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The EU invests 910 million euros to strengthen EU defense, also supporting Czech projects

by AI | 02.May 2025 | Europe in brief AI

A total of 62 joint projects have been supported, involving eight Czech companies or universities.

Seat of the European Commission in Brussels. PHOTO TASR - Jaroslav Novák

Brussels – The European Commission announced that it will invest 910 million euros (22.7 billion CZK) to strengthen European defense. The funds will be directed to 62 selected projects from EU member states, including the Czech Republic. The Union’s executive informed about this in its statement.

The Commission today published a list of successful proposals under the European Defense Fund (EDF) for 2024. A total of 62 joint projects have been supported, involving eight Czech companies and universities. “The aim of the investments is to address key capability shortfalls, such as force mobility and drone defense, through innovation and collaboration across European science and industry,” the Commission stated. Additionally, for the first time, the Ukrainian defense industry can also participate in EDF projects.

The fourth round of calls under the European Defense Fund has, according to the EC, met with unprecedented interest from the defense industry and research organizations from EU countries. It attracted a record number of 299 proposals, which brought together 625 legal entities from 25 EU member states or Norway. “This shows the growing interest in pan-European cooperation and the joint development of strategic defense capabilities,” the Commission stated.

For example, the project called GARUDA, which aims to create a basic architecture for unmanned combat aircraft systems, involves Czech companies AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE a.s. and První brněnská strojírna Velká Bíteš, a.s. The CITADEL Range project, which concerns the area of cybersecurity, involves the company CyberSecurity Hub. Projects involving the Brno University of Technology, the Czech Technical University in Prague, and companies Argotech a.s., GISAT s.r.o., and Zaitra s.r.o. have also been successful.

“The selected proposals support the development of critical capabilities, such as air and missile defense systems and unmanned aerial vehicles,” said the European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius. According to him, this will enable European armed forces to “respond to emerging threats and protect EU citizens, whether by strengthening collective defense or supporting partners like Ukraine in their efforts to defend against foreign aggression.” (April 30)