NATO hosts Centres of Excellence Marketplace

On 12-13 May 2026, NATO hosted the Centres of Excellence (COE) Marketplace at its Headquarters in Brussels, Belgium. This biennial event aims to promote interactions and strengthen mutual understanding between COEs - international military organisations that provide training, education and subject-matter expertise to NATO member and partner countries - and NATO staff. Holding the Marketplace at NATO Headquarters brought COE expertise directly into the Alliance's political and military environment, helping connect their work more closely with NATO priorities and the needs of national representatives, senior leaders and staff.

The Marketplace's opening ceremony featured remarks from acting NATO Assistant Secretary General for Operations Burcu San and Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Transformation General Aurelio Colagrande.

In his remarks, General Colagrande emphasised that "COEs are a vital part of how the Alliance develops capability, strengthens interoperability and turns ideas into practical support for our missions and priorities… COEs bring together expertise from across the Nations, while remaining closely connected to NATO's priorities and operational requirements. In a security environment marked by rapid change, technological competition and persistent threats, that combination is more valuable than ever."

Ms San echoed these remarks, stressing that "the benefits and added value that COEs have brought to NATO are not merely theoretical: they are concrete and measurable." Looking ahead, she underscored that "while the COE concept has proven highly successful over its first two decades of existence, we must now consider how to further enhance the effectiveness of COE contributions to the Alliance in the future."

Over the course of the two-day programme, all 30 NATO-accredited COEs presented the expertise, tools and practical support they make available to the Alliance. Through dedicated stands and direct exchanges with NATO staff, the Marketplace helped align COE work with the priorities, requirements and challenges facing NATO today. The event attracted a high number of NATO staff, who had a chance to engage directly with COE representatives and take part in the interactive experiences at the stands.

On 13 May, COE Directors met with leadership from the International Staff (IS), International Military Staff (IMS) and Allied Command Transformation (ACT) at the COE Directors Session. During this meeting they discussed how COEs can apply their specialised expertise to NATO's priorities and help address the evolving challenges facing the Alliance.

Centres of Excellence cover a wide range of areas, such as civil-military operations, cyber defence, military medicine, climate change and security, and space operations. Each COE provides expert-level knowledge to support NATO's operational effectiveness, while ensuring that there is no overlap with existing assets, resources or capabilities within the Alliance.

Learn more: Centres of Excellence