DATANA at SIDEC 2025
SIDEC 2025 in Celje was Slovenia’s first international defence exhibition and conference. Co-organised by the Ministry of Defence and the Slovenian Defence Industry Cluster, the event created a meaningful platform for dialogue between users, industry, and policymakers.
For DATANA, it was an opportunity to test our messaging with the defence community, verify needs with what we built during the NATO DIANA accelerator, and convert rising interest into concrete next steps.
Who we met
SIDEC gave us time on the floor to meet the people who move defence innovation forward. We connected with innovators, defence primes, program owners, investors, and ecosystem connectors, validating real needs with how DATANA can address them.
Among the key meetings were Kristīne Rudzīte-Stejskala from DG DEFIS, Kadri Tammai from NATO DIANA, and Nathalie Guichard from the European Defence Agency, together with Ajda Vodlan from MORS (Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia). During their visit, BioSistemika was noted as the first Slovenian company selected for the NATO DIANA programme with DATANA. We also held working conversations with domestic and international companies on secure long-term archives, evidentiary records, and air-gapped transfer. Several follow-ups are now in progress.
Tomaž Karčnik, DATANA’s Project and Product Manager, and Roswita Golčer Hrastnik, CEO of BioSistemika, with Kristīne Rudzīte-Stejskala (DG DEFIS), Kadri Tammai (NATO DIANA), Nathalie Guichard (European Defence Agency), and Ajda Vodlan (Ministry of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia) at SIDEC 2025.
On stage
Our CEO, Roswita Golcer Hrastnik, delivered a talk titled From Data to Defence: Digitalization for a Safer Future. Her session outlined how secure digitalization, modern software, and DNA data storage can help defence organisations protect, preserve, and verify mission-critical information over very long timelines.
Roswita Golčer Hrastnik, CEO of BioSistemika, presenting ‘From Data to Defence’ at SIDEC 2025
Why it matters
Defence organisations face growth in sensitive data, strict retention, and higher integrity requirements. DNA data storage offers a compelling solution; it enables offline preservation, extreme density, and predictable stability over millennia. These attributes are highly relevant for archives, evidentiary records, supply chain provenance, and secure transfers across disconnected networks.
Looking ahead
The conversations at SIDEC reinforced what we learned during the NATO DIANA accelerator. Defence organisations are actively exploring durable, offline, high-integrity storage solutions, and DNA data storage is increasingly recognised as a credible option for the future.
Collaboration with MORS will continue through the InnoMatch grant project, with our efforts now focused on execution and the next technical milestones. In parallel, BioSistemika will remain engaged with organisations interested in secure long-term data preservation, as the event also opened new international opportunities.
