- WIADOMOŚCI
€115 million for fast defence innovations. The European Parliament approved the AGILE programme
The European Parliament approved the creation of the AGILE programme in Strasbourg on Tuesday, which is intended to accelerate the development and deployment of new defence technologies. The €115 million instrument will be primarily aimed at small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), including start-ups.
“Russian aggression has changed the rules of engagement: the winner is the one who innovates faster. Europe cannot afford to have its most promising innovators in the field of defence slowed down by bureaucracy,” said Polish MEP Borys Budka, Chair of the European Parliament’s Committee on Industry, Research and Energy (ITRE).
AGILE is intended to be a response to the changing security environment in Europe, particularly the lessons learned from Russia’s war against Ukraine. The programme is designed to provide rapid and flexible funding for projects involving emerging and disruptive defence technologies.
One of the main objectives of AGILE is to shorten the path from prototype development to practical application. The programme envisages an accelerated, four-month timeline from application submission to grant award, as well as support for the testing and certification of the technologies being developed.
Under the programme, it will also be possible to adapt civilian technologies for defence applications. Member States are to participate in defining challenges so that the supported solutions meet real defence capability needs. AGILE is also intended to facilitate cooperation between SMEs and the largest companies in the defence sector, the so-called “prime contractors”.
Budka noted that the practical implementation of the programme would be a test of its effectiveness. In his view, AGILE could become a model for the future European Competitiveness Fund and subsequent EU defence programmes. “Europe’s security depends on supporting innovators who can most quickly turn promises into reality,” the MEP said.
Małe i średnie przedsiębiorstwa oraz startupy obronne zyskają nowe, realne wsparcie! Parlament Europejski zatwierdził właśnie porozumienie wynegocjowane z Radą w sprawie programu wspierającego innowacje w sektorze obronnym - AGILE. Jako sprawozdawca-cień @ecrgroup w komisji SEDE cieszę się, że program będzie przede wszystkim szansą dla niewielkich przedsiębiorstw. Nie mają one łatwo na rynku zbrojeniowym, z uwagi na wysoki próg wejścia, brak doświadczenia w relacjach z wojskiem czy rządem. Często wnoszą jednak coś bezcennego: innowacyjność i świeże spojrzenie. Musimy do nich wyciągnąć rękę. AGILE oznacza uproszczone procedury, szybsze decyzje o finansowaniu i łatwiejszy dostęp do infrastruktury testowej, które mają skrócić drogę od innowacyjnego pomysłu do praktycznego wykorzystania przez siły zbrojne. Mam szczególną nadzieję, że program stanie się szansą dla polskiego biznesu i inżynierów, w tym tych którzy dopiero rozważają wejście na rynek obronny.
— Michał Dworczyk (@michaldworczyk) October 6, 2026
The regulations were adopted with 536 votes in favour, 101 against, and 16 abstentions. They now require formal approval by the Council of the EU (Member States) and will subsequently be published in the Official Journal. The programme will begin operations at the start of 2027.
The EP’s decision was also addressed by Michał Dworczyk, an MEP from Rozwój Plus (Development Plus, elected from PiS lists), who served as the ECR group’s shadow rapporteur in the committee. “I am pleased that the programme will primarily be an opportunity for small enterprises,” he wrote on the X platform. “I particularly hope that the programme will become an opportunity for Polish business and engineers, including those who are only just considering entering the defence market,” he added.
