Defence. Industry. Technology. Research.
Bringing military requirements, emerging technology and industrial expertise together. To build the capabilities Europe needs.
Discover our approachThe European capability conversion engine
Explore DIATAIt needs technology that converges into operable capabilities. And a clear path from operational need to industrial scale.
DIATA aims to become a European capability integrator and development partner. Our ambition is to connect military users, innovators and industry — and turn promising technologies into usable, scalable defence capabilities.
Military relevance. Industrial depth. Shared purpose.
From the first requirement to a pathway for scale. Our approach connects research with technology and military with industry.
Start with the operational challenge. Work with military users to define the capability, the constraints and what success must look like.
Bring together specialist expertise, emerging technologies and existing systems around a coherent architecture.
Develop and integrate solutions with partners. Use trials and user feedback to test assumptions and establish what works.
Connect adoption, industrialisation, supply chains and capital so a validated solution has a practical route to wider use.
Our development priorities span the physical and digital foundations of capability. Integration is the thread that connects them.
01 — Autonomous systems and C-UAS
Autonomous systems designed to detect and defeat threats across land, air and sea. Networked to deliver coordinated cross-domain effects, with swarm capabilities for GNSS-denied environments.
02 — Data & networks
Physical AI, humanoid robotics and advanced soldier systems designed to protect personnel and enhance operational effectiveness — from VR training and advanced textiles to integrated equipment and friend-or-foe identification.
03 — Emerging technologies & energy systems
Advancing directed energy, including laser and high-frequency applications, alongside precision engagement, quantum technologies and photonic computing. Supported by resilient energy systems to sustain future capabilities.
Weekly intelligence from DIATA’s environment. Technology, industry and the decisions shaping European defence.
5 stories
Task Force X-Arctic underwent its first larger-scale test during REPMUS 2026, as announced on 24 September.
The architecture brings together three layers:
Nearly 300 capabilities were connected to the digital backbone. The system assigns sensors, algorithms, platforms and effectors in line with the commander’s intent and can retask them as the situation changes. People retain command and authorisation responsibility.
The results are intended to inform the NATO Defence Planning Process, national procurement decisions and future standards for data and connectivity.
The UK Ministry of Defence is opening access to Ukraine’s Avengers AI Labs database for up to twelve British companies. It contains imagery, video and sensor data from more than six million detections, including vehicles, artillery, air defence, people, Shahed drones and reconnaissance UAVs.
The initiative is seeking solutions for:
In parallel, the UK and the US have announced new cooperation between their defence-AI organisations to develop trustworthy, interoperable capabilities for autonomy and the protection of critical infrastructure.
The European Defence Agency announced the launch of EU OPEX on 25 September. Starting on 28 September in Portugal, the programme is set to bring together more than 200 innovators, military experts and users, alongside over 40 companies, startups and innovation organisations.
The trials are intended to cover:
The programme includes ARTEX 26, BraveTech EU and the Sentinel Strike Challenge, with five finalists and €1.8 million in total prize money.
TEKEVER announced the first close of a US$580 million Series D round on 23 September at a US$6.4 billion valuation. The company plans to fund international expansion, industrialisation, technology development and acquisitions. It had recently been selected for the UK’s CORVUS programme, with a potential value of up to £400 million.
DTCP reported a €455 million first close for Defence Fund I on 24 September. The fund focuses on European defence, security and resilience technologies.
Swedish KTH spin-off TERASi raised €11 million. Its millimetre-wave technology is intended to enable communications that are difficult to detect and resistant to interference, supporting autonomous systems and digital command.
On 21 September, the Ukrainian Cluster Alliance became the first Ukrainian association to join the European Network of Defence-related Regions.
The alliance comprises 42 clusters and more than 2,500 small and medium-sized enterprises. Planned links include European prototyping networks, supply chains, technology transfer, joint production and the European Defence Fund.
5 stories
The German Navy is taking part in REPMUS 2026 off Portugal’s coast in September. Armed forces, industry and researchers are testing uncrewed air, surface and underwater systems in shared scenarios.
REPMUS is an experimentation cycle in which software, sensors and operating procedures can be adapted directly. The AI-enabled Greyshark multisensor underwater drone is also being tested.
Thales presented its AI-enabled Hexaforce command-and-control system on 17 September. It is intended to analyse drone and satellite reconnaissance data, identify targets and accelerate military decision-making. Thales says the system is free from US ITAR restrictions.
The positioning follows NATO’s decision to use Palantir’s Maven Smart System. Thales argues that Maven addresses only a limited part of NATO’s overall requirements. Other European actors in this field include Mistral AI and Comand AI.
Thales is calling for a government-backed international governance framework for military and security-related AI.
Italian cybersecurity company Exein announced a US$270 million financing round on 15 September at a US$1.7 billion valuation.
Exein develops firmware-based and runtime security for connected devices. It is directing its platform towards physical AI, robots, drones and autonomous machines. According to the company, its technology is already present in more than two billion devices.
Dutch company Axelera AI introduced its second chip generation, Europa, on 15 September. The chips are intended for use in systems from Dell and Supermicro, among others.
Its already available Metis generation targets edge inference; Europa addresses more powerful server applications. Axelera reports:
Poland’s PGZ is holding talks about TNT production in Canada. Nitrocellulose and potentially hexogen are also under consideration.
PGZ subsidiary Nitro-Chem plans a new Polish production line intended to double annual TNT output to 20,000 tonnes within three to four years.
The Canadian discussions remain at an early stage. Neither financing nor a location has been determined.
4 stories
Rheinmetall published specifications for the Battlesuite Onboard API and Tactical API on GitHub on 9 September.
The interfaces are intended to simplify the integration of sensors, vehicles, effectors, software components and command systems into Battlesuite. Rheinmetall positions the platform as modular, interoperable and scalable.
Mistral AI announced a €3 billion financing round on 8 September at a valuation exceeding €21 billion. Named participants include Samsung, PSG Equity and the EU-supported Scaleup Europe Fund.
The company intends to use the capital for AI models, research, computing infrastructure and international expansion. Mistral emphasises open or controllable models and sovereign deployment options.
Dutch startup Fortaegis has completed a US$50 million financing round. It develops security methods that use the individual physical properties of a chip to generate dynamic cryptographic keys.
The technology is reportedly being tested for defence, space, telecommunications and AI systems. Named use cases include secure communications within drone swarms and the protection of distributed AI systems.
The International Defence TechDay at Erding Air Base is scheduled for 17 September. Its “Shield & Swarm 2026” demonstration scenario combines uncrewed air and ground vehicles, intelligence and reconnaissance sensors, counter-drone systems, electronic warfare and air defence.
Estonian Defence Week in Tallinn is scheduled for 21–25 September. The programme focuses on:
The Tallinn event expects more than 100 exhibitors and participants from over 30 countries. These are programme and attendance expectations.
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