The Commission presents the AGILE programme, with a budget of €115 million, to support agile and rapid innovation in the defence sector

The European Commission has launchedAGILE, a new €115 million funding instrumentdesigned to bring disruptive defence technologies from the laboratory to the field at record speed. This pilot programme aims to accelerate the development and testing of disruptive defence innovations, as well as their market uptake, such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing and drones, with a focus on supporting small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including start-ups and scale-up companies.

Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine has demonstrated that success on the battlefield now depends on short innovation cycles; the ability to develop, test and deploy new technologies and cost-effective solutions within weeks or months, rather than years. Against a backdrop of rapid digital and technological transformation in modern warfare, AGILE is designed for‘New Defence’stakeholders, start-ups and technology innovators who operate at high speed.

To support them, the programme will provide faster and more flexible funding to individual companies, enabling innovations to be deployed as soon as possible. AGILE aims to operate with an unprecedented grant cycle of just four months and to have technologies reach the armed forces within 1 to 3 years.

AGILE will support between 20 and 30 projects, funding up to 100% of eligible costs. Furthermore, it will include a retroactive clause allowing companies to claim costs incurred up to three months prior to the call’s closing date, to facilitate rapid innovation.

The work programme will cover two main types of activities: the mission-oriented development of disruptive defence products and technologies, and commercialisation, helping defence solutions reach real markets.

It will be fully aligned with the most pressing needs of EU Member States and will ensure that European defence is not only innovative but also ready to respond to any threat immediately.

Next steps

The Commission will submit a proposal for a new Regulation establishing AGILE to the European Parliament and the Council for adoption through the ordinary legislative procedure.

The instrument is expected to be operational from early 2027 to ensure the rapid deployment of new technologies within the European armed forces.

Background

In recent years, the European Union has stepped up its efforts to strengthen defence research and development, particularly through theEuropean Defence Fund (EDF), which promotes cross-border cooperative projects. Within this framework, theEU Defence Innovation Programme (EUDIS)supports start-ups and SMEs, whilst theEU Defence Innovation Hub (HEDI), led by the European Defence Agency, strengthens cooperation between Member States and stakeholders. Together, these instruments provide a solid foundation for collaborative defence innovation in Europe.

At the same time, further efforts are needed to complement existing tools with more agile mechanisms. Recent initiatives, such as the2030 Roadmap forPeacekeepingReadinessand theWhite Paper on the Future of European Defence – Readiness 2030, highlight the need to accelerate innovation and the adoption of new technologies.

In this context, theroadmap for the transformation of the EU defence industrycalls for greater speed, agility and risk-taking across the European defence ecosystem, and underlines the need for new, more effective support instruments, paving the way for the AGILE programme.

More information: European Commission.