In October, Watchbird was one of only 9 innovators invited to present at the first CBRN Defence Technology & Innovation Forum (TIF) in Prague. The Joint CBRN Defence Centre of Excellence (JCBRN Defence COE) organised the forum together with NATO DIANA and Future Forces Exhibition & Forum 2026.
Why the CBRN community matters
CBRN defence is a small, specialised field. New capabilities come from close dialogue between specialist operators, armed forces, subject-matter experts, researchers and industry. A young company can’t develop the right solutions alone. It has to be where operational needs are discussed, where requirements take shape and where trust is built over time.
Forums like TIF bring that community together in one place. For Watchbird, taking an active part is how we make sure our technology answers real needs rather than assumed ones.
Close ties to the JCBRN Defence COE
The JCBRN Defence COE in Vyškov, Czech Republic, is NATO’s centre of expertise for CBRN defence. It supports the Alliance with doctrine, training, concept development and lessons learned. Watchbird was invited directly by the COE to present, which recognises the relevance of our work to NATO’s CBRN community.
This connection gives us access to expert feedback and a network across NATO nations, and it shows us where the field is heading. We plan to keep building on it.
What we presented
Tor Helge Henry presented two of Watchbird’s focus areas:
Personal Networked CBRN Sensor (PNCS): personal detection that shares data across the unit
Low-burden respiratory protection: protection soldiers can wear for longer, with less physical strain
“After the presentation there was immediate response from representatives from special police and special forces regarding Low-burden respiratory protection. Valuable dialogue was also established with representatives from Armed Forces and NATO Diana regarding PNCS.”
Learning from peers and finding partners
Alongside the invited innovators, the forum featured companies from the NATO DIANA cohorts and the wider Future Forces exhibition, with hundreds of exhibitors from more than 35 countries. It was a chance to see how others tackle detection, protection, decontamination and medical countermeasures, and to compare our own approach with theirs.
Many CBRN challenges are too complex for one company to solve alone. The forum gave us the chance to connect with companies whose technologies complement ours and to learn how others in the field approach similar problems. Relationships like these are valuable over time. They build our understanding of the market and lay the groundwork for future cooperation.
Thank you
Thank you to the JCBRN Defence COE, NATO DIANA and Future Forces for an excellent first edition of the forum. We look forward to staying involved.
Want to talk about personal networked CBRN detection or low burden respiratory protection? Contact Tor Helge Henry at tor.henry@watchbird.no.