The Implications of Military R&D in Key Emerging and Disruptive Technologies for Transatlantic Cooperation

Moderator: Dr. Raluca Csernatoni, Fellow, Carnegie Europe

Panelists include:

• Antonio Calcara, Senior Associate, Centre for Security, Diplomacy and Strategy (CSDS), Vrije Universiteit Brussels
• Dr. Edward Hunter Christie, Senior Research Fellow, Finnish Institute of International Affairs
  

• Dr. Simona Soare, Senior Lecturer, Lancaster University

NATO and several of its member states are pioneering advanced military EDTs across a range of joint warfighting functions, including intelligence, situational awareness, and command and control. While major NATO players aggressively invest in cutting-edge dual-use EDTs, such as AI systems, autonomous robotics, and quantum technologies, less-resourced allies struggle to keep pace regarding technology, processes, and expertise. This session aims to address the challenges of forging a cohesive, Alliance-wide technology readiness. Speakers will discuss the absence of unified standards, technological divides, interoperability gaps, differing governance approaches, and expertise disparities that hinder the effective integration of these disruptive technologies. The goal is to identify key barriers, associated risks, and competing visions for EDT innovation and governance, as well as propose actionable solutions. These competing visions reflect varying national priorities, civil-military innovation synergies, strategic priorities, and levels of risk tolerance for adopting disruptive technologies. Addressing them through robust transatlantic cooperation is essential to ensuring a unified modernisation pathway that strengthens NATO’s collective defence posture. In this respect, transatlantic collaboration in this area presents both challenges and opportunities, driving a shared agenda to overcome technical disparities while fostering innovation and resilience. The goal is to explore how successful integration in one operational domain could provide a blueprint for enhancing interoperability and innovation across all areas of NATO’s military capabilities.

Moderator: Dr. Kathryn H. Floyd, Director, Whole of Government Center of Excellence, William & Mary

Panelists include:

• KatyAnn Coulter, Chief, Data Programs Branch ACC A29P, ACC/A29 Data Tech Futures Division, United States Air Force
• Benjamin Dunlap, Data Operations Branch Chief, United States Air Force/Air Combat Command/A29
  
• Dr. Nathan Fisher, Defense Health Lead, Noblis, Inc.

• Huw Williams, Senior Fellow & Editor, The Military Balance, The International Institute for Strategic Studies

As the U.S. and NATO allies pursue ambitious and sometimes divergent paths in military research and development—particularly in emerging and disruptive technologies—this breakout session will provide a focused space to examine where these visions intersect, diverge, and can be strategically aligned. Participants will delve into the core principles, policy frameworks, and innovation ecosystems that shape national R&D agendas, with special attention to dual-use technologies, public-private partnerships, and the balance between speed and security. The session aims to go beyond surface-level comparisons to identify specific, actionable areas for alignment. These may include shared capability development, interoperable technology standards, joint testing and evaluation frameworks, and cooperative innovation initiatives. By surfacing these alignment opportunities, the discussion will contribute to a more unified transatlantic approach to defense innovation—one that enhances interoperability, strengthens operational readiness, and enables faster integration of cutting-edge technologies into joint missions.

Moderator: Sally Daultrey, Affiliate, Whole of Government Center of Excellence, William & Mary

Panelists include:

• Eman Blair, Senior Vice President for Technology Advancement and Special Advisor, Pentagon Federal Credit Union
• Dr. Andrea Gilli, Lecturer, University of St Andrews
  

• Roger Yee, Managing Partner, Outcome One

Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) sharing relies on human intelligence to understand and interpret why threats are dangerous, for what or whom, over what time frames and geographies. The success of CTI sharing among two or more actors, particularly among asymmetric capabilities and diverging priorities, hinges on organisational culture, interoperability and trust. The plenary session noted that variability in capabilities across Allies can undermine interoperability: less well-resourced Allies may lag in technology, process and people. How can this asymmetry be turned into strategic advantage? How can Allies work with partners beyond NATO to respond to shared threats? As in many other spheres of shared security challenges, it is unrealistic to expect universal adoption of cyber laws and practices. For example, there may be hope and expectation that a Code of Practice for commercial cyber intrusion capabilities will eventually follow the voluntary and non-binding Code of Practice for nation states that was backed by 23 nation states in Paris in April. However, a rapidly growing market of commercial cyber intrusion tools - poorly or selectively regulated - combined with AI capabilities, is a threat multiplier. Innovations in the private sector can undo even the best of shared intentions.

This session asks: what is the division of labor between nation state and private sector? Where is the accountability? What legal instruments exist to compel actors large and small, particularly those in the defence supply chain, to actively recognise their responsibilities? How is the CTI sharing imperative reshaping C2 and C4ISR structures and information supply chains? These questions will be explored through the specific examples of critical national infrastructures that cross jurisdictional boundaries - including those in the maritime domain - as an organising focus for examining how cooperation models survive and evolve.