Bridging Sectors Over the Valley of Death: How DIANA’s Dual-Use, Commercially Minded, and Process-Oriented Procurement Strategy Will Help Maintain NATO’s Technological Edge

Abstract

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) has launched the Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) – a unique effort among NATO partners to harness emerging technologies for the Alliance’s collective defense. DIANA relies on a network of accelerators and test centers across the NATO Alliance to identify, demonstrate and validate novel solutions, with support from scientists, investors, industry partners, end users and government procurement experts. DIANA will focus on key technologies such as big data, artificial intelligence (AI), autonomy, quantum, biotechnologies and human enhancement, energy and propulsion, novel materials and advanced manufacturing, hypersonics and space, with an emphasis on dual-use (civilian and defense) technologies which can be used to address emerging defense and security challenges. DIANA’s board of directors, which is responsible for governance, includes representatives from every NATO country. This paper will explore the special procurement challenges presented by DIANA to ask how best to achieve DIANA’s critical goals. The primary area of investigation will be into existing models for defense innovation in the U.S. Defense Department and the European Union, and the research methodology also will look to primary (directives, laws, trade agreements and the acquis communautaire [the accumulated body of European Union law and guidance]) and secondary sources to recommend optimal procurement strategies to meet NATO’s unique requirements. The research goal is to facilitate this and future efforts in shared defense innovation to ensure that NATO maintains its technological lead in an increasingly hostile security environment.