Deadline: 24-Nov-22
The European Commission (EC) has announced a call for proposals for the EU action grants in the field of collaborative defence research and development under the European Defence Fund (EDF).
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.
Characteristics
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.
Types of Activities
The following types of activities are eligible for this topic:
- Activities that aim to create, underpin and improve knowledge, products and technologies, including disruptive technologies, which can achieve significant effects in the area of defence (generating knowledge)
- 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 (integrating knowledge)
- Studies, such as feasibility studies to explore the feasibility of new or upgraded products, technologies, processes, services and solutions
- Design of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology as well as the definition of the technical specifications on which such design has been developed, including partial tests for risk reduction in an industrial or representative environment
- System prototyping of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology
- Testing of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology
- Qualification of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology
- Certification of a defence product, tangible or intangible component or technology
- Development of technologies or assets increasing efficiency across the life cycle of defence products and technologies
Funding Information
The available call budget is EUR 10 000 000.
Expected Impact
- Scientific and technological contributions to the foundation of a future technology with disruptive applications in the area of defence.
- Enhanced innovation capacity of the European Defence industry by identifying and exploring ground-breaking concepts and approaches or by applying technologies and concepts previously not applied in the defence sector.
- Enhanced competitiveness of the European defence industry and creation of new defence markets.
- Enhanced defence research and innovation capacity across Europe by involvement of actors that can make a difference in the future such as excellent researchers, ambitious high-tech SMEs or visionary departments of big companies, research centres and universities.
Eligibility Criteria
In order to be eligible, the applicants (beneficiaries and affiliated entities) must:
- be legal entities (public or private bodies)
- be established in one of the eligible countries, i.e.:
- EU Member States (including overseas countries and territories (OCTs))
- non-EU countries
- have their executive management structure established in eligible countries
- must not be subject to control by a non-associated third country or nonassociated third-country entity.
For more information, visit https://bit.ly/3Nh5bXP