The European Union announced yesterday that it will immediately increase its funding for research and innovation in defense and dual-use technologies with both civilian and defense applications. This decision highlights Europe’s commitment to strategic autonomy, security, and technological leadership in an increasingly competitive global landscape.
The change is the result of a modification of the work program of the European Innovation Council (EIC) for 2026, adopted by the European Commission to implement the «defense omnibus mini-package», a legislative package designed to strengthen the European defense industrial base and reduce dependence on external suppliers.
From now on, startups and small and medium-sized enterprises developing technologies with both civilian and defense applications — such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, advanced materials, or robotics — will be able to apply for grants of up to 2.5 million euros and capital investments of up to 30 million euros under the EIC Accelerator and the STEP Scaleup program.
Ekaterina Zaharieva, European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation, stated: «The European Innovation Council was created to take risks, and we must take risks when developing European technologies that ensure our security. We must invest in critical technologies to also guarantee Europe’s strategic autonomy, whether it be drones, cyber defense, or quantum technologies. This will strengthen Europe’s technological leadership and innovation in the coming decades.»
At the same time, the European Innovation Council is launching a new STEP Defence Scale Up call, worth 100 million euros, open to companies in the EU, from countries in the European Economic Area associated with the Horizon Europe research program and Ukraine. These companies can receive up to 30 million euros in direct funding through capital to accelerate the scaling up of their industrial capabilities in areas such as, among others, air and missile defense, drones and anti-drone systems, and other critical defense technologies.
