EU clean steel fund opens to dual-use R&D projects

08 Jul 2025 | News

From 2026, the Research Fund for Coal and Steel will support defence-related projects, reflecting a broader shift in EU policy

Photo credits: venusvi / BigStock 

The EU’s Research Fund for Coal and Steel (RFCS) will start funding dual-use projects in 2026, reflecting a broader shift in EU policy priorities.

While no changes will be made to the fund’s coal-related research calls, for steel “we need really to enter in the priorities of the new Commission” and line up with its initiatives, said Sebastiano Fumero, head of unit at the European Commission’s Research Executive Agency, at the info day for the 2025 call for proposals.

The RFCS is rooted in the EU’s green deal and clean technology priorities, with much of the funding contributing to the development of technologies for more sustainable steel production. With the bloc now trying to boost defence investment, allowing dual-use projects is a further alignment of…