VTT Begins First NATO DIANA Accelerator in January 2026 - Focused on Advanced Communications

Insider Brief

VTT will launch its first NATO DIANA Accelerator Programme in January 2026, selecting six companies to develop dual-use advanced communication technologies.
The programme focuses on secure networks, radio and antenna innovation, RF data analytics, quantum encryption and emerging communication systems such as quantum sensors.
The 2026 DIANA network received 3,680 applications, selecting 150 companies that will receive funding, defence-sector coaching and access to NATO test centres.

PRESS RELEASE –VTT’s DIANA Programme will start on 19 January 2026 and last until midsummer. The selected six startups and SMBs from the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Germany will develop dual-use technologies for the needs of future communications systems. VTT will mentor companies together with its partners, Aalto University, University of Helsinki and Defence Innovation Network Finland (DEFINE).

”We are proud to lead our historical first DIANA Accelerator Programme. Our strength, considering the theme and the companies, lies in our expertise in network technologies and our own unique infrastructure,” says Tiia-Maria Jaakkola, Manager of VTT Dual-Use LaunchPad.

NATO founded the DIANA initiative (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic) and a network of accelerators to speed up the development of dual-use technologies and accelerate the adoption of the latest technologies in the defence sector, boosting security and operations. The goal is to identify the most innovative companies in the member countries, supporting them in developing solutions to meet NATO’s needs and in expanding their businesses.

The focus areas of VTT’s DIANA accelerator site – VTT Dual-Use LaunchPad – include, among others, new radio and antenna applications, radio-frequency data analytics and integration, secure networks and quantum encryption and emerging communications systems such as quantum sensors. The aim is to enable reliable, fast communication in demanding environments.

Almost 4,000 Companies Applied, 150 Were Selected

The 2026 NATO DIANA programme, with its 16 accelerators, received 3,680 applications from companies in 24 member countries. A total of 150 companies were selected, each receiving 100,000 euros in funding.

“The most important benefit for companies is the opportunity to accelerate the path towards market-ready products and solutions. We will provide them the top-notch practical training in the accelerator, supporting the development of dual-use technologies for significant defence and resilience challenges,” Tiia-Maria Jaakkola says.

Companies will receive coaching in defence technology not only from the accelerator but also from end users and investors in the defence sector. The companies will also have access to NATO’s commercial market through the Rapid Adoption Service (RAS) mechanism and to almost 200 DIANA test centers, including two in Finland: one at VTT in Otaniemi and one in Oulu.

Workshops, Business Models and Strategies

The opening week of VTT’s accelerator, from 19 to 22 January, includes workshops and market information and business models for defence and dual-use technologies. During the spring, guidance will be provided on, for example, a business strategy suitable for the defence market. The culmination will be a demo day in May, along with investor and industry days during Midsummer week.

Communications technology in VTT’s accelerator is one of ten challenge areas in NATO’s DIANA programme for 2026. Other areas include, for instance, autonomous and unmanned systems, energy and power, biotech and human resilience, critical infrastructure and logistics.