On 18 March 2024, Yuriko Backes (Minister of Defence), Lex Delles (Minister of the Economy, Small Businesses, Energy, and Tourism), and Stéphanie Obertin (Minister of Research and Higher Education) jointly launched a research and development (R&D) call in the defence sector, in collaboration with the Luxembourg National Research Fund (FNR) and Luxinnovation.
Following the success of the first call for projects launched in 2022, this call specifically targets the deployment of dual-use capabilities for both civilian and military purposes. Emphasis will be placed on the following themes:
- Smart mobility
- Resilience
- Strategic foresight and climate change adaptation
€13.8 million for the period 2025-2027
This call for projects is reserved for companies and research centres established in Luxembourg. They can jointly participate in this call for projects, which will provide an opportunity for stakeholders in the Grand Duchy to take their first steps in the defence domain.
The budget provided by the Defence Directorate is €13.8 million for the period 2025-2027: €7.5 million from the Innovation Fund and €6.3 million from the FNR.
“With this call, we will encourage the research and development of innovative projects in the defence domain in Luxembourg. We will support our national companies and research centres and help them access EU and NATO markets and production chains,” said Minister of Defence Yuriko Backes.
Minister of the Economy, Small Businesses, Energy, and Tourism Lex Delles emphasised, “The Luxembourgish market holds great potential for innovation in sustainability. I am convinced that this call for projects represents an excellent opportunity to promote collaboration between companies and research centres and will result in innovative projects that will benefit both the economy and its sustainability, as well as defence and society.”
Stéphanie Obertin, Minister of Research and Higher Education, added: “This second call, like the first, fully aligns with the national research and innovation strategy. Moreover, Luxembourgish research institutions, notably the LIST and the University of Luxembourg, and, among others, its interdisciplinary SnT centre, are already very active and have developed expertise over the years in the three selected domains.”
The role played by Luxinnovation
To facilitate the emergence of projects and support interested stakeholders in their initiatives, Luxinnovation has set up an online platform where companies and public research actors are invited to submit their project ideas from 15 April 2024 until 14 June 2024.
Additionally, the national innovation agency will organise an information session in the form of a webinar for companies and researchers interested in participating in the call for projects. Participants in this webinar will be invited to register online.