Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen: A new NATO accelerator site in Finland will combine technology, defence and economic growth

A new NATO accelerator site was inaugurated in Espoo, Finland, on 22 January 2026. Finland’s Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen gave a speech at the event.

“We set out to get a NATO accelerator site in Finland because, as a country, we have high technology and strong defence expertise. The accelerator inaugurated today will be good for research, defence and economic growth. New technologies have significant growth potential across NATO,” Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen said.

The new accelerator site provides training on business development in the defence sector for companies participating in the DIANA challenge programmes. It focuses on communication systems of the future and on quantum technology. Primary customers of the accelerator are startups and small- and medium-sized companies that have only little experience of the defence and security sectors. VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland runs the accelerator site together with Aalto University and the University of Helsinki.

“By integrating defence into Finland’s innovation policy we can create a stronger foundation for resilience, competitiveness and international cooperation,” Minister Häkkänen said.

The Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) is a NATO body that supports start-ups and SMEs in NATO member states in the development of critical dual-use technologies and the verification of their potential for military use. The Ministry of Defence is the national authority responsible for DIANA.

Speech delivered by Minister of Defence at the event

Requests for interviews with the Minister of Defence: Antti Vesala, Special Adviser, tel. +358 504 710 883