Accenture (NYSE:ACN) has signed a multi-million euro contract with the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) for the Protected Business Network (PBN) program, marking a key step in delivering NATO’s secure, cloud-enabled digital enterprise.  Accenture will work with Leonardo to deliver the contract over the next seven years.

The Protected Business Network establishes the foundation for classified digital operations across the NATO Enterprise, ensuring decisionmakers and military personnel across domains can communicate, coordinate, and access critical data in a modern standardized and scalable cloud environment that is more resilient to external attack and disruption. 

The PBN program will replace legacy approaches and strengthen the agility and security of the NATO digital infrastructure by introducing a common cloud operating model, standardized engineering practices and a secure environment in which new digital services can be developed, deployed and maintained more rapidly, providing the foundation for future capabilities. 

Accenture and Leonardo will design, implement and operate the core PBN platform across a multi-cloud environment provided by NCIA, supporting the progressive deployment and long-term adoption of secure cloud services to approximately 29,000 users across the Alliance. The estimated value of the contract is approximately 200 million euros over the next seven years.

Further strengthened by recent acquisitions, Leonardo will implement a Zero Trust Architecture secured by its proprietary Global Cybersec Platform, an AI multi-agentic platform for cyber defense, to guarantee world-class resiliency.  

Signed by NCIA General Manager Dr Dylan Browne and Olivier Girard, EMEA Defense Industry lead at Accenture, at the NATO Summit Defense Industry Forum in Ankara, Turkey, the agreement launches the first implementation phase of one of NATO's most significant digital transformation programs.

"With this contract, we are delivering on the Alliance’s commitment to innovation, digital transformation, and collective investment in our technological future. Under the Protected Business Network, NATO is taking a key step to modernize its digital infrastructure and enable a more connected, data-driven enterprise, ensuring we deliver digital capabilities at speed and scale.", said NCIA General Manager Dr Dylan Browne.

Mauro Macchi, CEO for EMEA at Accenture said: “NATO's ambition to become a digitally enabled Alliance is one of the most consequential transformation programs of our time, and reinvention at this scale requires a trusted partner willing to take accountability for outcomes. Together with Leonardo, we are bringing the cloud and security capabilities needed to help NCIA build a digital backbone that is resilient, interoperable and ready for the future, while strengthening the Alliance's own ability to operate and lead.” 

Lorenzo Mariani, CEO and General Manager of Leonardo, said: “In the current geopolitical landscape, this project represents a significant milestone to boost NATO’s operational readiness, interoperability, and mission continuity. Leonardo, with the Protected Business Network Program, consolidates its leadership in trusted cyber security for mission critical organizations.”

Approved by the North Atlantic Council as a NATO-wide capability program, the Protected Business Network supports the Alliance’s ambition to accelerate NATO's Digital Transformation and ensure the Alliance can exploit emerging technologies while maintaining its technological edge. The contract establishes the long-term partnership that will deliver that vision.

About Accenture
Accenture helps the world’s leading enterprises reinvent by building their digital core and unleashing the power of AI to create value at speed for organizations across industries. Our strategy is to be the reinvention partner of choice for our clients and lead in the safe, widespread adoption of AI, and to be the most client-focused, AI-enabled, great place to work in the world. We bring together the talent of our approximately 799,000 people with proprietary assets and platforms, deep process and industry expertise, and leading ecosystem relationships to deliver end-to-end solutions and measurable outcomes at scale. Through our Reinvention Services, we offer broad expertise across Cybersecurity, Digital Core, Finance, Industry and Enterprise, Song, Supply Chain and Engineering, and Talent, with advanced capabilities in AI and Data, Industry and Process, and Technology. We serve approximately 9,000 clients and generated approximately $70 billion in FY25 revenue. Visit us at accenture.com.

About NCIA
The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) is NATO’s technological and cyber capability hub, delivering, operating and defending the digital capabilities that enable the Alliance to communicate, plan, decide and act securely and at speed. NCIA brings together over 3800 civilian and military experts across 30 locations in Europe and North America, providing the digital backbone that connects NATO’s political leadership, strategic command and Allied forces. The Agency works together with industry to accelerate the adoption of advance and emerging technologies for the Alliance. https://www.ncia.nato.int/ 

About Leonardo
Leonardo is an international industrial group that develops multi-domain technological capabilities for global security. A key player in the major strategic programs in Aerospace, Defence and Security, it employs over 62,000 people worldwide and operates in the Electronics, Helicopters, Aircraft, Cyber & Security and Space sectors. The company has a significant industrial presence in Italy, the United Kingdom, Poland and the United States, and is active in 150 countries also through subsidiaries, joint ventures and investees. Leonardo is a technological and industrial partner to Governments, Defense Administrations, Institutions and businesses. Listed on the Milan Stock Exchange (LDO), in 2025 Leonardo recorded new orders of €23.8 billion, an order backlog of €46.6 billion and consolidated revenues of €19.5 billion. Included in the MIB ESG Index, the company has also been part of the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) since 2010. Visit us at leonardo.com 

from the left, Leonardo’s CEO, Lorenzo Mariani, the General Manager of NCIA, Dylan Browne and Olivier Girard, EMEA Defence Industry lead of Accenture

NCIA General Manager Dylan Browne (a destra) e Olivier Girard, EMEA Defense Industry lead di Accenture.