Türkiye’s Nörom joins NATO’s Diana network

The Council of Higher Education (YÖK) announced that the Neurotechnology and Neuroscience Joint Excellence Application and Research Center (NÖROM) has been accepted into NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) test network.

According to a written statement from YÖK, NÖROM was established through cooperation between Gazi University, Ankara University and Middle East Technical University (METU), becoming Türkiye’s first neuroscience center operating under an inter-university joint research model, CE Report quotes Anadolu Agency.

As the first and only test center from Türkiye to join the DIANA network in this field, NÖROM will contribute to the testing and evaluation of DIANA projects through its advanced research infrastructure, covering human-centered neurotechnologies, brain-computer interfaces, cognitive performance assessment and artificial intelligence-supported signal analysis.

With NÖROM’s integration into the international network, Turkish researchers will gain new opportunities to develop joint projects with international scientists and technology teams and to transform their research into patents, prototypes and products.

As part of NATO’s DIANA program, which aims to support technological developments at an early stage, NÖROM will contribute to the testing, validation and preparation of emerging technologies for real-world applications through its infrastructure in brain imaging, neuromodulation, robotic systems and AI-supported signal analysis.

“Bringing Türkiye’s scientific research strength to the world”

YÖK President Prof. Dr. Erol Özvar said NÖROM’s admission to the NATO DIANA network demonstrates the level reached through cooperation among universities.

He said combining the strengths of universities creates a much greater scientific capacity, describing NÖROM as a strong example of this approach.

“NÖROM is a fine example of this. It is bringing Türkiye’s scientific research strength to the world. I consider it extremely valuable that the combined scientific strength of our three universities has become part of an international technology network,” Özvar said.

He added that the center would help Turkish scientists develop joint projects with international researchers and technology teams and turn knowledge into patents, technologies and products.

“Turkish researchers will be able to develop large-scale projects”

NÖROM Director Prof. Dr. Hayrunnisa Bolay Belen said it was a source of pride that the center, opened in 2023, had joined NATO DIANA’s network of test centers in such a short period thanks to its internationally compliant research infrastructure.

She said the center would focus primarily on human health and performance and would also provide opportunities for certain preclinical tests, adding that NÖROM would cooperate with companies interested in such research.

NÖROM Deputy Director Prof. Dr. Meltem Bahçelioğlu said the network would create new opportunities for Turkish researchers, allowing them to develop larger-scale projects with NATO scientists that could ultimately lead to patents and commercial products.

NÖROM researcher and Cognitive Electrophysiology Infrastructure Coordinator Prof. Dr. Hulusi Kafalıgönül said the center would contribute human-centered neurotechnology infrastructure to the international DIANA ecosystem, which tests prototypes developed in health technologies.

NÖROM researcher Umut Aygün said the center’s robotic systems were being evaluated for applications including child rehabilitation, supporting the social participation of individuals on the autism spectrum, and arm rehabilitation following strokes.

Photo: Chat GPT