On November 14, 2023, our Project Lead, BGen(ret.) Jaak Tarien, seized a unique opportunity to represent SDMMS at the ACT NATO Innovation Challenge. Our project had been pre-selected as one of the 11 finalists invited to a Pitch Day in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The finalists received a warm welcome from Major General Robert Glavaš, Chief of Defence of Slovenia, and General Philippe Lavigne, NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation.

The NATO Innovation Challenge, initiated in 2017, fosters collaboration among Alliance and Partner Nations to address common operational challenges cost-effectively. Led by Allied Command Transformation, the NATO Innovation Hub organizes this brainstorming process, aiming to equip NATO with novel, efficient responses to security challenges. The Challenge revolves around seven emerging areas of potentially disruptive technologies crucial for future military capabilities.

Focused on Military Mobility, this Challenge provided a platform for the SDMMS project to proudly represent an innovative EU solution to NATO officials. Strengthening EU-NATO cooperation stands as a cornerstone of European security, and SDMMS holds the potential to bolster deterrence by facilitating faster troop movement across the continent.