Halifax has been chosen by the federal government to host the new North American NATO defence innovation office, Defence Minister Anita Anand said Friday.
Canada agreed at the last meeting of the military alliance’s leaders in Madrid to host the North American regional office of the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA). The other offices are located in the United Kingdom and Estonia.The offices are meant to sharpen NATO’s technological edge by working with private sector companies and academics. Their mandate is to engage with both high-tech startups and established companies to solve critical defence and security problems.
In her remarks on a blustery Halifax jetty Friday morning, Anand described DIANA as a “crucial initiative” that will be a great fit with Halifax, which is home to several major universities and a burgeoning high-tech sector.
Admiral Rob Bauer of the Netherlands chairs the NATO Military Committee, which is made up of the western alliance’s military representatives. He said technology will swing the balance in modern conflicts — and the world is getting a demonstration of that right now in real time.