{"id":159682,"date":"2025-05-05T10:11:55","date_gmt":"2025-05-05T08:11:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cde.ual.es\/?p=159682"},"modified":"2025-05-05T10:23:55","modified_gmt":"2025-05-05T08:23:55","slug":"e910-million-to-boost-european-defence-and-close-capability-gaps","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cde.ual.es\/en\/e910-million-to-boost-european-defence-and-close-capability-gaps\/","title":{"rendered":"\u20ac910 million to boost European defence"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Commission is investing\u00a0\u20ac910 million<\/strong>\u00a0under the 2024 edition of the European Defence Fund (EDF) to create a strong and innovative defence industry in Europe. These investments aim to close key capability gaps\u2014like force mobility and drone defence\u2014through innovation and collaboration across European science and industry. Moreover, and for the first time, Ukrainian defence industries can be associated to EDF projects.<\/p>\n

The strengthened cooperation between the Ukrainian and European defence industries, builds on outreach efforts by\u00a0the EU Defence Innovation Office in Kyiv\u00a0to foster closer ties and to further integrate Ukraine into the European defence industrial base, reinforcing shared security and innovation objectives.<\/p>\n

These EDF investments will boost Europe’s defence industry, in line with the Commission’s\u00a0ReArm Europe Plan\/Readiness 2030<\/strong>\u00a0to strengthen pan-European defence capabilities, and the\u00a0Joint White Paper on European Defence Readiness 2030,<\/strong> framing a new approach to defence and identifying investment needs.<\/p>\n

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EDF 2024 call results<\/strong><\/p>\n

With a budget of\u00a0\u20ac7.3 billion for 2021-2027<\/strong>, the EDF is the EU’s primary instrument to support defence R&D cooperation. It fosters collaboration among companies of all sizes and research institutions across the EU and Norway. Additionally, the EDF is driving the transformation and expansion of the EU defence ecosystem with the\u00a0EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS)\u00a0at its core.<\/p>\n

A dedicated\u00a0\u20ac45 million<\/strong>\u00a0from this year’s investment supports\u00a0disruptive technologies,<\/strong>\u00a0designed to significantly alter or replace existing defence products, concepts and capabilities, often by introducing simplicity, convenience, accessibility, or cost-effectiveness.\u00a0Nine of the selected projects\u00a0<\/strong>aim at\u00a0<\/strong>delivering disruptive technologies, such as project METASTEALTH, which is developing next-generation stealth materials.<\/p>\n

Newly selected projects also include Ukraine’s Small UAS, which focuses on developing advanced, AI-driven aerial systems. Other examples include the ENGRTII project, which unites\u00a0more than 45 industrial players<\/strong>\u00a0and research organisations to develop the next generation European rotorcraft by 2030. Another project, EUROSWEEP, will create a common autonomous European minesweeping system.<\/p>\n

The EDF also contributed for the first time to the objectives of\u00a0the Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform (STEP), the Commission’s initiative to boost the development and manufacturing of critical technologies in the EU, with a total of\u00a015 related call topics<\/strong>. All proposals that met the required quality standards under these calls have been awarded\u00a0a STEP Seal<\/strong>, which helps attract further public and private funding. The full list of those projects will be published on the\u00a0STEP Portal\u00a0in the coming weeks.<\/p>\n

Next Steps<\/strong><\/p>\n

Following the selection of the successful proposals, the Commission will now enter into the grant agreement preparation with the consortia, with the goal of signing agreements before the end of the year. The resulting projects will be instrumental in shaping the future of European defence, fostering a collaborative and innovative defence ecosystem, and enhancing the EU’s strategic capabilities over the next few years.<\/p>\n

Background<\/strong><\/p>\n

The EDF provides support for the entire research and development cycle, focusing on projects that yield cutting-edge, interoperable defence technologies and equipment. The EDF also promotes innovation and encourages cross-border participation by small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). Project selection is based on calls for proposals that reflect the EU’s capability priorities, as agreed upon by Member States within the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP) framework and the Capability Development Plan (CDP).<\/p>\n

The EDF is implemented through annual work programmes, structured around\u00a017 thematic and horizontal categories of action<\/strong>\u00a0during the 2021-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework period. These categories focus on:<\/p>\n