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 […]
PhD – Circular economy and management control in SMEs – France
The University of Montpellier (France) is offering an opportunity for an experienced PhD position in circular economy and SME management. The project For many SMEs, the circular economy is no longer an abstract ideal: it is a growing expectation of customers, partners and regulators. However, circularity often progresses through scattered experiments (repair, reuse, remanufacturing, recycling) […]
Strengthening European drone capabilities with ALTISS under the European Defence Fund
The European Defence Fund (EDF) project Highly Automated Swarm of Affordable Long-Endurance Unmanned Aerial Vehicles for Force Protection (ALTISS) was successfully completed in December 2025. A consortium led by SMEs Selected in the European Defence Fund 2021 call for proposals , ALTISS brings together a consortium led by Magellium SAS, a European small and medium-sized […]
Spain: EIB and Banco Sabadell sign guarantee agreement to facilitate up to €400 million in new financing for SMEs and mid-caps
The signed agreement worth up to €200 million is the first tranche of an EIB-approved operation of up to €300 million in total — under which Banco Sabadell will finance projects over the next two years. The operation will promote private sector investment and support the financing needs of a key segment of the Spanish economy […]
Commission launches AI innovation package to support Artificial Intelligence startups and SMEs
The Commission has launched a package of measures to support European startups and SMEs in the development of trustworthy Artificial Intelligence (AI) that respects EU values and rules. This follows the political agreement reached in December 2023 on the EU AI Act – the world’s first comprehensive law on Artificial Intelligence – which will support the […]
InvestEU: EIF and Laboral Kutxa sign €145 million guarantee to support micro and social entrepreneurship in Spain
EIF grants Laboral Kutxa a guarantee for €145 million in micro and social loans. This is the seventh agreement between the EIF and Laboral Kutxa, who have been working together for 10 years to support the social economy and microenterprise in Spain. The guarantee agreement is backed by the InvestEU programme which aims to mobilise […]
European Commission proposes new measures to boost SME competitiveness and resilience
On 12th September, the Commission is presenting a series of initiatives to address the needs of Europe’s small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the current economic environment. Representing 99% of Europe’s businesses, SMEs are essential drivers of Europe’s green and digital transitions, but continue to face unpredictability and volatility as a result of a number of […]
EIB and Grupo Cajamar will direct €980 million in new financing to SMEs and mid-caps in rural areas and to green projects
The European Investment Bank (EIB) and Grupo Cooperativo Cajamar have signed a purchase agreement of a €350 million covered bond issue. The transaction enables the cooperative bank Cajamar to make up to €784 million in financing available to support investment in projects of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) and mid-caps, especially those operating in rural […]
The EU funds 47 million for green and digital transition of SMEs
Today, the Commission and the European Union Intellectual Property Office (EUIPO) launched the new EU SME Fund, which offers vouchers for EU-based SMEs to help them protect their intellectual property (IP) rights. This is the second EU SME Fund aiming at supporting SMEs in the COVID-19 recovery and green and digital transitions for the next three […]