Category: CHALLENGE

As aerial threats become cheaper, more numerous and harder to predict, the response needs to be faster, more flexible and more cost-effective. Traditional systems were not designed for every emerging threat to be met with a high-cost solution.

In demanding environments, logistics can make or break a mission. Long supply chains, equipment failures, extreme weather, cyber disruption or limited access can quickly slow down operations and increase risk.

In contested or extreme environments, teams may need to operate with limited connectivity, disrupted navigation, unreliable infrastructure or interference across the electromagnetic spectrum. When communications break down, the ability to move, coordinate and make decisions safely becomes much harder.

In today’s complex operating environments, sensors, platforms and organisations generate vast amounts of information — but that information is only useful if it can be trusted, shared securely and understood in time.

The next step is enabling uncrewed systems to work together across domains — sharing information, adapting to disruption, and continuing the mission even when GPS, communications or infrastructure are degraded.

As part of NATO DIANA’s Challenge Call, the Human Survivability challenge is looking for dual-use solutions that can help sustain human performance, improve protection, and support recovery under pressure.

DIANA’s second webinar will help innovators better understand what to keep in mind when preparing their applications, and what key elements evaluators consider when assessing submitted proposals.

On 2 June 2025, NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) officially launched its latest innovation programmes. The call is open to startups, scale-ups, and SMEs developing dual-use technologies — solutions with both civilian and defense applications.