NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte on Tuesday (7 July 2026) launched two major new initiatives at the NATO Summit Defence Industry Forum in Ankara to strengthen and accelerate transatlantic defence industrial cooperation.
Speaking at the Forum, the Secretary General announced the creation of the NATO Front Door for Industry, a new platform designed to give companies a single, simplified point of access to NATO procurement opportunities, innovation events, and other engagement channels. He also introduced the NATO Engine, a new framework aimed at expanding industrial production capacity across the Alliance by connecting available factory capacity and fostering cross-border collaboration between European, Canadian, and U.S. companies.
"Today, we are launching the NATO Front Door for Industry. This is a new platform to improve awareness of opportunities and streamline engagement with the Alliance," Mr. Rutte said. He added that the NATO Engine was created because "no one nation has the industrial capacity required to meet the large and growing demand," particularly for air defence and strike capabilities.
The two initiatives form part of a wider set of measures presented at the Forum to translate the 5% GDP defence investment commitment into concrete capabilities and faster industrial output.
