European Parliament approves €115 million defense innovation program

The European Parliament voted to approve a €115 million defense innovation program as part of the EU's broader effort to build strategic autonomy in military technology and reduce dependence on non-European suppliers.

The program, which passed with broad cross-party support, will fund research and development in areas including drone technology, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence for defense applications, and advanced materials for military equipment.

MEPs backing the measure argued that Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine exposed critical gaps in European defense industrial capacity. The program is designed to stimulate cooperation between defense companies, research institutions, and startups across EU member states.

The initiative is part of a larger package of EU defense investment measures that have gained momentum since 2022. The European Defense Fund, which the new program complements, has allocated billions of euros to joint military research and development projects since its launch.

Critics from smaller EU states raised concerns that funding might disproportionately benefit larger member states with established defense industries, but proponents said the program includes provisions to ensure geographic balance in project selection.