On 15 April, the European Commission announced that 1.07 billion euros will be invested in 57 new defence projects under the European Defence Fund (EDF), following the evaluation of the 2025 calls for proposals. The investments are intended to support the goals of the EU Defence Readiness Roadmap 2030 and provide funding for priority defence initiatives.
The European Defence Fund (EDF) is the EU's funding programme for defence research and development. Its aim is to support joint projects between European countries and companies in order to strengthen collective defence capabilities and increase coordination within the EU's defence industry.
The selected projects cover several areas, including artificial intelligence, cyber defence, and drone and counter-drone systems. According to the Commission, the investments are intended to strengthen the EU's capacity in defence technology.
More than 15 of the projects are linked to the four European Readiness Flagships. These are complemented by cross-cutting projects in areas such as sensor technology, digital development, and cyber technology, enabling support for multiple initiatives simultaneously.
In more than 20 of the projects, actors from the Nordic defence sector are represented, including Saab (Sweden), Patria (Finland), and Kongsberg Defence & Aerospace (Norway). Several Nordic universities and higher education institutions are also participating, alongside a large number of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Nordic Defence Sector (NDS) has previously reported that the Patria-led project FAMOUS 3 has been granted support of 79 million euros.
The full compilation of projects is available via the European Commission.