Brussels, Belgium. 10 March 2023. The changed geopolitical circumstances in Europe since February of last year call for the European Union to be increasingly capable and autonomous in defence industry matters.
The European Commission has been increasingly active in this domain. For this reason, the Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG DEFIS) will be participating in this year’s edition of DEFEA to present the EU defence policy initiatives and funding opportunities that the European Commission has to offer.
In particular, the Commission will present the European Defence Fund (EDF) Programme and its calls for proposals for 2023, as well as the EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS). Beyond the stand, the Commission will participate in round table discussion and deliver targeted presentations (more information in the official event programme).
The Commission’s focus will be around the European Defence Fund (EDF), an €8 billion collaborative defence R&D programme supporting cross border research and development for the next-generation of defence capabilities and technologies. The objective of the Fund is to strengthen the integration and innovation capacity of the EU defence industry and enable the greater participation of SMEs in the defence domain.
It is worth recalling that the first-ever EDF calls for proposals announced last July are funding 60 collaborative defence projects where almost half of the participating entities are SMEs and where there is a solid participation of Greek companies.
In the context of DEFEA, the EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS) will also be presented. Under the umbrella of the EDF, this is a €2 billion initiative that aims to attract companies from the civil sector who focus in emerging and disruptive technologies that will play a key role in developing future defence systems.
The European Commission’s stand will be located in Hall 3, booth B34! By visiting the stand and participating in the presentations, visitors will have the unique occasion to get in direct contact with Commission experts that can explain questions related to EU funding access and suggest the most relevant funding opportunities for your company or service.
