Under the theme ‘Breaking Down Barriers to Capability Delivery,’ participants explored how policy, acquisition reform, and early engagement can help deliver operational capabilities more effectively.
On 5 November, NCIA Chief of Acquisition Marianne Roth participated in the session ‘Re-thinking NATO Engagement with Industry,’ alongside senior representatives from NATO agencies, European industry associations, and defence companies. Discussions focused on updating the Framework for NATO–Industry Engagement (FNIE), first launched in 2013, to ensure NATO’s collaboration with industry keeps pace with the Alliance’s evolving needs and growing industrial base.
The session explored the concept of a NATO Industry ‘Front Door’, designed to facilitate access to information and opportunities across the NATO enterprise for companies, including new and dual use innovators. The initiative aims to make cooperation with NATO more transparent and better coordinated. Roth emphasized the importance of distinguishing between non-competitive, pre-competitive and competitive engagement with industry, noting that NCIA’s use of pre-competitive engagement has helped identify solutions faster and shorten time-to-market for NATO capabilities. She also underline that the revised FNIE should empower experimentation with new models and collaborations.
On 6 November, NCIA General Manager Ludwig Decamps took part in the plenary discussion, ‘Breaking Down Barriers to Capability Delivery,’ alongside senior industry and government leaders. The conversation focused on how NATO, Nations, and industry can work together to strengthen the transatlantic industrial ecosystem and overcome barriers that slow capability delivery.
Decamps provided insights on how NCIA, as NATO’s digital enabler, bridges operational needs with industrial innovation and technology to deliver tangible results for the Alliance. He outlined NCIA’s efforts to strengthen collaboration with both traditional defence partners and emerging technology companies to ensure that digital solutions are rapidly translated into deployable capabilities.
Participants also exchanged views on the need for more consistent security accreditation standards, streamlined procurement procedures, and stronger incentives for partnerships between large defence primes and small or dual-use technology firms. Discussions underscored that closer coordination among NATO bodies, nations, and industry is critical to maintaining technological edge and delivering at the scale and speed required by today’s security environment.
While in Bucharest, the General Manager received the ‘Emblem of Honor of the Defense Staff’, in recognition of NCIA’s outstanding support provided to the Romanian Ministry of National Defence. This token of appreciation was awarded by the Romanian Deputy Chief of Defence, Lieutenant General Dragoș-Dumitru Iacob, during a ceremony. In his own remarks, Decamps acknowledged the strong partnership between NCIA and Romania, and commended the collective effort of the NCIA team in supporting Romania’s needs.
In the margins of the forum, the NCIA delegation, including the General Manager, the Chief of Acquisition and the Head of Industry Relations held bilateral meetings with leaders from major defence and technology companies to explore current and future cooperation and partnership opportunities.
The discussions and insight gathered at the NATO Industry Forum in Bucharest will help inform the programme for NATO Edge 26, NCIA’s flagship conference. Taking place in İzmir, Türkiye, from 17 to 19 November 2026, NATO Edge will offer a platform for discussion between NATO, Nations, and industry with a focus on strengthening NATO’s readiness and warfighting posture through faster, smarter and more scalable cooperation.