EPRS_BRI_2025_772885_EN.pdf — page 6

EPRS | European Parliamentary Research Service 
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private sector mobilisation. They urged simplification of legal and administrative frameworks and 
stressed the need to reduce strategic dependencies while boosting the EU's defence industry (a 
dedicated defence omnibus simplification proposal is expected by June 2025, according to the white 
paper). At the 20 March meeting, leaders emphasised the swift implementation of these initiatives, 
underlining the EU's complementary role to NATO in strengthening global and transatlantic security. 
Initiatives to develop military drones 
The European Defence Fund (EDF) allocates 4 % to 8 % of its annual budget to EDTs, which includes 
drones. The EU has been funding the research and development (R&D) of military uncrewed systems 
through the EDF and its predecessor programmes since 2015. As noted in the box above, in 2021 
approximately €100 million was allocated to support development of the Eurodrone. Additionally, 
under the EDF's 2023 work programme, €68 million was allocated for counter-drone systems, while 
over €200 million was designated for 2024 to fund drones across various sizes and operational 
domains. In addition, the EU launched an EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS). With a financial 
envelope of €2 billion (€1.46 billion from the EDF, €90 million in co-funding from the Member 
States, and €400-500 million from other sources), the scheme supports innovation and 
entrepreneurship on essential technologies for EU defence.  
In January 2024, the €175 million Defence Equity Facility (DEF) was launched under InvestEU. 
Managed by the European Investment Fund (EIF) on behalf of the Commission's Directorate-
General for Defence Industry and Space (DEFIS), the facility supports venture capital and private 
equity funds investing in EU companies developing innovative defence technologies with dual-use 
potential. All investment must comply with the EIF's exclusion and restriction policies. The facility is 
financed by a €100 million contribution from the EDF and an additional €75 million from the EIF, 
with a four-year investment period running until 2027. Its goal is to attract up to €500 million in total 
investment, including private sector contributions. 
The EU is also fostering synergies between civilian and defence research and innovation. A 
Commission action plan from 2021 aims to enhance complementarity between EU programmes like 
Horizon Europe and the EDF, as well as between technologies at the crossroads of space, defence 
and civil applications. Additionally, a 2022 roadmap on critical technologies for security and defence 
sets out how the EU can boost research, technology development and innovation in key technologies 
European Defence Agency (EDA) 
The EDA has been involved in defence innovation since its inception in 2004. EDTs – including drones – 
are one of its core research and technology activities. The agency's overarching strategic research agenda 
(OSRA) aligns Member States' defence research priorities with long-term capability needs by identifying 
technology building blocks (TBBs) and developing roadmaps to guide collaborative R&D efforts. In 2022, 
a European Defence Innovation Hub (HEDI) was launched within the EDA to enhance the agency's 
innovation activities and catalyse new activities jointly with Member States and stakeholders, and was one 
of the first concrete deliverables under the Strategic Compass. The first European Defence Innovation Day 
on 31 May 2022 sought to spur innovation in EU defence and foster synergies between defence and civilian 
innovation.  
The EDA Defence Innovation Prize fosters the engagement of mainly non-traditional defence research and 
technology communities in generating innovative ideas. The 2020 winner was SWADAR, a drone-swarm 
tracking system designed for defence against swarm attacks that uses a team of defensive drones 
equipped with advanced sensors to track hostile swarms from multiple angles. The system integrates 
coordinated drone operations, real-time data fusion, and swarm behaviour learning to enhance 
adaptability. The EDA also advances UAS technology and currently manages 11 UAS-related projects, with 
seven more in preparation, involving 16 Member States and over 30 industry partners, and a budget 
exceeding €15 million. Key projects include standardising remote pilot stations, assessing risks for non-
certified military UAS and integrating UAS into European airspace. Completed initiatives include validating 
MALE RPAS operations in non-segregated airspace, developing autonomous emergency functionalities 
and enhancing collision avoidance systems.