TAMPERE x DDE x DEFINE Collaboration Celebration

Photos from the event. Feel free to use. Photographer: Juho Haavisto

This summer, we’re bringing together some of the most forward-thinking minds and companies in the defence and dual-use innovation space to celebrate a new era of collaboration.

DEFINE / City of Riihimäki is proud to officially launch a strategic partnership with the City of Tampere and the Digital Defence Ecosystem (DDE). This collaboration marks a powerful milestone in strengthening Finland’s defence innovation capabilities, bridging regional strengths, and accelerating the dual-use ecosystem both nationally and internationally. At the heart of this celebration is a shared mission: to fuel next-generation security, defence, and resilience solutions through co-creation, cross-sector expertise, and dynamic ecosystems. The day at Innovation Hub on 18th of June 2025 was filled with high-level insights, global perspectives, cutting-edge tech demos, and plenty of community spirit not forgetting the fun and delicious BBQ food. In addition to celebrating the new partnership, the event also featured presentations from top experts.

The Mission of Interoperability for Military, Public Safety, and Commercial Security Applications in Critical ​Communications by JPS Interoperability Solutions Inc.

This webinar described how communications interoperability is utilized in critical incident response.  The problem is to allow multiple organizations with different radios on different frequencies, with different SATCOM phones on different SATCOM services, and with different Cellular phones operating on different mobile carriers all to communicate with each in real time.  This technology permits all of these diverse resources to be bridged together in any combination needed to manage a mission.  Hence, different military organizations from different NATO countries in a joint mission are allowed to communicate directly with each other and with multiple civilian organizations including from law enforcement, from emergency services, from fire services, from hazardous materials services, from infectious diseases services, etc.  The webinar used similar military, public safety, and local security applications in the United States as Use Case Examples.

Innovation and Innovaction by Dr. Stephen Lee

Working with the U.S. Department of Defense developing dual-use technologies for National Security – To maintain global leadership in science and technology, the U.S. Department of Defense strives for excellence in a wide variety of disciplines in order to maintain a competitive advantage over its near-peer adversaries on all fronts.  Innovation and programs that support innovation include working directly with the Soldier or Warfighter to define and refine new ideas and technology into Innovaction – acting on innovation.  Transitioning university and industry-based research with the DoD research programs opens many opportunities including working directly with Special Operations and DoD Laboratories to create new capabilities and technology. This talk and discussion focused around how to work with the US DoD by providing examples of research transitioning from ideas in academia and industry to technologies used by the defense community and civilian applications.

Dr. Lee has been the Chief Scientist of the U.S. Army Research Laboratory and U.S. Army Research Office in which he directed multiple of billions of dollars in research investments for academic research, SBIR/STTR, and major prime contracts over 26 years.  He has led projects from basic research in academia to technology transition of systems commercially available and in the field for the U.S. government.  The scope of work includes all levels including idea generation to how to market and sell your idea.