importance of non-technical factors in the successful implementation of the Strategy. The next steps on the continuation of the community approach and engagement were also discussed, setting the grounds for future and continued collaboration as the Technology Strategy evolves.

“This Technology Strategy provides the handrail for dialogue with industry and partners to facilitate a collective and conscious approach to technology exploration, adoption and the integration of mature products into capability and services,” said NCIA General Manager, Ludwig Decamps in his opening remarks. “It will help us to fulfil the NATO Digital Transformation vision.”

Chief Technology Officer, Antonio Calderon, added: “NCIA recognizes the critical role that technology plays in delivering reliable and secure mission-critical services to NATO operations and stakeholders. Sharing our first version of the strategy with industry and key stakeholders is testimony to our commitment to a closer open dialogue and enhanced collaboration. I am confident that this strategy will help us all in driving NATO mission forward towards 2030.”

The final Technology Strategy will be officially unveiled at NCIA's flagship event, NATO Edge 24, in Tampa, Florida, from 3 to 5 December 2024. NATO Edge will bring together decision-makers, governments, industry leaders, academia, innovators and visionaries in Tampa to address current challenges and opportunities presented by technology and exchange ideas on future-proofing our Alliance. Find out more here.