The year 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the NATO Counter Intelligence Centre of Excellence’s establishment.
On September 29, 2015, representatives from ten countries and the NATO Allied Commander Transformation signed an agreement to create a new Centre of Excellence in Krakow, Poland. This institution was designed to enhance the capabilities of the Alliance and its member states by strengthening NATO’s military counter-intelligence and improving interoperability in this area.
Today, ten years later, the NATO Counter Intelligence Centre of Excellence (NATO CI COE) successfully fulfils these objectives and has become NATO’s primary source of military counter-intelligence expertise across the Alliance. It plays a vital role in enhancing NATO’s doctrine, capabilities, and agility in responding to the growing international threats facing all member states and their citizens. These goals are achieved through a variety of activities.
The CI COE effectively carries out all four pillars of NATO’s Centre of Excellence program. It offers advanced in-residence NATO Counter-intelligence (CI) courses in Poland and Slovakia, as well as mobile education and training team events and focused seminars tailored to the requirements of NATO member nations. The CI COE is dedicated to enhancing NATO and national CI lessons learned capabilities and fostering multinational interoperability by exchanging information, best practices, and analytical products. As the Department Head for CI Education and Training, the Centre solidifies its role within the Alliance.
Additionally, the Centre provides leadership, professional expertise, and training during NATO’s primary CI exercise. It also collaborates with academic institutions, other Centres of Excellence within the Alliance, and NATO CI entities to further improve capabilities and expertise.
The CI COE oversees two crucial NATO publications that form the foundation for Counterintelligence (CI) activities during NATO-led operations. The Centre plays a significant role in NATO’s overall doctrinal efforts by providing expert knowledge and recommendations that contribute to policies, doctrines, and procedures within the CI field. The Centre’s engagement and input enhance the effectiveness of NATO leadership and operators.
The CI COE continually refines and expands its offerings to meet the needs of member nations, reflecting the Alliance’s commitment to operating proficiently in this vital area. While CI is primarily the responsibility of individual nations outside of contingencies, the CI COE demonstrates the Alliance’s dedication to providing valuable resources and support to the entire NATO CI Community. The Centre’s experts are dedicated to ensuring the safety and efficacy of NATO-led operations in an ever-changing and complex environment.
Ten years ago, a group of specialists from several countries united in with a shared vision: to create an institution dedicated to enhancing the NATO Alliance’s defined and essential capabilities. After a decade of unwavering commitment and hard work, this institution has evolved into an efficient and effective hub of expertise. It conducts cutting-edge researches, offers transformative training, and develops doctrines aimed at improving the readiness, resilience, and interoperability of NATO operations while fostering partnerships based on shared interests.
This marked anniversary does not imply that the Centre is merely a completed entity or a finalized project. In fact, the dynamic and rapidly evolving international landscape, coupled with the urgent need to address new threats and respond to emerging challenges, drives the Centre to adapt and innovate continuously. It is developing exciting new initiatives to tackle pressing real-world threats and to ensure our effectiveness in an era dominated by cyber threats, artificial intelligence, and the digital realm. As a result, the Centre embraces a host of new and captivating challenges, and it remains steadfast in its commitment to be fully prepared to overcome them.