CHRISTINA MACKENZIE / PARIS
The European Commission (EC) is to fund defence research programmes for the first time, with a €65 million ($76 million), three-year pilot project which will form the basis of a full programme for security research.
European aerospace and defence industry groups have welcomed the project. Details of how the security research activities will interface with the European Defence Agency, due to be set up by year-end, "will be discussed in the near future", says the EC.
"Europe is paying a very high price for the artificial, and uniquely European, separation between civil and military research," says EC research commissioner Philippe Busquin. The EC says it believes a security-specific research programme "will help determine the gaps, identify the needs, eliminate duplication, encourage harmonisation and increase efficiency". It adds, however, that the work is "not to be used for the development of offensive weaponry".
Erkki Liikanen, European enterprise commissioner, says it is "crucial for both the civil and defence sectors of the economy that we create an environment in which European defence-related companies can give better value for money - by increasing their competitiveness".
Calls for "mission-oriented" proposals will be published in 2004 and research teams will be selected by a "group of personalities" from European industry, government and security organisations, which will help identify the required technological capabilities and make strategic and operational recommendations.
The group, which includes the chief executives of EADS, BAE Systems, Thales, Finmeccanica, Ericsson, INDRA and Siemens, will submit its first report by the second quarter of 2004.
Source: Flight International