The European Parliament has approved the launch of Agile, a €115 million program aimed at accelerating the development of defense technologies and facilitating access to financing for small and medium-sized enterprises and startups. Its planned launch in early 2027 still depends on formal ratification by the Council of the European Union.
The program will fund emerging and disruptive technologies, as well as the adaptation of civilian solutions for military use. Areas covered include artificial intelligence, drones, quantum computing, robotics, cyber capabilities, and space systems. The development of lethal autonomous weapons without human control is explicitly excluded.
One of the main differences from other European instruments will be the possibility of subsidizing projects submitted by a single company, without requiring the formation of transnational consortia. The process is also intended to shorten timelines: grants must be awarded within a maximum of four months.
Agile will be able to finance up to 100% of the cost of each project and is expected to support between 20 and 30 initiatives during its first year of operation. The stated goal is for selected technologies to be integrated into the armed forces of member states within one to three years. The program will also facilitate companies’ access to testing and certification infrastructure.
Participation will exceptionally be open to technology companies from Ukraine, Norway, and Iceland. Member states will be able to help define the challenges in order to steer developments toward their capability needs.
