Novità dall’Europa

Lo European Defence Fund (EDF) ha aperto le call 2025 in scadenza il 16 ottobre 2025, stanziando un totale di 1,65 miliardi di euro per favorire l’innovazione e rafforzare il panorama difensivo europeo.

Il programma di lavoro del EDF 2025 prevede 9 call per affrontare le sfide emergenti della difesa e promuovere l’innovazione e migliorare la competitività industriale in 31 aree tematiche diverse attraverso progetti collaborativi di ricerca e sviluppo (R&S). Le aree chiave includono il combattimento terrestre, spaziale, aereo, la resilienza energetica e la transizione ambientale, in particolare:

15 topic di ricerca (Research Actions) per esplorare le nuove tecnologie della difesa

• Risk, robustness and resilience for autonomous vehicles in military operations (EDF-2025-LS-RA-SI-CYBER-3RAV-STEP) – EDF Lump Sum Grants
• Live, Virtual, Constructive training interoperability – Joint operations and service-specific solutions (EDF-2025-RA-SIMTRAIN-LVC-STEP)
• Propulsion system for next generation rotorcrafts (EDF-2025-RA-ENERENV-PSR)
• Technologies for counter-battery capabilities (EDF-2025-RA-GROUND-CBC)
• Multifunctional Information Distribution System (EDF-2025-RA-C4ISR-MIDS-STEP)
• Multi-Disciplinary design and Analysis Framework for Aerial Systems (EDF-2025-RA-SIMTRAIN-DAFAS)
• Great-depth enabling technologies (EDF-2025-LS-RA-DIS-GDET) – EDF Lump Sum Grants
• Naval hybrid propulsion and power systems (EDF-2025-LS-RA-SI-ENERENV-NH2PS-STEP) – EDF Lump Sum Grants
• Stand-off anti-submarine warfare engagement (EDF-2025-RA-UWW-SOASW)
• Chiplet for Defence Application (EDF-2025-RA-MATCOMP-CDA-STEP)
• Non-thematic research actions by SMEs and research organisations (EDF-2025-LS-RA-SMERO-NT) – EDF Lump Sum Grants
• Privacy-preserving human-AI dialogue systems – Organisation of a technological challenge (EDF-2025-LS-RA-CHALLENGE-DIGIT-HAIDO) – EDF Lump Sum Grants
• Privacy-preserving human-AI dialogue systems – Participation in a technological challenge (EDF-2025-LS-RA-CHALLENGE-DIGIT-HAIDP-STEP) – EDF Lump Sum Grants
• Autonomous triage and evacuation (EDF-2025-RA-MCBRN-ATE)
• Non-thematic research actions targeting disruptive technologies for defence (EDF-2025-LS-RA-DIS-NT) – EDF Lump Sum Grants

15 topic di sviluppo (Development Actions) per portare sul mercato funzionalità avanzate:

• Drone-based affordable mass munitions (EDF-2025-DA-SI-GROUND-DAMM)
• On-orbit operations and services (EDF-2025-DA-SI-SPACE-3OS)
• Collaborative air combat (EDF-2025-DA-AIR-CAC)
• Full-size demonstrators for next generation soldier systems (EDF-2025-DA-PROTMOB-SS)
• Space-based ISR constellation (EDF-2025-DA-SPACE-SBISR)
• Digital Ship and Naval Combat Cloud (EDF-2025-DA-NAVAL-DSNCC-STEP)
• Future modular multifunctional land platforms and enabling technologies, including green technologies (EDF-2025-DA-GROUND-FM2LP)
• Improved cyber defence operations capabilities (EDF-2025-DA-CYBER-CDOC-STEP)
• Multiband 4D Radar (EDF-2025-DA-SENS-MB4DR-STEP)
• Advanced underwater networks (EDF-2025-DA-UWW-AUWN-STEP)
• Land collaborative combat including air-land (EDF-2025-DA-GROUND-LCC-STEP)
• Technologies for optronic detectors (EDF-2025-DA-SENS-IRD-STEP)
• Aircraft propulsion and energy management systems (EDF-2025-DA-ENERENV-APEM)
• Enhanced pilot environment (EDF-2025-DA-AIR-EPE)
• Non-thematic development actions by SMEs (EDF-2025-LS-DA-SME-NT) – EDF Lump Sum Grants

1 topic a sostegno (Coordination and Support Action) della rete degli EDF National Focal Points network

• Support to the EDF National Focal Points (NFP) network (EDF-2025-CSA-NFP)

Inoltre, 14 topic sosterranno la piattaforma sulle tecnologie strategiche per l’Europa (STEP), concentrandosi sulle tecnologie digitali, sull’innovazione tecnologica profonda, sulle tecnologie pulite ed efficienti sotto il profilo delle risorse e sulle biotecnologie.

Il programma introduce inoltre misure a sostegno delle piccole e medie imprese (PMI) e delle imprese a media capitalizzazione (mid-cap) attraverso l’EU Defence Innovation Scheme (EUDIS).

Scadenza: 16 ottobre 2025