NATO’s newly established Innovation Fund intends to inject up to €1 billion into tech-based start-ups, with a significant focus on those contributing to defence and security sectors. Poland is strategizing to become a crucial contributor to this project. The primary office of the fund will be in Amsterdam, with additional operational divisions in London and Warsaw – the latter chosen due to Poland’s hefty €42 million investment into the fund. The NATO Innovation Fund, which received final approval earlier this month following a two-year preparatory phase, is designed to promote the development and commercial deployment of cutting-edge technology. While defence-centric initiatives will receive primary attention, groundbreaking inventions with potential civilian applications are also within its interest. During a NATO Public Forum in Vilnius, NATO’s Deputy Secretary-General Mircea Geoană emphasized the criticality of keeping pace with technological advancements. The presence of the fund in Warsaw is projected to open up vast opportunities for Polish tech companies and start-ups, potentially driving forward local technological innovation. Citing the experience of Ukraine’s defence against Russia, Poland’s Deputy Defence Minister Marcin Ociepa highlighted the pivotal role of technological progress in contemporary warfare. The Polish defence ministry’s participation in the NATO Innovation Fund aims to back local innovators and enable Polish scientists to bring their ideas to fruition.
Source: polskieradio.pl
