NATO Innovation Range Testing Event Kicks Off Today in Joensuu and Across Finland

In early June, from 1 to 10 June 2026, Finnish and international defence technology companies will gather across Finland for the NATO Innovation Range (NIR) event series, where technologies will be tested, integrated and evaluated in realistic operational environments.

The event series brings together technology developers, operational stakeholders and NATO-linked capability development activities across multiple locations and operational scenarios. Testing will take place in maritime conditions in Turku, eastern border environments in Joensuu, autonomous systems and long-range communications scenarios in Oulu, and command-and-control integration contexts in Riihimäki.

Joensuu’s role in the NATO Innovation Range event is to provide unique eastern border and Arctic testing environments for the development of digital border security solutions, sensor technologies and unmanned systems. In North Karelia, testing activities will take place in Joensuu and Kitee as part of the Borderland Europe testing framework.

According to Heikki Heliste, Project Manager of Borderland Europe, one of the frontrunners in this work is Kelluu, a company developing hydrogen-powered airships equipped with advanced sensors for situational awareness and counter-UAS applications.

“By combining Finnish engineering excellence with cutting-edge sensor and counter-drone technologies, we demonstrate how regional innovation can make a significant contribution to shared security and technological advancement. Our participation reflects Joensuu’s growing role as a hub for collaborative innovation – a place where companies, researchers and international partners come together to build the future of connectivity and security,” says Heliste.

“We are proud of our contribution and ready to scale our solutions to meet the needs of allied partners in both civilian and defence sectors.”

Testing Opens Doors to International Procurement Opportunities

For Finland, the event marks another important step in establishing long-term NATO innovation and testing activities in the region. For participating companies, it provides an opportunity to validate technologies in demanding conditions, collaborate with other actors and demonstrate operational relevance within a NATO framework.

The testing activities focus on technologies that are increasingly critical for modern defence capability development, including command and control systems and integrations, AI and data applications, communications technologies, sensor systems, and counter-UAS capabilities.

For Finnish companies, the event provides a concrete opportunity to demonstrate capabilities in realistic operational conditions while connecting directly with NATO stakeholders and international partners.

“NATO Innovation Range brings technology companies and regional defence and security development clusters together around a shared framework driven by NATO’s needs. For Finnish companies, this means access to NATO’s networks and concrete proof that their solutions work in demanding conditions. For the Alliance, it means interoperable, tested capability,” says Ville Hietikko, Programme Director at Digital Defence Ecosystem.

 Second NATO Innovation Range Event in Finland – More to Come 

The June event series continues Finland’s active role in developing NATO Innovation Range activities. Finland signed the letter of intent to host NIR operations in 2025, followed by the first technical demonstration organised in Riihimäki later that year. Since then, the work has expanded into a broader national effort involving defence authorities, regional innovation ecosystems and industry partners.

The event series is also connected to NATO’s LCI-X (Layered Counter Unmanned Aircraft Systems Initiative) activities, which focus on developing innovative counter-drone capabilities through rapid testing and experimentation.

The event series is coordinated in Finland by the Digital Defence Ecosystem and DEFINE innovation network, authorised by the Ministry of Defence, in cooperation with the Borderland Europe project as well as Business Joensuu, BusinessOulu and Business Turku.

The Digital Defence Ecosystem has built its operations around enabling faster collaboration between defence end-users, technology companies and research actors. Through joint testing, piloting and ecosystem-driven development, DDE supports the integration of dual-use and emerging technologies into defence capability development.

NATO Innovation Range activities will continue to be developed in Finland in the future. More information about upcoming testing opportunities and participation possibilities for companies will be shared during autumn 2026 through DDE channels.

• Press release by the Finland's Ministry of Defence: Minister of Defence Antti Häkkänen: Finland will host a series of NATO Innovation Range events

Borderland Europe project is co-funded by the EU and Regional Council of North Karelia. The project is coordinated by Business Joensuu.