Innovation Continuum 2026
SPARK Launches the Innovation Continuum 2026.
SPARK, which concluded on February 26 and was hosted at the GATE Institute in Sofia, officially launches the Innovation Continuum 2026 (IC26).
As the first milestone in the annual cycle, SPARK scopes operational challenges, shapes scenarios, and sets the conditions for experimentation and demonstration later in the year.
Led by NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT), the Innovation Continuum is a framework for accelerating the development of military-relevant emerging technologies and turning innovation into operational capabilities. It is structured in 4 phases:
- SPARK is where projects are prioritised and linked to the Military Use Cases guiding the IC.
- IGNITE focuses on scenario development, where blueprints for each project are defined.
- GLOW is where validation through system integration and physical dry runs occurs.
- SHINE is a live experimentation and demonstration which concludes the cycle, evaluating the operational relevance of each project.
The IC, with its phases, helps to streamline NATO’s various innovation initiatives while delivering concrete value to innovative companies and research teams throughout its cycle. It provides access to experimental facilities, direct feedback from operational users, and realistic environments — all resources that early-stage defence innovators would rarely be able to access independently. This accelerates progression toward higher Technology Readiness Levels (TRLs), while placing innovators in direct contact with NATO bodies, operational commands, and national representatives. The environment fosters networking, cross-pollination of ideas, and recognition, helping to accelerate the transition of prototypes into real operational pathways. This helps close the so-called valley of death.
Proven Results from Previous Cycles
Recent editions of the IC have demonstrated that the model delivers measurable impact, significantly advancing projects such as MDO AI, the JISR Asset Planner, and MAINSAIL towards operational end users, while also expanding the IC framework’s adoption at the national level across NATO countries.
MDO AI — The project was designed to deliver advanced AI-enabled decision support for Multi-Domain Operations. The system was demonstrated at SHINE during IC25, showcasing how advanced algorithms can retrieve and process doctrinal and operational data to generate actionable insights for decision-making. Building on this foundation, the focus is now shifting from a single prototype to the broader ecosystem required to make AI-enabled decision support operational, scalable, and sustainable.
Joint ISR Asset Planner — This system focuses on improving intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) collection management by reducing the manual requirement-to-asset matching. Through iterative feedback with operational stakeholders and planned integration with NATO intelligence systems, it is now evolving into a practical tool for real-world planners.
MAINSAIL — This system is designed to enhance maritime situational awareness to protect critical underwater infrastructure. By fusing sensor inputs and integrating data from projects such as SINBAD, MAINSAIL moved rapidly toward continuous 24/7 operational use and transition to Allied Command Operations and MARCOM, demonstrating successful progression from experimentation to operational adoption.
The broader impact on participating nations has also been significant. Türkiye’s ALFA 2026 initiative mirrors the IC model at the national level and is synchronised with the 2026 NATO cycle, demonstrating how Allies are adopting the framework to accelerate their own military innovation processes. Greece has also shown interest, expressing an intention to use the IC’s building blocks to establish a national military innovation process.
Importantly, the IC is generating clear value for the industry as well. Several companies that participated in previous editions have subsequently secured contractual engagements with NATO, underscoring the model’s effectiveness in translating experimentation into acquisition pathways and long-term capability partnerships.
SPARK 2026: Record Participation and Strong Alignment
SPARK 2026 reflected growing momentum towards the IC. A total of 118 participants attended in person in Sofia, complemented by 102 online participants, doubling overall participation compared to 2025. The NATO Enterprise was broadly represented, with participants from ACT, ACO, DIANA, STO, CMRE, JWC, JATEC, NCIA, and the NATO CIS Group in attendance. National participation included Bulgaria, Türkiye, the United Kingdom, Finland, Latvia, Italy, Poland, Romania, Denmark, and Canada.
At SPARK strong national commitment was also recorded. Bulgaria’s Caretaker Minister of Innovation and Growth, Irena Mladenova, attended the event on her third day in office, signalling strong political support and active engagement from Bulgaria to the IC and the broader NATO’s innovation agenda.
2026 Focus Areas: Fully Aligned with SACT Priorities
This year’s topics are fully aligned with the priorities of Admiral Pierre Vandier, Supreme Allied Commander Transformation, and reflect operationally relevant challenges:
- Arctic ISR
- AI Audacious Training
- Layered Counter-UAS Initiative
- Next Generation Targeting
- Smart Logistics and Sustainment
- Electronic Warfare
- AI Next Gen C4ISR
- Cognitive Warfare
- Cyber Resilience
- Critical Underwater Infrastructure Protection and De-mining
These themes will guide scenario development, integration, and experimentation throughout the year, culminating at SHINE, the concluding event of the IC, in Halifax, Canada, in October 2026.
The IC26 has begun with clear direction, expanded participation, and strong Allied commitment. By combining structured experimentation, operational alignment, and ecosystem collaboration, ACT continues to accelerate innovation at the speed of relevance, ensuring emerging and disruptive technologies translate into credible deterrence and operational advantage.