Governments want to limit participation in dual-use and defence research projects to a select group of countries
Photo credits: European Union
EU governments want to change Horizon Europe eligibility rules to limit the countries that can participate in dual-use and defence projects. The suggestion adds guard rails to the European Commission’s plan to allow dual-use start-ups to receive grant funding and equity investment through the European Innovation Council (EIC).
Currently, all Horizon Europe research and innovation projects, including those supported by the EIC, must focus exclusively on civilian applications. When the Commission proposed giving dual-use start-ups access to the EIC from 2026, it did not table a change to the eligibility rules, effectively leaving the decision to the programme committees that write each year’s work programme.
Now, the EU Council has stepped in to provide guidance, with an amendment to the Commission’s ReArm Europe Plan. This would restrict participation in…
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