A key topic was the Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) project, a NATO initiative fostering technological innovation in defence. The project, coordinated at JFC Naples by Dr. Pasquale Di Tommaso, Head of the Resource Management Office, involves both NATO and CIRA. Lieutenant General Sganga expressed his appreciation for CIRA’s commitment to defence innovation and voiced interest in visiting CIRA headquarters to further explore areas of cooperation.
Following the meeting, Prof. Blandini briefed JFC Naples Deputy Chief of Staff, Major General Wilhelm Grün, on CIRA’s primary research activities and ongoing projects. Organised by Dr. Fulvio Romano, Head of the Technical and Management Support Unit at CIRA’s Research and Experimentation Infrastructure Directorate, and Dr. Di Tommaso, the briefing took place in the Sala Italia of the Quartier Generale Italiano (QGI) in the presence of a wide representation of JFC Naples personnel.
During the session, Major General Grün raised questions regarding CIRA’s commissioning mechanisms, prompting detailed explanations from Prof. Blandini and Dr. Romano, who provided examples of successful collaborations between CIRA, the defence sector, universities, and industry.
This meeting marks an important step towards future collaboration between CIRA and NATO, reinforcing their shared commitment to advancing technological innovation in support of security and defence.