Headquarters NATO Innovation Fund Settles in The Netherlands

The head office of the NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) will be located in The Netherlands. The NIF is one of NATO's initiatives to promote innovation within the alliance. The Netherlands made a case for locating the head office in The Netherlands. It was a close collaboration between the Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency, Techleap.nl and the Ministry of Defence. During the NATO summit in Vilnius in July of this year the NIF will be launched officially.

Expected is that the establishment of this fund will allow innovative Dutch startups to gain access to capital with more ease. This will stimulate the development of innovative complex technologies, that offer solutions for questions with societal and defence implications.

Minister Adriaansens of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy has reacted to the announcement with delight: "The NATO Innovation Fund will put The Netherlands on the map when it comes to invetment funds for innovative businesses. This in turn will help startups in The Netherlands to develop further. We are strengthening what we're good at as a country; developing solutions for the future."

The fund fits in with the ambitions of the Ministry of Defence to innovate in the field of Emerging & Disruptive Technologies (EDTs). The NIF will invest in startups and funds actively working on these. 

The application of EDTs and collaboration with the technological sector is crucial according to minister Kajsa Ollongren. "More investment in hightech is of utmost importance. This way we can collaborate with our NATO allies to prepare our defences for new threats. For that reason The Netherlands decided to substantially raise the budget for reseach, technology and innovation. The settlement of the head office of the NATO Innovation Fund is an important milestone. Great that we can host this as a country that prides itself on its knowledge."