EDA, EU Joint Research Centre sign defence cooperation agreement

Under a new agreement, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (JRC) will provide the European Defence Agency (EDA) with access to scientific expertise and testing facilities, in response to a “clear” operational need in defence.  

A non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU), signed by the two organisations on 5 June in Brussels, will see the work of the JRC, the EU’s research service, more closely align with EDA-supported defence initiatives from EU member states.

As part of the MoU, the JRC will offer analytical support and facilities that were not previously available for defence projects, according to the EDA.

Key research areas 

One early area identified for cooperation between the two organisations is advanced materials testing, in which the JRC brings specialised expertise and facilities that could complement ongoing EDA activities, the agency states. This includes ballistic protection, which EU member states have previously cooperated on through the EDA's ‘Ceramball’ project, a research initiative designed to test ceramic materials for use in lightweight ballistic protection. 

Other areas identified for cooperation include: 

• AI 

• Autonomous systems 

• Critical infrastructure resilience  

• Climate and energy related technologies 

• Sensors 

• Quantum technologies  

Expertise sharing

EDA Chief Executive André Denk said the agreement would deliver “clear” benefits for all parties.  

“[The] EDA gains access to world-class expertise, testing facilities, and analytical support; and member states benefit from stronger synergies between civilian and defence research and development,” he said. 

Bernard Magenhann, Director-General of the JRC, added that the agreement will support an “integrated” approach to security in Europe, with research and innovation playing a key role in achieving defence readiness.  

The agreement also aligns with plans to strengthen the role of the EDA by centring collaborative defence research, technology, and innovation as one of the agency's core tasks.