Tampere, Finland – 29 October 2026 – Finnish software and innovation company Unikie and Bittium, forerunner in seamless and resilient communications, are jointly demonstrating innovative technologies and capabilities to meet the future needs of the defence and security sector. For the first time, Unikie will demonstrate its intelligent drone technology operating over Bittium’s tactical communications network at the NATO Innovation Range Capability Demonstrator event in Oulu, Finland, on 28–29 October 2026.
The demonstration combines Unikie’s expertise in physical AI and autonomous systems with Bittium’s advanced tactical communications technology. The demonstration will showcase the capabilities of autonomous drones and examine how drone technology and the communications network work together in a practical test environment.
For more than five years, Unikie has been developing intelligent drone technology for coordinating unmanned autonomous vehicles. The company has previously demonstrated the use of autonomous systems in surveillance missions, as well as voice control for managing autonomous drones. The demonstration with Bittium brings this expertise into a tactical communications environment.
“Intelligent drones are one of our key focus areas, drawing on our expertise in sensor fusion, autonomous systems and physical AI. We have already delivered several production-grade solutions with our customers and partners, and our collaboration with Bittium now enables us to develop combined capabilities for the evolving needs of the defence and security sector. The solutions are designed for rapid deployment, operational reliability and adaptability across a range of infrastructure environments,” says Juha Ala-Laurila, CEO at Unikie.
The role of unmanned systems today is increasingly critical, increasing the need to integrate drones into a broader communications network. Network brings drones as part of shared situational awareness and command. Bittium addresses this need with a resilient communications network and its radios, including the Bittium Tough SDR Unmanned radio module, a new radio solution designed for unmanned systems.
“The joint demonstration with Unikie is one concrete example of how unmanned systems can be integrated into a resilient communications network and command and control. At the same time, the demonstration gives us an opportunity to showcase Finnish defence technology expertise and agile collaboration within the NATO community,” says Tommi Kangas, Senior Vice President, Defence & Security at Bittium.
Advancing interoperable defence and security technologies through collaboration
The NATO Innovation Range Capability Demonstrator showcases new technologies, innovations and capabilities designed to address future defence and security needs. Held in Oulu on 28–29 October 2026, the event provides technology companies, research organisations and other stakeholders with an excellent environment for developing and testing advanced connectivity solutions and dual-use technologies.
Interoperability between technologies, systems and organisations is central to the collaboration. Unikie and Bittium’s joint demonstration provides a concrete example of combining autonomous technology with tactical communications. The project also involves Creoir, a technology company specialising in voice AI, and Airolit, a manufacturer of unmanned aerial vehicles, as well as Offcode, an embedded software company.
For further information:
Unikie
Juha Ala-Laurila
CEO
+358 50 443 3409 (communications)
comms@unikie.com
Bittium
Tommi Kangas
Senior Vice President, Defence & Security
+358 40 344 2789 (group communications)
defence@bittium.com
