---
title: "Science parks in Tallinn and Tartu to operate a NATO innovation accelerator"
id: "65722"
type: "post"
slug: "science-parks-in-tallinn-and-tartu-to-operate-a-nato-innovation-accelerator"
published_at: "2022-08-25T13:22:54+00:00"
modified_at: "2022-08-25T15:04:03+00:00"
url: "https://estonianworld.com/technology/science-parks-in-tallinn-and-tartu-to-operate-a-nato-innovation-accelerator/"
markdown_url: "https://estonianworld.com/technology/science-parks-in-tallinn-and-tartu-to-operate-a-nato-innovation-accelerator.md"
excerpt: "The Science and Business Park Tehnopol in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and the Tartu Science Park will begin work as the operators of the NATO innovation […]"
taxonomy_category:
  - "Security"
  - "Technology"
publisher: "Estonian World"
language: "en-GB"
author: "Silver Tambur"
author_url: "https://estonianworld.com/author/silver/"
---

# Science parks in Tallinn and Tartu to operate a NATO innovation accelerator

![An unmanned combat vehicle, manufactured by the Estonian defence company, Milrem.](https://estonianworld.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/06/Milrem-Combat_UGV-1024x576.jpg)

An unmanned combat vehicle, manufactured by the Estonian defence company, Milrem.

By  [Silver Tambur](https://estonianworld.com/author/silver/)
  ·  August 25, 2022  · [Security](https://estonianworld.com/category/security/)
, [Technology](https://estonianworld.com/category/technology/)
 · 2 minutes of reading

### The Science and Business Park Tehnopol in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, and the Tartu Science Park will begin work as the operators of the NATO innovation accelerator DIANA; the accelerator will open its doors in 2023.

NATO leaders decided at the alliance’s Brussels 2021 summit to create an innovation accelerator, called DIANA (the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic). The programme will allow NATO allies to join their strengths in developing and adopting new technologies in security and defence.

Estonia and the United Kingdom submitted a joint bid for the programme. The countries will create the DIANA European headquarters – Estonia will host one of the branches of these headquarters and the innovation accelerator.

According to Kadri Tammai, the Tehnopol Startup Incubator Manager, the opening of the NATO Innovation Accelerator is of a “landmark importance” in the development of the local startup ecosystem. “Estonia is internationally known as a rapidly developing digital country, but we increasingly need to contribute to solving global problems in cooperation between science and business. The accelerator aims to provide support to early-stage high-tech startups across the region, to help them reach the world’s largest customers and investors through a broad international network,” she said in a statement.

The DIANA accelerator combines several testing centres for new technologies in Estonia: the University of Tartu, Tallinn University of Technology, the cyber range CR14 – a government owned and operated entity that offers cybersecurity related research and development for domestic and international partners – and the Estonian Military Academy. All companies participating in the accelerator will also be able to use approximately 70 NATO test centres.

## About The Author

![Avatar photo](https://estonianworld.com/wp-content/uploads/local-avatars/2/1572652467-bpfull-100x100.jpg)

[Silver Tambur](https://estonianworld.com/author/silver/)
Silver Tambur, co-founder and publisher of *Estonian World*, studied journalism at the University of Tartu and politics at Birkbeck, University of London. He has edited Estonian Public Broadcasting’s English news and contributed to *Business Sense*, *Deutsche Welle*, and *Radio New Zealand*. He is currently editor-in-chief of *Trialoog*, TalTech’s business and research portal. You can also follow him on [Twitter](https://twitter.com/SilverTambur)
 and like [his page on Facebook](https://www.facebook.com/silvertamburpage/)
. You can write to Silver at [silver@estonianworld.com](mailto:silver@estonianworld.com)
.