New Defence Accelerator Programme Launching in Latvia
Defense innovation resources will be shared among Latvian universities.
From 2025, a new defence accelerator programme is set to be operational in Latvia, marking the first targeted support mechanism for the defence and social security sector in the country. This programme, part of the universities' established deep-tech incubator UniLab, is being developed in accordance with the Defence Industry and Innovation Support Strategy.
The universities offer expertise in various relevant fields, including artificial intelligence, unmanned systems, materials testing, laser technologies, quantum computing, military medicine, and more. This programme aims to implement a targeted industrial and innovation support policy, with the goal of enhancing the competitiveness, export capacity, and innovation capabilities of Latvia's defence and social security companies.
In its first year (2025), the programme plans to attract and accelerate five startups. From 2026 onwards, the programme aims to conduct two full-cycle programme calls annually, supporting 10 companies per year. UniLab Defence, the entity responsible for the programme, will host and accelerate 10 international companies concurrently.
Establishing UniLab Defence in Riga will help build the local ecosystem and attract startup founders to the defence and social security sector. The universities involved in this collaboration for the Defence Accelerator Program 2025-2026 are the Technical University of Munich (TUM), RWTH Aachen University, and the University of Stuttgart.
UniLab Defence has previously supported dual-use tech startups, and joining the DIANA network significantly increases the chances of successful development for these startups. To date, 30 military or dual-use products have been supported through grant project competitions, with total funding exceeding €2 million. However, as of now, no Latvian startup has been selected for the DIANA accelerator.
The defence pre-acceleration programme is a significant step towards fostering the development of military and dual-use technologies. The Ministry of Defence has a grant project programme for the defence and social security sector, further solidifying the support for this initiative. From 2026, UniLab Defence is expected to operate as a NATO DIANA accelerator. Annual funding of €226,000 will be divided among the four universities involved.
This defence accelerator programme is poised to make a substantial impact on Latvia's defence and social security sector, attracting innovative startups and driving technological advancements.
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