Allied Command Transformation, NATO’s Warfare Development Command, is the leading agent of innovation within the Alliance. The Command’s focus lies in applying innovation to both capability development and warfare efforts, aiming to deliver operational capabilities and results more efficiently. The Command’s personnel understand and harness technological advancements, fostering a culture of innovation that resonates throughout NATO and its member nations.
At the forefront of this innovative drive is the Innovation Branch at NATO Allied Command Transformation. The branch calls this the Innovation Hub and, for over a decade, they have been actively engaging in the creation, exploration, and experimentation of solutions that address the pain points across the Alliance. Through a blend of using best practices and emerging technologies, they are preparing NATO to be ready for what the future holds.
The driving force behind these endeavours is a diverse and globally dispersed team of civilian and military personnel. This cross-functional team comprised of product specialists, designers, managers, and full-stack developers, empowers very effective problem-solving throughout the innovation process. The approach also drives collaboration with other Commands within NATO. “Innovation at NATO aims to adapt, evolve, and transform the world by meeting the needs of our members and partners in the Alliance,” shared Nora Malchin, Section Head for the Innovation Hub. They also work closely with Allied Command Operations, often receiving requests to bring ideas to life directly from the end users and operators within their structure.
Two main methods drive the identification of problem sets or ideas: a “push” from NATO Directives or commands, often originating from the NATO Science and Technology Organization, and a “pull” from unique ideas within civilian industry and academia. A key tenant of the innovation process is to foster a “safe to fail” environment, allowing solutions to be tested, adjusted, and tested again. Approximately 10-12 minimum viable products are developed each year through this iterative process. The success criteria is not providing a high volume of minimum viable products, but providing high-quality products that show a proof of concept. This, in turn, becomes the foundation to build full solutions that can be implemented throughout NATO.
The innovation process in itself is remarkably swift, taking approximately six to nine months from inception to completion and delivery of a minimum viable product. This rapid turnaround is unheard of in typical military environments. One third of this time involves a discovery phase, where product owners from the Innovation Branch work closely with stakeholders and end-users to define the identified issue. Following this, the remaining time is dedicated to crafting the project proposal, designing the product, and providing an 80% solution at the end.
The Innovation Branch extends its role beyond facilitating solutions to also encompass training and educating NATO staff members in developing a pioneering mind-set. Initiatives such as the “Critical Thinking” course address war fighters’ challenges directly, teaching students how to understand and combat natural biases. These efforts make innovation more accessible and tangible for operators across the Alliance.
Always forward-looking, the Innovation Branch plays a vital role in helping NATO become more agile in addressing present and future challenges. They also coordinate the NATO Innovation Network, which connects individual NATO nations’ innovation efforts to the Innovation Branch and thereby facilitates new ways to share and leverage the minimum viable products produced in The Network.
The rapid development approach of the Innovation Hub at Allied Command Transformation’s sets them apart, empowering NATO to navigate next-generation advancements with speed and effectiveness. This unique, and important, departure from traditional bureaucratic structures is what makes our Alliance more agile and ready to address future challenges.