Finland’s role in NATO’s innovation and testing activities continues to strengthen. At present, dozens of Finnish and international defence technology companies have gathered in Finland as part of the NATO Innovation Range (NIR) event series. Next-generation sensor technology and data transmission tested in a maritime environment in Turku.
The testing event series takes place from 1–10 June in Turku, Riihimäki, Joensuu and Oulu. The testing covers four technology domains: command and control systems, AI and data solutions, communication technologies, and sensors. In addition, a counter-drone testing event, LCI-X Crucible 2-26, is being organized alongside it.
The aim is to ensure that solutions and forces operate seamlessly together.
– Collaboration among participants is progressing well, and companies have already provided very positive feedback during the first days. Defence technology development works best when developers are as close as possible to the end user, says Ville Hietikko, Programme Director at the Digital Defence Ecosystem.
The Ministry of Defence serves as the national authority responsible for the testing events. The event series is organized under its mandate by the Digital Defence Ecosystem and DEFINE innovation ecosystems in cooperation with the Borderland Europe initiative, as well as Business Joensuu, BusinessOulu and Business Turku.
– This is yet another significant step towards establishing long-term NATO-related innovation and testing activities in Finland, states Hietikko.
– For Finnish companies, this is an opportunity to demonstrate their capabilities in realistic conditions and to network with NATO actors and international partners.
“We are ready for the actual testing operations”
Finland offers exceptionally diverse testing environments, from the maritime conditions of Turku to NATO’s eastern border operating environments in Joensuu. Testing is also conducted in scenarios related to autonomous systems and long-range communications in Oulu, as well as in situations focusing on the integration of command and control systems in Riihimäki.
The overall coordination of the program, hosted by Finland and led by NATO’s Allied Command Transformation (ACT), is handled by Timo Salonen from Finland’s Permanent Delegation to NATO.
– The preparation phase of NATO’s LCI-X Crucible 2-26 operational experiment has been successfully completed. We familiarized participating companies, carried out self-testing activities, and built the network connections and services required to support OPEX testing. We are ready for the actual testing operations on Monday and Tuesday, when we will demonstrate NATO’s C-UAS and C2 capabilities, he says.
Next-generation sensor technology and data transmission tested in a maritime environment in Turku
Business Turku joined the Borderland Europe collaboration in March 2026, which aims to build an innovation and testing corridor for border security and dual-use technologies in Finland, stretching from the eastern border to the Archipelago Sea. As part of this collaboration, the maritime testing environment for the NATO Innovation Range event was organized in Turku.
In Turku, the testing focused on transmitting a reliable situational picture to a command center using technologies that eliminate the need to send personnel on site or maintain continuous and easily detectable radio connections such as mobile or satellite networks.
During the test, a sensor network was installed at the harbor to monitor the environment and detect, for example, human movement in the area. The sensors transmitted the collected data to an unmanned vessel, which then forwarded the information via long-range radio connection to situational awareness systems in Oulu and Riihimäki.
– This next-generation technology improves both safety and operational reliability in exceptional situations. Situational awareness can be formed without the need for personnel to be physically present in the terrain or on board a vessel, says Sami Metsänperä, Defence Ecosystem Lead at SADE Innovation.
The testing involved Finnish companies SADE Innovations Oy (integration of the sensor network into the situational awareness system), Sensoan Oy (sensors), KNL Networks Oy (radio connection) and Millog (situational awareness system), as well as Turku University of Applied Sciences with the remotely operable vessel eM/S Salama. On this occasion, however, the vessel was exceptionally operated from on board.
The NATO Innovation Range event in Turku provided an opportunity to showcase the expertise and solutions of companies from the Turku region and across Finland in a real-life testing environment.
– At the NATO Innovation Range testing event, we were able to concretely demonstrate what kind of solutions and expertise we at Turku University of Applied Sciences can offer our partners. Companies gained valuable insights into how their products perform in real-world conditions and as part of a broader system. This strengthened their ability to offer competitive solutions for international defence and security markets, describes Mikko Pänkäälä, Principal Lecturer at Turku University of Applied Sciences.
Further information
Ville Hietikko, Project Director, Digital Defence Ecosystem
tel. +358 40 526 2899 / ville.hietikko@digitaldefence.fi
Petra Kaurisluoma, Head of Marketing Communications, Digital Defence Ecosystem
petra.kaurisluoma@digitaldefence.fi
Visit Digital Defence Ecosystem website
