General Atomics

Brandwatch and Blackbird.AI to deliver advanced IEAC to NATO

Social intelligence and social media management firm, Brandwatch and Blackbird.AI, a provider of narrative intelligence, today announced their consortium has been selected by the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA), on behalf of the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO), to deliver an advanced Information Environment Assessment Capability (IEAC).



Image by Drop of Light / copyright Shutterstock 

The capability will provide secure, scalable, and AI-enabled tools to monitor, analyze, and interpret the information environment across public and commercially available data sources. Delivered as a bespoke, enterprise-wide social intelligence solution, it will combine media monitoring, sentiment analysis and trend detection to support decision making across the NATO enterprise. The solution will help NATO assess and respond to evolving narrative threats, including the spread of disinformation and harmful narratives across complex digital eco-systems.
 
This initiative represents a significant milestone for Cision’s Brandwatch in its long-standing collaboration with NATO and reinforces the consortium’s role as a trusted provider of mission-ready digital intelligence. The capability is designed to integrate the most data coverage, with additional enrichments and support strategic communicators within the NATO’s Information Environment Assessment community to efficiently plan and analyse in a fast, fragmented and contested environment. 
 
To deliver the capability, the consortium brings together complementary technology and expertise from across Cision’s portfolio, including Trajaan, whose search intelligence technology reveals emerging trends and intent signals across global audiences. This is complemented by specialist partners Osavul and Converseon. Together, these capabilities will help NATO strengthen strategic communications, enhance situational awareness, and enable faster, more informed decisionmaking. 
 
“We are honoured to support NATO in this critical mission,” said Guy Abramo, Chief Executive Officer of Cision. “By combining world-class data coverage with next-generation AI and analytics, we are providing a more comprehensive and timely understanding of the information environment. This partnership reflects the strength of our technology and our shared commitment to helping organisations address the most demanding intelligence challenges.”
 
Brandwatch brings long-standing experience supporting government, defence and public-sector organisations worldwide. Its solutions combine social and media data, advanced analytics, AI-driven insight, and rigorous compliance with data licensing and security standards, capabilities that underpin the consortium’s ability to operate at the intersection of technology, governance and mission delivery.
 
“Understanding the information environment is essential for effective planning and decision-making across the Alliance,” said Chris Riley, Head of Plans and Insights in the Office of Strategic Communications at NATO Headquarters. “This integrated Brandwatch and Blackbird.AI solution significantly enhances our ability to deliver data-driven insights at scale.” 
 
“Blackbird.AI’s strategic collaboration with NATO over the past several years has provided critical analysis on harmful narratives impacting their operations,” said Wasim Khaled, CEO and Co-Founder of Blackbird.AI. “We are excited to partner with Brandwatch to provide even more actionable insight to NATO in their pursuit of safeguarding the freedom and security of all its members.”

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