Winning with Defence Tech

Sensors and weapons from different manufacturers, services, and nations often can't share data, creating "silos" that an attacker can exploit. Today's gust, Niall Greenwood from Neuron Innovations explains his company's "coordination layer," which sits alongside existing C2 systems and feeds data into them rather than replacing them, allowing any sensor to connect to any effector after a single integration. We will also hear about layered air defence against cheap drones, the problem of vendor lock-in with big defence primes and operating in jammed or communications-denied environments. You will also hear about practical business advice for startups in defence!In this podcast, you will learn:1) How to choose the right OPEX (operational experiment) and get the most of it?2) How to get the most from the NATO DIANA accelerator and why applying to it is worth it, even if you're an experienced founder?3) Why interoperability is a major weakness in defence?4) Why interoperability doesn't require replacing existing systems?5) Why cheap drones demand cost-effective defence, and what is currently done wrong. 6) How all technology can eventually be jammed and what's the solution?7) What to do to accelerate sales of your company? 8) How some governments are making more room for defence procurement?

In this episode of Winning with Defense Tech, Chase, a co-founder of CET specializing in advanced composite materials and autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), shares how his experience building sailboats led to developing next-generation underwater technology for the U.S. Navy and NATO allies.Chase shares how carbon fiber can make underwater vehicles lighter, more energy-efficient, cheaper to manufacture, and easier to deploy at scale. He also explains the engineering challenges of operating at extreme depths, the military applications of underwater logistics and persistent surveillance, and the advantages of building vehicles that can be flat-packed and rapidly assembled, just like in IKEA:)In this episode you will learn:1. Why carbon fiber is a game-changer for underwater vehicles. 2. Why testing to failure can be better than relying on simulations alone. 3. How autonomous underwater vehicles can transform military logistics. 4. Why deployment speed and affordability can matter more than technical specifications alone. 5. How to turn government R&D contracts into a scalable business. 6. How to navigate NATO and international defense procurement. 7. How to make military exercises generate business opportunities. 8. Why persistence and strategic focus are essential in defense tech.

Establishing trust in the defence industry is key, but it requires being in it for the right reason, says Fredrik Bruhn, CTO of BruhnBruhn Innovations. Anyone doing it for the money risks producing the wrong kind of technology and struggling with sales. Fredrik shares insights on customer relationships within the industry and learning from the NATO Diana program even as an experienced business owner. He also shares insights on satellite-based real-time intelligence and developing the technology in real-world conditions.In this podcast, you will also learn:• How can next-generation satellites deliver real-time intelligence?• How satellite networks can work together as one system?• Why is interoperability a major challenge for European defence?• How to sell successfully into the defence industry?• How can defence startups get their first customers?• Why must military technology be tested under real-world conditions?• How can startups leverage NATO DIANA to accelerate adoption?• Why does Europe's defence future depend on collaboration and a new mindset?

Why in NATO DIANA the most effective defence accelerator out there? What does it really offer and why should you apply? In this podcast episode, Jyoti Hirani-Driver, the Managing Director of DIANA provides insight into these questions and explains how the program is structured, to provide startups with a “fast track” towards technology adoption. In this podcast you will learn:How defence procurement can be accelerated: weeks instead of months or yearsWhy getting into the right defence innovation programme matters: the value lies in access to important stakeholders, which DIANA offersHow to move from “interesting technology” to “needed capability”: understanding the actual military problem iscritical Why real-world testing matters so much in defence: a pitch deck won’t gain end-users trust or interestHow OPEX can create commercial opportunities: operational exercises can put innovators directlyin front of military users, industry and investorsWhat a defence-focused accelerator actually provides: funding, mentoring, defence education, customerintroductions, technical validation and access to exercisesWhy defence startups need patience and persistence: the timeline in defence technology adoption differsfrom other industriesWhere the defence-tech ecosystem is heading: NATO DIANA combines acceleration, operational testing, procurement pathways, investment connections and ongoing support to help technologies move towards technology adoption

As military operations' reliance on AI increased, the protection of data centres, which keep it functional, became a critical matter. Data centres concentrated in one geographical area pose significant challenges to the security of missions, as such sites can be easily destroyed concurrently. Conversely, distributing them allows them to continue operating even when one „node” is down. Gregory Brook from Bastogne AI explains how using ships plays a crucial role in achieving the above goal and how AI evolves in the defence sector. In this podcast, you will also learn: 1.    Why an ordinary MacBook can outperform decades-old military platforms in raw computing capability. 2.    Why AI cannot simply live in a distant data centre. 3.    What “edge AI” really means in a military context. 4.    Why and how distributed computing can make military systems more resilient. 5.   Why military AI hardware has different requirements from commercial AI hardware.6.    How AI could change the scale of drone operations. 7.    Why Ukraine's experience is so important for defence innovation.