Portugal joins NATO innovation network as military technology test hub

Portugal has officially joined the NATO innovation network, positioning the country as a key testing hub for military technology. The Portuguese Army signed a memorandum of understanding with the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA), designating the Centre for Technological Experimentation and Modernisation (CEMTEx) as an affiliated test centre for the Alliance.

The partnership was announced during the closing of the ARTEX26 and HEDI OPEX26 exercises at the Campo Militar de Santa Margarida. These operations involved dozens of entities and over 100 technological solutions from various countries, testing autonomous land and aerial systems, sensors, communications, and counter-drone measures under operational conditions.

Defence Minister Nuno Melo emphasized the necessity of rapid adaptation, noting that modern warfare cycles for technologies like drones now move in weeks rather than years. The exercises were attended by high-ranking officials, including Portuguese President António José Seguro and the Chief Executive of the European Defence Agency, André Denk.