Signals From the Frontline: Turning NATO frontline needs into Europe’s next generation of defence capabilities.
Signals From the Frontline: Turning NATO frontline needs into Europe’s next generation of defence capabilities.
Signals From the Frontline: Turning NATO frontline needs into Europe’s next generation of defence capabilities.
Signals From the Frontline: Turning NATO frontline needs into Europe’s next generation of defence capabilities.
Objective
Guardians of
European Deep Tech
Objective
Objective
Across Europe, defence demand remains fragmented across nations, Ministries of Defence, armed forces, and procurement agencies. As the security environment shifts rapidly, critical capability gaps are often recognised too late between public defence stakeholders, primes, and innovators – — often after requirements have already hardened and innovation windows have closed.
Across Europe, defence demand remains fragmented across nations, Ministries of Defence, armed forces, and procurement agencies. As the security environment shifts rapidly, critical capability gaps are often recognised too late between public defence stakeholders, primes, and innovators – — often after requirements have already hardened and innovation windows have closed.
Across Europe, defence demand remains fragmented across nations, Ministries of Defence, armed forces, and procurement agencies. As the security environment shifts rapidly, critical capability gaps are often recognised too late between public defence stakeholders, primes, and innovators – — often after requirements have already hardened and innovation windows have closed.
Signals From the Frontline closes this gap.
The initiative translates real operational needs emerging from NATO’s frontline environments into early capability signals for Europe’s leading defence and dual-use innovators. It creates a trusted, repeatable innovation pipeline where armed forces, defence primes, leading startups, and private capital align early on the capabilities that Europe will urgently need next.
Signals From the Frontline closes this gap.
The initiative translates real operational needs emerging from NATO’s frontline environments into early capability signals for Europe’s leading defence and dual-use innovators. It creates a trusted, repeatable innovation pipeline where armed forces, defence primes, leading startups, and private capital align early on the capabilities that Europe will urgently need next.
Signals From the Frontline closes this gap.
The initiative translates real operational needs emerging from NATO’s frontline environments into early capability signals for Europe’s leading defence and dual-use innovators. It creates a trusted, repeatable innovation pipeline where armed forces, defence primes, leading startups, and private capital align early on the capabilities that Europe will urgently need next.
Signals From the Frontline closes this gap.
The initiative translates real operational needs emerging from NATO’s frontline environments into early capability signals for Europe’s leading defence and dual-use innovators. It creates a trusted, repeatable innovation pipeline where armed forces, defence primes, leading startups, and private capital align early on the capabilities that Europe will urgently need next.
The initiative is supported by senior defence leaders including:
The initiative is supported by senior defence leaders including:
Tom Copinger-Symes
Tom Copinger-Symes
Tom Copinger-Symes
Lieutenant General (ret.), former Deputy Commander, UK Strategic Command
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Chris Badia
Chris Badia
Chris Badia
General (ret.), former Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, NATO
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Frank Leidenberger
Frank Leidenberger
Frank Leidenberger
Lieutenant General (ret.), former CEO of BWI
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David Chinn
David Chinn
David Chinn
Senior Partner at McKinsey & Company, Global Leader Defense & Security Practice
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Format
Across key defence capability themes, we convene:
NATO capability planners and senior armed forces decision-makers (OF-5 / OF-6)
Defence primes
Europe’s leading defence and dual-use innovators (TRL 7+)
Participants work together to develop a shared target picture for the defence capabilities Europe will need next.
This is not a pitching forum. Participation is focused on early demand insight, capability definition, and alignment between defence customers, primes, and leading innovators—well before programmes are formally defined.
The workshop series takes place 20 May 2026 in Berlin during DTM.Defence, bringing together a select group of NATO capability planners, senior military leaders, defence primes, and Europe’s most advanced dual-use innovators.
Across key defence capability themes, we convene:
NATO capability planners and senior armed forces decision-makers (OF-5 / OF-6)
Defence primes
Europe’s leading defence and dual-use innovators (TRL 7+)
Participants work together to develop a shared target picture for the defence capabilities Europe will need next.
This is not a pitching forum. Participation is focused on early demand insight, capability definition, and alignment between defence customers, primes, and leading innovators—well before programmes are formally defined.
The workshop series takes place 20 May 2026 in Berlin during DTM.Defence, bringing together a select group of NATO capability planners, senior military leaders, defence primes, and Europe’s most advanced dual-use innovators.
Across key defence capability themes, we convene:
NATO capability planners and senior armed forces decision-makers (OF-5 / OF-6)
Defence primes
Europe’s leading defence and dual-use innovators (TRL 7+)
Participants work together to develop a shared target picture for the defence capabilities Europe will need next.
This is not a pitching forum. Participation is focused on early demand insight, capability definition, and alignment between defence customers, primes, and leading innovators—well before programmes are formally defined.
The workshop series takes place 20 May 2026 in Berlin during DTM.Defence, bringing together a select group of NATO capability planners, senior military leaders, defence primes, and Europe’s most advanced dual-use innovators.
Capability Focus Areas
Capability Focus Areas
Underwater Defence & Protection of Undersea Infrastructure
Undersea sensing, autonomous monitoring, and rapid attribution to protect critical NATO subsea infrastructure.
Underwater Defence & Protection of Undersea Infrastructure
Undersea sensing, autonomous monitoring, and rapid attribution to protect critical NATO subsea infrastructure.
Drone & Aerial Defence
Cost-effective counter-UAS capabilities combining detection, tracking, and defeat of mass, low-cost aerial threats.
Drone & Aerial Defence
Cost-effective counter-UAS capabilities combining detection, tracking, and defeat of mass, low-cost aerial threats.
Cost-Effective Deep Precision Strike
Affordable long-range precision effects integrated with resilient ISR and targeting chains.
Cost-Effective Deep Precision Strike
Affordable long-range precision effects integrated with resilient ISR and targeting chains.
Space-Enabled Situational Awareness
Space-based and terrestrial data for ISR, PNT resilience, and early warning across contested multi-domain operations.
Space-Enabled Situational Awareness
Space-based and terrestrial data for ISR, PNT resilience, and early warning across contested multi-domain operations.
Enabler Areas
Enabler Areas
Capacity Building & Production Ramp-Up
Scaling defence manufacturing by leveraging dual-use and civilian industrial capacity.
Capacity Building & Production Ramp-Up
Scaling defence manufacturing by leveraging dual-use and civilian industrial capacity.
Wargaming & Simulation
Operational wargaming and simulation to test capabilities, expose gaps, and inform force development and procurement.
Wargaming & Simulation
Operational wargaming and simulation to test capabilities, expose gaps, and inform force development and procurement.
Software-Defined Defence Systems
Rapid integration and virtual testing of software-driven defence systems to accelerate deployment and interoperability.
Software-Defined Defence Systems
Rapid integration and virtual testing of software-driven defence systems to accelerate deployment and interoperability.
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