Over 40 projects with Bulgarian participation are already receiving funding from the European Defence Fund. This was stated by Deputy Minister of Economy and Industry Krasimir Piperkov during the opening of the national information day dedicated to the European Defence Fund and the European Defence Industry Programme – EDIP. He congratulated the Bulgarian winners for 2025, whose projects won funding under the EDF, and pointed out that 8 projects with Bulgarian participation were among the beneficiaries of the programme last year alone.
„In the conditions of an increasingly complex security environment, strengthening Europe's defence capabilities is a key priority. "The events of recent years have shown the need for sustainable and technologically advanced own capabilities," emphasized Deputy Minister Piperkov. According to him, the European Defense Fund has already established itself as a key instrument for supporting joint research and development projects. "The Fund encourages partnerships between enterprises, scientific organizations and institutions and creates opportunities for the inclusion of small and medium-sized enterprises in supply chains," he added.
The Deputy Minister also noted that the Fund's Annual Work Program for 2026 builds on what has been achieved so far, focusing on key technological directions in areas such as cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, new materials and unmanned technologies. “For Bulgarian enterprises and organizations, this means a real opportunity not only to participate in European consortia, but also to position themselves as reliable partners in the development and implementation of solutions with high added value“, added Deputy Minister Piperkov.
The event is organized by the Ministry of Economy and Industry. It was attended by representatives of the “Armaments Policy“ Directorate at the Ministry of Defense, the Directorate General “Defense Industry and Space“ of the European Commission, state institutions, business, non-governmental organizations, associations, scientific research and academic circles. The companies pre-registered for participation in the event are about 37.