Americas

Trudeau Offers to Make Canada Home to New NATO Defense Innovation Program

TORONTO (Sputnik) - Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered to make Canada home to the North American regional office for NATO’s Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA), the leader said on Friday.
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"Canada has also offered to be the North American home to NATO’s new Defense Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic," Trudeau said during a press conference alongside NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg. "The initiative will make sure that the alliance maintains its technological advantage and keeps us safe from threats in a fast and ever-changing world."
NATO welcomes Canada’s offer to host the office for DIANA, Stoltenberg said.
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The initiative will help ensure alliance members harness the best of new technology for transatlantic security in coordination with the private sector and academia, according to NATO. DIANA program participants will receive access to a network of over 70 research accelerator sites and test centers across over 20 allied countries.
DIANA will focus on emerging and disruptive technologies including artificial intelligence, big-data processing, novel materials and biotechnology, NATO said.
In June, NATO members agreed to launch a 15-year, 1 billion euro ($999.6 million) Innovation Fund in addition to DIANA as part of the alliance’s new 2022 Strategic Concept. NATO will invest the money in early-stage start-ups and other venture capital funds developing the technologies of priority to the alliance.
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