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Welcome to the NATO Industrial Relations website, designed to support the defence and security companies in their attempt to identify business opportunities offered by various NATO bodies and organisations.

 

  

If you are representing a prime contractor, or a Small and Medium-sized Enterprise​ / Small Business, or a Defence Industry Association and your organisation is located in one of the NATO nations, check this NATO Business Opportunities website.  Suggestions for improvement are welcome at "Industrial.Relations at hq.nato.int"​​​​​​​​




 NATO strategic references to industry

NATO Strategic Concept

24. We will expedite our digital transformation, adapt the NATO Command Structure for the information age and enhance our cyber defences, networks and infrastructure. We will promote innovation and increase our investments in emerging and disruptive technologies to retain our interoperability and military edge. We will work together to adopt and integrate new technologies, cooperate with the private sector, protect our innovation ecosystems, shape standards and commit to principles of responsible use that reflect our democratic values and human rights.


 

 ​Madrid Summit Declaration​

10. Resilience is a national responsibility and a collective commitment. We are enhancing ourresilience, including through nationally-developed goals and implementation plans, guidedby objectives developed by Allies together. We are also strengthening our energy security. We will ensure reliable energy supplies to our military forces. We will accelerate ouradaptation in all domains, boosting our resilience to cyber and hybrid threats, andstrengthening our interoperability. We will employ our political and military instruments inan integrated manner. We have endorsed a new chemical, biological, radiological andnuclear defence policy. We will significantly strengthen our cyber defences throughenhanced civil-military cooperation. We will also expand partnership with industry.​


 

 Brussels Summit Declaration

 20. We will further develop our partnership with industry and academia from all Allies to keep pace with technological advances through innovation.

 

 

Warsaw  Summit Communiqué

71. ... We will further enhance our partnerships with other international organisations and partner nations, as well as with industry and academia through the NATO Industry Cyber Partnership. 

136.       A stronger defence industry across the Alliance, which includes small- and medium-sized enterprises, greater defence industrial and technological cooperation across the Atlantic and within Europe, and a robust industrial base in the whole of Europe and North America, remain essential for acquiring needed Alliance capabilities.  For the Alliance to keep its technological edge, it is of particular importance to support innovation with the aim to identify advanced and emerging technologies, evaluate their applicability in the military domain, and implement them through innovative solutions.  In this regard, NATO welcomes initiatives from both sides of the Atlantic to maintain and advance the military and technological advantage of Allied capabilities through innovation and encourages nations to ensure such initiatives will lead to increased cooperation within the Alliance and among Allies.

Wales Summit Declaration

14. We agree to reverse the trend of declining defence budgets, to make the most effective use of our funds and to further a more balanced sharing of costs and responsibilities. Our overall security and defence depend both on how much we spend and how we spend it. Increased investments should be directed towards meeting our capability priorities, and Allies also need to display the political will to provide required capabilities and deploy forces when they are needed. A strong defence industry across the Alliance, including a stronger defence industry in Europe and greater defence industrial cooperation within Europe and across the Atlantic, remains essential for delivering the required capabilities. NATO and EU efforts to strengthen defence capabilities are complementary. Taking current commitments into account, we are guided by the following considerations:

  • Allies currently meeting the NATO guideline to spend a minimum of 2% of their Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on defence will aim to continue to do so. Likewise, Allies spending more than 20% of their defence budgets on major equipment, including related Research & Development, will continue to do so.
  • Allies whose current proportion of GDP spent on defence is below this level will:
    • halt any decline in defence expenditure;
    • aim to increase defence expenditure in real terms as GDP grows;
    • aim to move towards the 2% guideline within a decade with a view to meeting their NATO Capability Targets and filling NATO's capability shortfalls.
  • Allies who currently spend less than 20% of their annual defence spending on major new equipment, including related Research & Development, will aim, within a decade, to increase their annual investments to 20% or more of total defence expenditures.
  • All Allies will:
    • ensure that their land, air and maritime forces meet NATO agreed guidelines for deployability and sustainability and other agreed output metrics;
    • ensure that their armed forces can operate together effectively, including through the implementation of agreed NATO standards and doctrines.

73. We will therefore continue to engage actively on cyber issues with relevant partner nations on a case-by-case basis and with other international organisations, including the EU, as agreed, and will intensify our cooperation with industry through a NATO Industry Cyber Partnership.

74. NATO recognises the importance of inclusive, sustainable, innovative, and globally competitive defence industries, which include small and medium-sized enterprises, to develop and sustain national defence capabilities and the defence technological and industrial base in the whole of Europe and in North America.

Wales Declaration on the Transatlantic Bond

7. We are mindful that our security and our prosperity are interlinked. Our economies and prosperity require security. And our common security requires investment, based on strong economies. As we emerge from the recession, we do so with renewed dedication to promoting free trade, competitiveness, and growth across the transatlantic community, including greater defence industrial cooperation in Europe and across the Atlantic. 

Summit Declaration on Defence Capabilities: Toward NATO Forces 2020

6. Maintaining a strong defence industry in Europe and making the fullest possible use of the potential of defence industrial cooperation across the Alliance remain an essential condition for delivering the capabilities needed for 2020 and beyond.


NATO-Industry Forum 2023, Stockholm, Sweden
24-25 October


NIF21.jpg
NATO-Industry Forum 2021, Rome, Italy
Following the generalisation of virtual meetings in 2020, ACT and IS/DI coorganised a virtual preamble to the NIF, called NIF-Linked, on 20 May, focussing on three main topics: NWCC, Mission-driven capability developments, and Agile Acquisition. 
Industry and Academia have been invited to contribute to the last two topics by submitting papers by 15 FEB 2021.
A second virtual NIF-linked took place on 09 September. (NIF)

 
The in-person NATO-Industry Forum 2021 took place on 17-18 November, in Rome, graciously hosted by Italy.​

 

 
NIF21 Final Report: LowRes (3MB)       HighRes (53MB)

 
​Videos from NIF21:​
 
 
- Keynote address by Hon. David Norquist, US Deputy Secretary of Defense
- State of the NIF - Address by the Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, Gen Andre Lanata
 
 
 
 .NATO-Industry Forum 2015    Lisbon, Portugal
 
                                                                                                              
 
                    

.       NATO-Industry Forum 2014  Split, Croatia

- pre-event
- NATO Deputy Secretary General Speech

                                                       

 

 Framework for NATO-Industry Engagement

 

 

 
 

 Trans-Atlantic Defence technological and Industrial Cooperation (TADIC)