The EU Commission has adopted the fifth annual work program as part of the Fed, European Defense Fundwhich supports competitive and collaborative defense projects in the period 2021-2027 with a total equipment of 7.3 billion euros. The new program 2025 specifically provides for the assignment of beyond 1 million euros For cutting -edge projects for research and development in the field of defense that will be divided into approximately 100 million euros for each sector deemed critical, from terrestrial fight to space to the air, naval, energy resilience and environmental transition. The total of the sums used by the EU Commission for this type of projects rises, from May 2021, to 5.4 million euros.
The annual program for the European Defense
The program that uses the European Defense Fund In the 2025 It provides for direct support for the development of technologies and critical skills of the defense of the Union, taking especially the account of the needs agreed with the Member States and developed in the strategic compass. The plan then launches 9 Invitations To present proposals out of a total of 31 themes:
- 15 in support of Research actions;
- 15 in support of Development actions;
- 1 in support of the network of national focal points of the Fed.
It should also be reported that 14 of the issues indicated in the invitations I provide support for the objectives of the platform for strategic technologies for Europe (Step) operating in the sector of digital technologies and Deep-Tech innovation, clean and efficient technologies in terms of resources and biotechnology.
The proposals, according to the plans, can be presented by the interested parties starting from mid -February 2025with the closure of the applications that is currently set at October 16, 2025.
The reference sectors
In the face of a total allocation of 1 billion euros for the annual work program 2025, the EU Commission has provided for a distribution of the sum between the different sectors deemed critics for defense. So here is the assignment of 100 million euros For each of the following sectors:
- terrestrial combat;
- spatial combat;
- Air combat;
- energy resilience;
- environmental transition.
To what has been said, it should be added that 40 million funding for research and development efforts made in the current and future operational context are also planned. It is, specifically, of cyberspaceof naval combatfrom the war underwaterfrom the simulationof thetrainingof the sensors passive and active advanced.
A cooperation between civil and defense innovation
The main purpose of the Fed 2025 work program is to support the innovation of the sector managing to promote the birth of new ones synergies Between Civil innovation and defense. Confirmation to the support of the innovation system in the EU defense sector (Eudis), which provides start-up funds, scale-ups, SMEs, technological research organizations, accelerators and other non-traditional actors to help them overcome The barriers at the entrance of the defense is a clear example. The goal is therefore also allowing new subjects to bring ideas avant -garde on the EU defense market to make a difference.
Support also to Ukrainian entities
In conclusion, it is underlined that, for the first time, the economic support of the Fed plan can also be requested by the entities Ukrainian.