Tense geopolitics and the €7.9B European Defence Fund are overcoming qualms, as universities and SMEs move into military R&D
Photo: European Defence Agency
Big defence companies have major sway in the European Defence Fund (EDF), but there’s space for – and interest from – all kinds of organisations as defence research goes mainstream.
The €7.9 billion EDF was launched in 2021 to give the defence industry a boost and reduce the EU’s dependence on technologies from outside the bloc.
Where money goes, it is hoped innovation will follow. Universities, research organisations and start-ups are edging in and extending the ecosystem. In 2023, the third year of EDF, there was a 76% increase in proposals compared to 2022, with 236 proposals competing for €1.2 billion.
Since 2021, the European Commission has committed €4 billion to defence R&D in 157 projects. A total of 1,200…
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