Facing growing vulnerability, the European Union wants to step up efforts to keep pace with the evolving landscape of war technology. Brussels is pushing to accelerate the leap from research labs to real-world deployment, demanding faster, more flexible innovation to confront a new era of security threats.
The newest proposal, the Programme for Agile and Rapid Defence Innovation (AGILE), would invest €115 million in disruptive defence technologies like AI, quantum technologies, and drones. If adopted, it would mark a clear break from the EU’s slow defence funding model by prioritising speed, risk-taking and rapid deployment of new technologies.
