Canadian Test Centres and Accelerators join NATO DIANA Network‌

NATO’s DIANA North American Regional Office is opening in Halifax.

The announcement made in March noted two Canadian accelerators and 13 test centres had joined the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) network, bringing the NATO DIANA growing network to 23 accelerators and 182 test sites.

“Canada is a hub for defence innovation – and Canadian innovators have a great deal to offer our NATO Allies,” said Bill Blair, Minister of National Defence. “I congratulate all the Canadian accelerators and test centres for being selected to join NATO’s defence innovation network. The integration of our domestic experts with NATO’s DIANA will strengthen our capacity to develop cutting-edge solutions to the security challenges faced by Canada and our NATO Allies.”

Address Challenges Affecting Security and Defence

DIANA was created by NATO to help develop dual-use technologies that address challenges affecting security and defence. DIANA supports companies working on solutions in key sectors identified by the Alliance. NATO DIANA will be coordinated by two regional offices – one in London, UK, and one in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The DIANA Regional Office in Canada is expected to bring tangible benefits to Canadian industry and the defence technology sector. With a thriving innovation ecosystem, sustaining more than 300 entrepreneurial science and technology start-ups, the Halifax Regional Municipality is also home to several major universities and research centres, as well as Canada’s Atlantic naval fleet.

The DIANA North American regional office will open by summer 2024 at the TD Centre in Halifax, supported by Canada’s initial investment of $26.6 million over six years.

North American Regional Office

“This announcement underscores Halifax’s leading role in the advancement and development of innovative solutions to NATO’s most pressing defence issues,” said Andy Fillmore, MP for Halifax. “In addition to the selection of Halifax as NATO DIANA’s North American Regional Office, we continue to see how they’re supporting regional economic growth in our city and province.”

DIANA supports companies with training, funding, commercial advice, and access to defence expertise and investors. Through competitive challenges, selected innovators can receive grant funding, acceleration advice, and access to the NATO DIANA network of accelerators and test centres.‌

The Canadian accelerators and test centres that are now part of the growing DIANA footprint include:

Accelerators:

• Communitech – Waterloo, Ontario
• COVE – Dartmouth, Nova Scotia

Test centres:

• The Launch, Fisheries and Marine Institute of Memorial University – St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador
• ACE Climatic Aerodynamic Wind Tunnel and Core Research Facility – Ontario Tech University Canada – Oshawa, Ontario
• University of Alberta – Edmonton, Alberta
• Area X.O. – Ottawa, Ontario
• Vaccine and Infectious Disease Organization (VIDO) / University of Saskatchewan – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
• Testing Network – Mohawk College, Saskatchewan Polytechnic, 3 Points in Space Media, SubZero North – Saskatoon, Saskatchewan / Hamilton, Ontario
• Southern Alberta Institute of Technology (SAIT) – Centre for Innovation and Research in Advanced Manufacturing and Materials (CIRAMM)Centre technologique en aérospatiale (CTA) – St-Hubert, Québec
• Aerospace Research Centre, National Research Council Canada – Ottawa, Ontario
• Automotive and Surface Transportation Research Centre, National Research Council Canada – Ottawa, Ontario / Boucherville, Québec
• Digital Technologies Research Centre, National Research Council Canada – Ottawa, Ontario
• Ocean, Coastal and River Engineering Research Centre, National Research Council Canada – St. John’s, Newfoundland and Labrador / Ottawa, Ontario
• Canadian Photonics Fabrication Centre, National Research Council Canada – Ottawa, Ontario

“Part of DIANA’s strength is our unique transatlantic network of talent centres and innovation leaders working toward a common purpose,” said Prof. Deeph Chana, Managing Director of DIANA. “The breadth and diversity of partners in DIANA’s network will accelerate the development and deployment of ground-breaking solutions for defence, security and peace.

NATO DIANA’s transatlantic network of accelerator sites and test centres now includes accelerators and test centres in 28 Allied nations.