The European Commission has introduced AGILE, a 115-million-euro ($131-million) pilot funding instrument designed to shorten the transition from research to operational deployment of emerging defense technologies.
AGILE targets rapid development and field testing of systems such as AI, quantum technologies, and uncrewed platforms, with a focus on small- and medium-sized enterprises, including startups and scale-ups.
The Commission will now submit a legislative proposal to the European Parliament and the Council of the European Union.
If adopted, the program is expected to become operational in early 2027.
Innovation ‘As Quickly as Possible’
The program introduces faster, more flexible funding mechanisms, including a targeted time-to-grant of around four months.
Covering up to 100 percent of eligible costs, the instrument is expected to support 20 to 30 projects, with resulting technologies projected to reach military users within one to three years.
AGILE also allows companies to claim certain expenses incurred up to three months before the application deadline, easing early-stage financial pressure.
The work program is structured around two main areas of activity.
The first focuses on mission-driven development of disruptive defense products and technologies, while the second supports delivery by enabling solutions to reach end users and defense markets.
‘Speed, Collaboration and Risk-Taking’
AGILE reflects a broader shift in how defense innovation is approached across Europe.
The initiative draws on lessons from the war in Ukraine, where battlefield effectiveness has depended on how quickly technologies can be tested, adapted, and fielded.
“Agility, speed, collaboration and risk-taking should become the new normal in defense capability development in Europe,” stated the European Commission in its EU Defence Industry Transformation Roadmap.
According to the roadmap, more than 200 defense-focused startups have emerged across Europe in recent years, backed by record levels of private investment.
Many operate in dual-use areas and rely on shorter development cycles, software-driven models, and iterative testing.
In response, EU policy is increasingly focused on linking these newer actors with established industry, combining industrial scale with faster innovation cycles, while adapting funding tools and procedures to accelerate development, procurement, and deployment.
