Define ready to join NATO's Diana network in Finland

Ehompi is a story series in which the mayor Jouni Eho talks about his everyday life, work and Riihimäki.
Finland's application to become part of NATO's Diana accelerator and test center network has been approved in Brussels. Finland's application was prepared and sent last June by VTT together with the Ministry of Defense. VTT also coordinates Diana operations in Finland. The main content of the application is next generation communication systems, 6G technology, cyber security and quantum and space technologies.
In the initial phase, a business accelerator and two test centers will be created in Finland. The operation will be network-like and cooperation will be done with different parties. Defense Innovation Network Finland (Define), led by the city of Riihimäki, wants to be part of this network.
The Define network brings together public and private actors in the defense sector
The Define project started a year ago. During the spring of 2023, an extensive round of interviews was conducted and an event was organized, based on which it was confirmed that there is a strong order for such an innovation network. A steering group was established for the project, whose members represent key players in the network such as Puolustusvoimat, Häme University of Applied Sciences (HAMK), VTT, the cities of Riihimäki, Hämeenlinna and Forssa, as well as companies Millog and Sako.
Define's motto is "Innovations for total defense and security". In accordance with the vision and mission of the project, we are building a world-class network in the defense and security industry, which generates new expertise and accelerates innovations in the field. Our activities generate dual-use technologies that serve military organizations and civil society, improve Finland's national defense capability and the overall safety of citizens, and speed up our country's exports.
The year 2023 culminated in an expert seminar organized at the Finnish Glass Museum in Riihimäki, which gathered around 80 participants. We received commendable feedback from the participants. The event was organized in cooperation with the national Digital Defense Ecosystem DDE.
Funding from the Häme association secures the operation of the following years
Thanks to the EU funding that the project received from the Häme Union, we will be able to effectively continue the project's operations over the next few years.
This year, as the most visible event, we are organizing the National Defense Arena in connection with the International Wilderness Fair, the theme of which is "Will technology solve the new cold war?". In the part open to the public, the speakers will be the Commander of the Defense Forces/Representative of the Defense Forces, Risto EJ Penttilä, Jarno Limnell and Raimo Karjalainen (Sako).
In addition, there will be an invited guest seminar and the first pitching event in Finland aimed exclusively at defense and dual-use technology startup companies. This Pitch DefSec Finland event is organized by Finnish Business Angels Network Fiban. Finnish venture capitalists have woken up to the business opportunities brought by dual-use technologies and want to invest 100 euros in the best startup at the event organized in Riihimäki.
Building a business accelerator is one of the key goals
Building a business accelerator focused on dual-use technology, i.e. applications suitable for both military and civilian use, is one of the important goals of the Define project. We have applied for funding for the accelerator from the ELY center in Häme. If funding for the accelerator is secured, we will get it up and running this year. We offer an accelerator and the related strong defense expertise as part of NATO's Diana network in Finland. We want to cooperate closely with various actors and we especially hope that the Defense Forces will participate in this activity that strengthens Finland's overall national defense.
The Define project also organizes many other activities and events. Examples include the hackathon event planned in September 2024 with Millog and the Finnish Defense Forces Research Institute, seminars with different themes and training for companies. We want to be visible to everyone and invite all interested parties to join us in strengthening our network.
What Define?
Define (Defence Innovation Network Finland) is a project led by the city of Riihimäki, the purpose of which is to build an internationally high-level defense and security industry network. The goal is to bring together the best experts from the military and civilian side to create new innovations that serve both military needs and society as a whole at the same time. Define is a project co-financed by the Häme Association, which receives support from the European Regional Development Fund program.
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Jouni Eho
mayor
The city of Riihimäki
Ilkka Korkiamäki
lieutenant general evp
Riihimäki city management advisor
Publication: 2024
Subject areas: Better than before ,
Keywords: Define , Innovations , Mayor , Economic ,
All articles: Articles for Riihimäki residents