STONewsArchive: Finland hosts NATO Science and Technology Board meeting

Title: Finland hosts NATO Science and Technology Board meeting
Start_Publishing: 26/09/2023
Panel_Page: STO
Page_ID: 3917
Main_Body_Multi:




The NATO Science and Technology Board (STB) held its fall meeting in Helsinki, Finland last week, marking the first major NATO committee held in Finland since it joined the Alliance in April. The meeting, held on 18–22 September, was organised by the Finnish Defence Forces and hosted by the Defence Forces’ Research Director, Colonel Engineering Jyri Kosola. The meeting was chaired by the NATO Chief Scientist, Dr Bryan Wells. 


As the governing body of the NATO STO, the STB oversees and directs the work of the STO’s scientific and technical committees, as well as its three executive bodies: the Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE), the Collaboration Support Office, and the Office of the Chief Scientist. The STB is composed of members from Allied Nations, as well as representatives from other NATO bodies, and convenes twice a year (spring and fall).  


Discussions at last week’s meeting covered a wide range of topics, including: 



An update on an agreed major programme of change in the STO (“STO2030”)
Preparations for decisions on a major programme of change in the Collaborative Programme of Work (CPoW) 
Celebrations of excellence in the STO, including the 2023 von Karman Medal and the 2023 Scientific Excellence Awards
Presentations on the strategic visions of the System Analysis and Studies (SAS) and Sensors and Electronics Technology (SET) Panel Chairs, and the CMRE
Presentations from Japan and from the von Karman Institute of Fluid Dynamics
A presentation from Prof Deeph Chana, Managing Director of DIANA
A discussion on research security, with an agreement to have a follow-on workshop at the 2024 spring STB. 



The work of early career scientists was highlighted at the meeting, as well, with a poster session and dedicated briefings to the STB. 


“It’s an honour to have chaired the week of meetings for the Science & Technology Board of the NATO Science & Technology Organization in Helsinki,” said Dr Wells. “Finland’s status as the newest member of NATO makes this event even more special. We will certainly remember this fall STB for being the first major NATO committee held on the soil of our 31st Ally.”



The responsibility for organizing the fall STB meeting has traditionally rotated among NATO Nations. This is the first time that Finland has been able to host such a comprehensive NATO meeting as a member state. About 130 people attended the meeting, representing NATO Nations, Enhanced Opportunity Partners (EOPs), and NATO bodies/agencies, including NATO Headquarters, Allied Command Transformation (ACT) and the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA).



“Since 2015, Finnish contributions to our research have been invaluable; first as an enhanced partner and now, as an Ally,” Dr Wells added. “Finland already contributes to some 60 projects in our Collaborative Programme of Work. Pooling our knowledge, resources, and research findings within the NATO science and technology network shows our collaborative effort to maintain NATO’s technological edge and reinforces our collective ability to support one another in addressing the security challenges of our time.



“I commend Colonel Jyri Kosola and the Finnish Defence Forces for their exceptional hosting of this NATO meeting,” Dr Wells said. “Thank you to Finland for being a dedicated and valued member of our S&T community and, of course, the NATO Alliance”. 



“For Finland, the NATO STO is the key forum for defence research,” said Colonel Kosola. “Therefore, it is a special pleasure for us to host this first high-level S&T meeting in Finland as the newest member of NATO.”



“Finland is a strong contributor to NATO research and profiles itself as expert not only on Arctic conditions, but also on littoral and shallow water warfare, large-scale air and land warfare in difficult terrain and weather, and mastering the electromagnetic spectrum,” Colonel Kosola added. “Combining know-how, pooling resources and sharing results within the NATO S&T community is not only cost effective, but also enhances interoperability between Allied Nations, and their ability to support each other”.





Page_Intro: The NATO Science and Technology Board (STB) held its fall meeting in Helsinki, Finland last week, marking the first major NATO committee held in Finland since it joined the Alliance in April. The meeting, held on 18–22 September, was organised by the Finnish Defence Forces and hosted by the Defence Forces’ Research Director, Colonel Engineering Jyri Kosola. The meeting was chaired by the NATO Chief Scientist, Dr Bryan Wells. 

