The Annual Plans and Programmes Workshop aims to guide the direction of NATO Science and Technology Organization’s future programmes, with a focus on a five-year term horizon. Over the course of three days, representatives from NATO Science and Technology Organization and the seven Scientific and Technical Committees work to generate new ideas for future activities, and discuss opportunities for collaboration with other NATO entities.
The 2024 Plans and Programmes Workshop focused the Science and Technology discussions on the NATO Warfighting Capstone Concept, particularly looking at complementary efforts to enhance NATO’s decisive military advantage. The 2024 Plans and Programmes Workshop brought together representatives of the Science and Technology Organization and Allied Command Transformation.
General Philippe Lavigne opened the event with a keynote address where he stressed the importance of collaboration between the two Organizations, highlighting the close partnership between the Science and Technology Organization and Allied Command Transformation, NATO’s Strategic Warfare Development command.
“At Allied Command Transformation, we need the brilliance, the bold spirit, and the unwavering commitment of the Science and Technology Organization community to harness emerging technologies and build the Integrated Multi-Domain Defence of tomorrow,” General Lavigne said. “This is not just a goal; it is an imperative for our collective security.”
Approved by the North Atlantic Council in 2021, the NATO Warfighting Capstone Concept sets forth a vision to help maintain and further develop NATO’s decisive military advantage, while continuously adapting the military instrument of power through 2040.
Dr Bryan Wells, NATO Chief Scientist, noted that “this year’s Plans and Programmes Workshop is taking a different look at the Science and Technology Organization Collaborative Programme of Work, through the lens of the NATO Warfighting Capstone Concept. This approach highlights the agility of the Science and Technology Organization to respond to military developments, as well as its determination to create the necessary synergies for national and NATO continuous adaptation.”
Recommendations from the Workshop will be transmitted to the NATO Science and Technology Board for consideration ahead of its Executive Session in March.