NATO to launch new industry “front door” portal

NATO is planning to launch a new “front door” portal to provide a single entry point for industry, a NATO official told DSEI Gateway and other media.  

Speaking on the sidelines of the International Drone Summit in Riga, Latvia on 26 May, the official said the new platform intends to consolidate disparate information from across the alliance – such as procurement opportunities – into a single portal, helping companies navigate NATO's organisational complexity. 

The planned portal forms part of NATO's broader Rapid Adoption Action Plan, launched in June 2024, which aims to improve and accelerate the alliance’s adoption of new technologies.  

According to the official, the initiative is currently in the interim phase, with the platform expected to launch "in a few months" as a first iteration, with plans to evolve and expand its remit over time. 

Along with procurement, the portal will offer companies visibility into "testing opportunities", enabling industry to engage with the various NATO Innovation Ranges established across the alliance.

Launched under the Rapid Adoption Action Plan, the innovation ranges give industry a space to test and iterate technologies alongside military experts in realistic operational conditions. Each has a specific focus: Latvia (uncrewed systems), Estonia (cyber testbed), Sweden and Finland (future connectivity), Italy (underwater environment), and the Netherlands (shallow waters).

The new portal follows a similar initiative launched in the UK in January – the Defence Office for Small Business Growth – which aims to connect industry with relevant procurement bodies and defence entities nationally.  

The International Drone Summit, held in Riga, Lativa on 26 May, is led by the Latvian Ministry of Defence and brings together officials and industry from across NATO and Europe to advance drone technology.