DEFENSE DAY INSIGHTS #7:
Innovation Needs Places to Be Tested
Ideas alone do not create capability.
They need environments where they can be tested, validated, and improved.
Track 7 focused on the importance of testbeds, experimentation environments, and shared infrastructure.
Participants identified several priorities:
- Improve visibility of existing facilities.
- Lower access barriers for startups and SMEs.
- Strengthen Nordic coordination.
- Reduce regulatory barriers to testing.
Participants also highlighted that regulations around areas such as telecommunications and drone operations can unintentionally slow innovation.
Better infrastructure is not simply about building more facilities, it is about making existing capabilities easier to find, access, and use.
