Aberdeen-based subsea robotics firm HonuWorx has secured a landmark research and development contract through NATO’s Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) – the first award made on behalf of a NATO Ally under its new Rapid Adoption Service.
Awarded on behalf of Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC), the contract will see HonuWorx carry out an engineering study to extend the operating depth of its autonomous undersea systems, alongside development of a high-fidelity simulation suite to test performance in challenging environments.
Lee Wilson, CEO of HonuWorx, said: “Autonomous subsea systems are evolving from data collection platforms toward the delivery of real capability, with the potential to change how sensitive seabed operations are conducted. This work focuses on extending that capability into deeper environments while meeting specific operational requirements, and represents a further step toward operational deployment.”
Scottish angel syndicate TRICAPITAL led a seven-figure investment into HonuWorx in 2024, backing the Aberdeen business as it scales its autonomous, all-electric subsea technology for global energy, offshore wind and defence markets.
Brian May, Section Head for Scientific and Engineering Trials at the Atlantic Research Centre of DRDC, said: “HonuWorx’s proposed system, initially envisioned to support the offshore oil industry, holds the potential to allow Canadian defence research to effectively and efficiently operate and maintain future, deepwater power and data infrastructure and support the testing of emerging deep-sea technologies.”
DIANA said its Rapid Adoption Service is designed to help Allies speed up the move from capability need to deployable solutions.
Jyoti Hirani-Driver, Acting Managing Director of NATO DIANA, said: “The Rapid Adoption Service is designed to help Allies move faster from identified capability need to real-world solutions. This contract with Defence Research and Development Canada and HonuWorx shows how Allied nations can quickly and collaboratively leverage DIANA to turn innovation into operational capability.”
HonuWorx was selected after participating in DIANA’s 2025 Critical Infrastructure and Logistics Challenge.