Intense debates and deep divisions as EU programmes start to shift towards dual-use research

The European Union's research and innovation (R&I) landscape is undergoing an unprecedented structural transition, as its research programmes, which have historically been strictly civilian and excluded military or dual-use funding for more than 40 years, move towards more flexible boundaries.

Under the European Commission's proposal for the tenth Framework Programme, FP10 (2028-2034), dual-use research, which is defined as investigations into technologies designed for civilian purposes that also hold military applicability, will be permitted across all components of the programme, which has a proposed total budget of €175 billion.

Furthermore, under the pressure of geopolitical conflicts, the European Innovation Council (EIC) has already begun integrating limited defence support under the current Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) through specialised scale-up programmes.

This paradigm shift has triggered intensive debate, exposing deep divisions between security-oriented policymakers and academic stakeholders who fear the erosion of scientific freedom, the exclusion of…