HomePageImage: 20230926_UC_fall-2023-stb.png
HomePageBodyText:




The NATO Science and Technology Board (STB) held its fall meeting in Helsinki, Finland last week, marking the first major NATO committee held in Finland since it joined the Alliance in April. The meeting, held on 18–22 September, was organised by the Finnish Defence Forces and hosted by the Defence Forces’ Research Director, Colonel Engineering Jyri Kosola. The meeting was chaired by the NATO Chief Scientist, Dr Bryan Wells. 


As the governing body of the NATO STO, the STB oversees and directs the work of the STO’s scientific and technical committees, as well as its three executive bodies: the Centre for Maritime Research and Experimentation (CMRE), the Collaboration Support Office, and the Office of the Chief Scientist. The STB is composed of members from Allied Nations, as well as representatives from other NATO bodies, and convenes twice a year (spring and fall).  


Discussions at last week’s meeting covered a wide range of topics, including: 



An update on an agreed major programme of change in the STO (“STO2030”)
Preparations for decisions on a major programme of change in the Collaborative Programme of Work (CPoW) 
Celebrations of excellence in the STO, including the 2023 von Karman Medal and the 2023 Scientific Excellence Awards
Presentations on the strategic visions of the System Analysis and Studies (SAS) and Sensors and Electronics Technology (SET) Panel Chairs, and the CMRE
Presentations from Japan and from the von Karman Institute of Fluid Dynamics
A presentation from Prof Deeph Chana, Managing Director of DIANA
A discussion on research security, with an agreement to have a follow-on workshop at the 2024 spring STB. 



The work of early career scientists was highlighted at the meeting, as well, with a poster session and dedicated briefings to the STB. 


“It’s an honour to have chaired the week of meetings for the Science & Technology Board of the NATO Science & Technology Organization in Helsinki,” said Dr Wells. “Finland’s status as the newest member of NATO makes this event even more special. We will certainly remember this fall STB for being the first major NATO committee held on the soil of our 31st Ally.”



The responsibility for organizing the fall STB meeting has traditionally rotated among NATO Nations. This is the first time that Finland has been able to host such a comprehensive NATO meeting as a member state. About 130 people attended the meeting, representing NATO Nations, Enhanced Opportunity Partners (EOPs), and NATO bodies/agencies, including NATO Headquarters, Allied Command Transformation (ACT) and the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA).



“Since 2015, Finnish contributions to our research have been invaluable; first as an enhanced partner and now, as an Ally,” Dr Wells added. “Finland already contributes to some 60 projects in our Collaborative Programme of Work. Pooling our knowledge, resources, and research findings within the NATO science and technology network shows our collaborative effort to maintain NATO’s technological edge and reinforces our collective ability to support one another in addressing the security challenges of our time.



“I commend Colonel Jyri Kosola and the Finnish Defence Forces for their exceptional hosting of this NATO meeting,” Dr Wells said. “Thank you to Finland for being a dedicated and valued member of our S&T community and, of course, the NATO Alliance”. 



“For Finland, the NATO STO is the key forum for defence research,” said Colonel Kosola. “Therefore, it is a special pleasure for us to host this first high-level S&T meeting in Finland as the newest member of NATO.”



“Finland is a strong contributor to NATO research and profiles itself as expert not only on Arctic conditions, but also on littoral and shallow water warfare, large-scale air and land warfare in difficult terrain and weather, and mastering the electromagnetic spectrum,” Colonel Kosola added. “Combining know-how, pooling resources and sharing results within the NATO S&T community is not only cost effective, but also enhances interoperability between Allied Nations, and their ability to support each other”.






Created at 26/09/2023 16:40 by ad.rodes
Last modified at 26/09/2023 16:41 by ad.rodes
 
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