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…