European Defence Fund: €205 million to boost the EU’s strategic autonomy and industrial competitiveness - Analysis (CorporateDespatch.com)
By Iain Fraser - Associate Publisher, Defence & Security Review
Malaga City (Remote)

The European Commission has announced 16 pan-European defence industrial projects and three disruptive technology projects that will benefit from €205 million financing aimed at enhancing the EU’s strategic autonomy.


EUROPEAN DEFENCE NEWS: European Defence Fund - €205 million to boost the EU’s strategic autonomy and industrial competitiveness - Analysis


In a statement, the Commission said that the projects will support the development of European defence capabilities such as drones and related technologies (low-observable and tactical drones, detect and avoid system for military drones, edge computing platforms for drones), space technologies (Galileo military-grade encrypted receivers, military grade optical payload for small satellites, big data system for satellite surveillance), unmanned ground vehicles, high precision missile systems (BLOS – anti-tank missiles), future naval platforms, airborne electronic attack capability, tactical and highly secured networks, cyber situational awareness platforms, or next generation of active stealth technologies.

In total, 441 entities applied to EDIDP calls, contributing to 40 proposals. 223 entities from 16 proposals will be supported by EDIDP. These entities are based in 24 different EU Member States

For the first time such funding is supporting three projects dedicated to disruptive technologies through dedicated calls, designed to prepare the future EDF, which allocates up to 8% of its budget to disruptive actions. These are important to make sure Europe remains at the forefront of technological development.