The Galician company Vig-Sec Drone, a participant in the Acceleration track of the 5th edition and the Consolidation track of the 6th edition of the Business Factory Aero (BFAero), has been selected by the technology accelerator DIANA (Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic) to take part in its Mission Track phase (a phase focused on operational adoption). Only 15 companies from the 2026 cohort – comprising 150 innovators selected from over 3,600 proposals – have progressed to this new phase of the programme.
The company is participating with Suite ACRE, a technology platform developed for the tactical management and coordination of medium- and low-altitude airspace, which enables information from the company’s own drones, counter-drone (C-UAS) systems and other aerial assets to be integrated into a single coordination layer.
Mission Track is the follow-on phase of NATO’s DIANA acceleration programme, aimed at technologies that have demonstrated strong relevance to defence and a clear alignment with the operational needs of allied countries. Its aim is to bring the selected solutions closer to operational readiness and to facilitate pathways for their adoption at scale.
The selected companies can access up to 300,000 euros in additional non-dilutive contractual funding, as well as continuing to use the NATO DIANA network of test centres and receiving specific support to advance their adoption and scaling-up processes.
Validation in international operational environments
Alongside this new development within NATO DIANA, the ACRE Suite is taking part in REPMUS26 over the coming weeks, a multinational exercise dedicated to the testing and integration of unmanned systems, which is taking place in Troia and Sesimbra, Portugal, between 31 August and 25 September.
The exercise brings together 36 countries and more than 130 dual-use technology suppliers to NATO, as well as organisations such as the European Defence Agency (EDA) and the European Maritime Safety Agency (EMSA), and provides a benchmark environment for testing the interoperability of new technologies in operational scenarios.
According to Vig-Sec Drone, the ACRE Suite is being used during the exercise to coordinate airspace at medium and low altitudes, thereby further validating the platform in international scenarios with high operational demands.
A career linked to BFAero
Founded in Galicia in 2019, Vig-Sec Drone has built a track record closely linked to the Galician ecosystem of innovation and technological entrepreneurship. The company took part in BFAero, joining the Acceleration programme in the 5th edition and the Consolidation programme in the 6th edition, stages during which it was able to drive the development and growth of its project within an environment specialising in the aeronautical, aerospace and unmanned vehicle sectors.
Their progress reflects the potential of the projects supported by BFAero to move from technological development to operational validation, to forge links with major players in the sector, and to expand into international markets.
ACRE Suite currently has over 2,000 users and is in use by public bodies, emergency services and units of the Armed Forces. The platform has already taken part in national and international exercises such as ATLAS, Steadfast Dart and Spring Storm, and at the end of September it will also be taking part in Drone Shield 2026 in the Czech Republic.
Participation in REPMUS26 and selection for NATO DIANA’s Mission Track thus represent two milestones in Vig-Sec Drone’s international track record and highlight the ability of companies linked to the BFAero ecosystem to develop technological solutions with international applications in strategic sectors.
Business Factory Aero, promoted by the Galician Regional Government through IGAPE and XesGalicia and managed by the CEL Iniciativas por Lugo Foundation, supports projects in the aeronautical, aerospace and unmanned vehicle sectors during their incubation, acceleration and consolidation phases. The 8th call for proposals from BFAero is open to new projects and companies wishing to develop and scale up their solutions within this specialised ecosystem.