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The Czech Republic has joined the NATO Innovation Fund!

Ministry of Defence & Armed Forces of the Czech Republic

Author: Ondřej Vodička
21.8.2023

At the end of July were taken the final steps to establish the NATO Innovation Fund, the first-ever multinational venture capital fund focused on strategic investments in disruptive technologies.

The development and proliferation of so-called emerging and disruptive technologies, EDTs, such as artificial intelligence, robotics and quantum and space technologies, will significantly transform the requirements for defence and security in the coming years. NATO member states are well aware of this reality, which is why the NATO 2030 initiative was launched two years ago to ensure the Alliance's political and military relevance in the upcoming years.

The NATO Innovation Fund together with the DIANA initiative is the result of an almost two-year effort to ensure that the Alliance has access to these emerging and disruptive technologies and is ready to accelerate their integration into the military capabilities.

Already at the NATO Defence Ministers' meeting in October 2021, the Czech Republic signed the Declaration of Intent to participate in the establishment of the Innovation Fund alongside 16 other Allied nations. Our intention to participate was confirmed at the upcoming NATO Summit in Madrid on 28-30 June 2022.

After this year's Vilnius Summit, the last few steps were taken, that led to the official establishment of the NATO Innovation Fund on 1 August 2023. The Czech Republic, together with 22 other allies, will support technological start-ups whose solutions can help NATO meet future challenges.

Russia's aggression against Ukraine shows us in real time how important it is to connect established defence companies, innovative start-ups and the armed forces. Only this combination can deliver the technologies critical to the battlefield success. And this is exactly the place in the innovation ecosystem that the Alliance's new initiatives - the NATO Innovation Fund and DIANA - are filling.

The Czech Republic's participation is technically ensured through the National Development Investment, a.s., a subsidiary of the National Development Bank. Representatives of the institution will provide expert advice to the Ministry of Defence in the field of venture capital.