The country will join the military alliance's defense innovation network with an accelerator center and test centers.Continue reading
In one year since its establishment, the Defense Innovation and Research Institute (VIKI) has made significant strides towards becoming a key player in defense innovation in Hungary, said Zsolt Kutnyánszky, State Secretary for Defense Policy, Force Development, and Defense Industry.
At the VIKI Fest in Budapest on Wednesday, the State Secretary recalled that VIKI, founded in February last year, is a state-owned company managed by the Ministry of Defense, and its aim is to become a driving force for dual-use (civilian and military) equipment and technologies as a node of the Hungarian defense innovation ecosystem.
The organization also aims to make Hungary a regional leader in the international defense innovation system.
The event was organized by VIKI to showcase the country’s defense innovation capabilities and ambitions, to facilitate collaboration between defense industry professionals (such as companies, universities, organizations), and to present the industry’s funding sources and tenders.
The State Secretary explained at the event that the organization will help actors interested in defense industrial development by providing engineering services, project management, and networking with the corporate and academic sectors. It also plans to develop a strategic analysis capability for start-up incubation and for foresight in support of the Ministry of Defense.
He noted:
There are high hopes for the establishment of the Central European Defense Innovation Institute, which would link the innovation ecosystem of the Central European and Western Balkan regions in coordination with Hungary.”
László Deme, CEO of VIKI Nonprofit Zrt., said: “The first year of VIKI was about building relationships, mapping existing capabilities and developing cooperation. They have identified the immediate goals to support the Hungarian innovation ecosystem to participate in European Defense Fund tenders and NATO DIANA test centers.
He added that as one of the tasks of the VIKI is to create and strengthen the national defense innovation ecosystem:
They are in constant consultation with universities, research institutes and enterprises, which are increasingly open to participate in defense industrial tenders.
Lieutenant General Ferenc Kajári, Deputy Chief of the Defense Staff, underlined that the NATO Innovation Fund and the DIANA program, as well as the European Defense Fund, not only provide resources for joint research and development projects, but also create opportunities for the development of defense technologies and capabilities. “Through such cooperation, Europe’s defense technology and industrial base will become more competitive and innovative, making a major contribution to the security and stability of the entire continent,” he concluded.
Via MTI, Featured image: Facebook/Nemzeti Közszolgálati Egyetem – Hadtudományi és Honvédtisztképző Kar
