Starting this month, the EU innovation agency can support dual-use and defence technologies
Satellites are an example of dual-use technology. Photo credits: Steve Bittinger / Flickr
Beginning this month, the European Innovation Council (EIC) is officially allowed to fund dual-use and defence technologies. It marked the change by launching a dedicated €100 million defence innovation scheme.
This is a first for a scheme funded by the EU’s Horizon Europe research and innovation programme, which until now has had an exclusively civilian focus.
EU governments approved opening the EIC Accelerator programme to dual-use and defence applications in December 2025. The new regulation came into effect on June 17.
The new dedicated €100 million fund will offer scale-up equity funding to defence start-ups, with tickets ranging from €10 million to €30 million.
The goal is to help EU defence start-ups grow, a tough task for most. “We see a major gap in the market,” said Keith Sequeira, head of unit for the EIC at…
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