Ministry of Defence hosts a meeting of the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) Council of Investors for the first time in Slovakia
- Author:
- Photo:
- Date: 20.03.2023
- Share: Zdieľať na Facebook
Today, the Ministry of Defence is hosting a Council of Investors meeting of the newly established NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) for the first time in Slovakia. For this purpose, representatives of 22 participating NATO allies and a delegation from NATO along with NATO Deputy Assistant Secretary General for Emerging Security Challenges James Appathurai have gathered in Bratislava.
Appreciative of the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) Council of Investors meeting in Bratislava, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “Making advances in this field is a win-win for both sides – the defence and civilian sectors alike. Our involvement in the NATO Innovation Fund will help deepen the cooperation of the Defence structures with the civilian sector and academia, while exploring the potential to develop scientific research capacities in the country.”
As Mrs Michaela Kollárová, Director of the SVK MOD Investment Planning and Project Funding Branch and member of the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) Council of Investors for the Slovak Republic explained, meetings like this one aim to address issues on the NIF agenda and to present the Host Nation and its programme of activities in the field of innovations and emerging technologies in front of representatives of 22 participating NATO allies. “In the future, investments will be made, among others, in start-up businesses that are involved in developing dual-use (civilian-military) commercial technologies in response to global defence and security challenges,” Mrs Kollárová said.
The initiative to establish the NATO Innovation Fund was announced at the NATO Madrid Summit in June 2022, during which NATO leaders endorsed the "NATO 2030" agenda with the ambition of maintaining a competitive technological edge through innovative solutions in response to current and future military requirements. The Slovak Republic joined the initiative at the Madrid Summit in June 2022.
Currently, representatives of 22 Allied countries are actively involved in the meetings of the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) Council of Investors: Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, Denmark, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, the United Kingdom, Greece, Turkey, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Estonia and Iceland.
Appreciative of the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) Council of Investors meeting in Bratislava, Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď said: “Making advances in this field is a win-win for both sides – the defence and civilian sectors alike. Our involvement in the NATO Innovation Fund will help deepen the cooperation of the Defence structures with the civilian sector and academia, while exploring the potential to develop scientific research capacities in the country.”
As Mrs Michaela Kollárová, Director of the SVK MOD Investment Planning and Project Funding Branch and member of the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) Council of Investors for the Slovak Republic explained, meetings like this one aim to address issues on the NIF agenda and to present the Host Nation and its programme of activities in the field of innovations and emerging technologies in front of representatives of 22 participating NATO allies. “In the future, investments will be made, among others, in start-up businesses that are involved in developing dual-use (civilian-military) commercial technologies in response to global defence and security challenges,” Mrs Kollárová said.
The initiative to establish the NATO Innovation Fund was announced at the NATO Madrid Summit in June 2022, during which NATO leaders endorsed the "NATO 2030" agenda with the ambition of maintaining a competitive technological edge through innovative solutions in response to current and future military requirements. The Slovak Republic joined the initiative at the Madrid Summit in June 2022.
Currently, representatives of 22 Allied countries are actively involved in the meetings of the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) Council of Investors: Slovakia, the Czech Republic, Romania, Bulgaria, Norway, the Netherlands, Poland, Belgium, Denmark, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Germany, the United Kingdom, Greece, Turkey, Luxembourg, Spain, Portugal, Italy, Estonia and Iceland.
