EU launches EUR40m undersea cable repair challenge

The European Commission has launched a EUR40 million undersea cable repair challenge as part of efforts to increase Europe’s capacity to repair critical undersea infrastructure (CUI). 

Announced by the organisation on 23 June, the challenge calls for “adaptable [cable repair] modules” that can be “rapidly installed and deployed by existing repair vessels.” This is the second challenge of its kind, following a EUR20 million pilot call, launched in February 2026, which financed cable repair modules for the Baltic Sea.  

Similar to the inaugural call, the new challenge sits under the EU Action Plan on Cable Security which seeks to “monitor, detect and respond to threats targeting” CUI, and support the resilience of Europe’s undersea cables. 

The Baltic Sea hub is receiving EUR2.5 million to “reinforce regional surveillance and response mechanisms” for threats to CUI. The project will strengthen operation centres – both national and cross-border – and will improve the EU’s ability to “detect and prevent threats to critical marine infrastructure.” The Baltic effort will be led by Finland, with support from Denmark, Estonia, Germany, Latvia, and Sweden. 

Meanwhile, the Mediterranean hub – which will receive EUR3.3 million in funding – will be tied to a “federated technological platform” that is intended to deliver timely “information exchange, anomaly detection, and coordinated incident response across borders.” Italy will lead this effort, supported by Cyprus, Greece, and Malta. 

Taken together, the EU says these initiatives further its aim to develop a near real-time situational picture of sea basins, including the Atlantic, Baltic, and Mediterranean.  

In pursuit of this, a further challenge will be launched in the autumn “to establish [additional] regional cable hubs in sea basins not yet covered”.