The development of new defence products and services very often relies on incremental improvements of existing ones leading to a higher performance or more efficient operation of established capabilities. However, technologies are emerging that could – when used in a military context – radically change the balance of military power between opponents. Such disruptive technologies for defence then lead to game-changing shifts in military paradigms. Exploring innovative technologies for defence use is thus essential to alter or maintain technological dominance.
Targeted type of applicants
Proposals should be submitted by consortia involving at least two eligible entities, as defined in Article 9 of the EDF regulation, which are established in at least two different Member States or associated countries. At least two of these eligible entities established in at least two Member States or associated countries must not, during the whole implementation of the action, be controlled, directly or indirectly, by the same entity, and must not control each other.
The specific challenge is to lay the foundations for radically new future technologies of any kind with unexpected impact that aims to bring radical technological superiority over potential adversaries. This topic also encourages the driving role of new actors in defence research and innovation, including excellent researchers, ambitious high-tech SMEs and visionary research centres of big companies, universities or research and technology organisations.
Proposals are sought for cutting-edge, high-risk/high-impact research leading to game- changing impact in a defence context. They must have the following essential characteristics:
- A disruptive impact in a defence context: Proposals need to clearly address how the proposed solutions would create a disruptive effect when integrated in a realistic military operation.
- Radical vision: Proposals must address a clear and radical vision, enabled by a new technology concept that challenges current paradigms. In particular, research to advance on the roadmap of a well-established technological paradigm, even if high- risk, will not be funded.
- Breakthrough technological target: Proposals must target novel and ambitious scientific or technological breakthroughs that can be experimentally assessed, and the suitability of the concept for new defence applications must be duly demonstrated. Basic research without a clear technological objective targeting defence applications will not be funded.
The inherently high risks of the research proposed must be mitigated by a flexible methodology to deal with the considerable science-and-technology uncertainties and for choosing alternative directions and options.
The proposed actions should aim to create, underpin and improve disruptive technologies that can achieve significant effects in the area of defence (generating knowledge), not excluding downstream eligible activities for research actions (integration of knowledge, studies and design).
Research on innovative and future-oriented defence products and technologies significantly relies on the innovation capacity of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). This call for proposals is focused on SMEs and targets research on any innovative defence products, solutions and technologies.
Targeted type of applicants
Any eligible consortium as defined in Articles 10(4) and 9 of the EDF Regulation, which, in addition, is composed of SMEs, as defined in Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC, and possibly of research organisations. Research organisations fulfilling the eligibility conditions of article 9 of the EDF Regulation may join the consortium in the limit of 40% of the Union contribution to the action, but cannot be designated as coordinator. Non-SMEs fulfilling the eligibility conditions of article 9 of the EDF Regulation may also participate to the action as subcontractors to the members of the consortium, in the limit of 30% of the budget allocated to the consortium.
This call encourages the driving role of SMEs in bringing forward innovation, agility and ability to progress technologies, possibly adapting them from civil to defence applications, in view of turning research results into products.
The proposals must address innovative defence technologies and solutions, including those that can improve readiness, deployability and sustainability of EU forces in all spectrum of tasks and missions, for example in terms of operations, equipment, basing, energy solutions, new surveillance systems.
The proposals could address any subject of interest for defence.
The proposals must cover one or more activities eligible for a research action, as referred in article 10.3 of the EDF Regulation:
- Activities that aim to create, underpin and improve knowledge, products and technologies, including disruptive technologies for defence, which can achieve significant effects in the area of defence;
- Activities that aim to increase interoperability and resilience, including secured production and exchange of data, to master critical defence technologies, to strengthen the security of supply or to enable the effective exploitation of results for defence products and technologies;
- Studies, such as feasibility studies to explore the feasibility of new or upgraded products, technologies, processes, services and solutions;
- The design of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology as well as the definition of the technical specifications on which such a design has been developed, including any partial tests for risk reduction in an industrial or representative environment.
However, the proposals cannot cover studies only.
The development of innovative and future-oriented defence products and technologies significantly relies on the innovation capacity of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs). This call for proposals is devoted to SMEs and targets the development of any innovative defence products, solutions and technologies.
Targeted type of applicants
Any eligible consortium as defined in Articles 10(4) and 9 of the EDF Regulation, which, in addition, is composed only of SMEs as defined in Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC. Non-SMEs fulfilling the eligibility conditions of article 9 of the EDF Regulation may participate to the action as subcontractors to the members of the consortium, in the limit of 30% of the funding.
This call encourages the driving role of SMEs in bringing forward innovation, agility and ability to adapt technologies from civil to defence applications and to turn technology and research results into products in a fast and cost-efficient way.
The proposals must address innovative defence products, solutions and technologies, including those that can improve readiness, deployability and sustainability of EU forces in all spectrum of tasks and missions, for example in terms of operations, equipment, basing, energy solutions, new surveillance systems.
The proposals could address any subject of interest for defence.
The proposals must cover one or more activities eligible for a development action, as referred in article 10.3 of the EDF Regulation:
- Activities that aim to increase interoperability and resilience, including secured production and exchange of data, to master critical defence technologies, to strengthen the security of supply or to enable the effective exploitation of results for defence products and technologies;
- Studies, such as feasibility studies to explore the feasibility of new or upgraded products, technologies, processes, services and solutions;
- The design of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology as well as the definition of the technical specifications on which such a design has been developed, including any partial tests for risk reduction in an industrial or representative environment;
- The system prototyping of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology;
- The testing of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology;
- The qualification of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology;
- The certification of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology;
- The development of technologies or assets increasing efficiency across the life cycle of defence products and technologies.
However, the proposals must cover at least one activity among the last six in the above list (i.e. design and beyond).