CN ROMARM SA hosted OPIA workshop on “European funded projects” for Defence Industry companies
The Romanian Defence Industry Shareholders Organisation (OPIA) organised in July at the headquarters of CN ROMARM SA a workshop dedicated to members and decision-makers from ministries involved in the implementation of European co-financed projects carried out by Defence Industry companies. This action follows the launch by the European Commission of a new package of calls for research and development projects for the defence industry receiving EU funding through the European Defence Fund – EDF-2023. A budget of €1.2 billion is allocated to EDF 2023, as follows: €789,070,981 for research actions and €511,940,000 for capability development actions.
The European Defence Fund, a component of the European Union’s shared security and defence policy
The European Defence Fund (EDF) is a component of the European Union’s (EU) common security and defence policy, which aims to coordinate and increase national investment in research and development of state-of-the-art defence technologies and equipment and to improve interoperability between the armed forces of EU member states.
OPIA event disseminated information on procedures for accessing funds and the role of experts in the implementation of defence projects
The OPIA workshop aimed to present the procedures for accessing these funds and the involvement of MApN experts and those from the Defence Industry Directorate of the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism (MEAT) in supporting and advising defence industry companies and OPIA members.
The OPIA meeting attracted the interest of 47 representatives of companies operating in the fields of cyber security, aviation, aerospace research, arms and ammunition production, etc., who were entitled to receive information and support from specialists from the ministries of the Ministry of Defence – Directorate General for Armaments, the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization and the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, who presented the topics under discussion with real professionalism.
The working session was opened by OPIA Secretary Ulise Toader. The host of the meeting, Mrs. Micu Florentina – Interim Director – CN ROMARM SA addressed an opening speech and wished the participants fruitful work.
Speakers gave detailed presentations on the advantages of accessing and implementing “European funded projects” for Defence Industry companies through the European Defence Fund EDF 2023.
Topics of real interest were presented by Col. Moldoveanu Eugen from MEAT – Defence Industry Development Directorate, by Cpt. Cdor. Vătavu Marian from MApN – General Directorate for Armaments and Răzvan Botiș, as Director of Cabinet within the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitization and Col. Bolojan Adrian – Advisor to the Cabinet Secretary of State of MEAT. The meeting was honoured by the presence of Mr. Crunteanu Daniel – Dean at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest (Faculty of Aerospace Engineering).
As pointed out by the MEAT representative from the Defence Industry Development Directorate,
The European Defence Fund supports competitive and collaborative defence projects throughout the entire R&D cycle, focusing on projects leading to interoperable state-of-the-art defence technologies and equipment. It also promotes innovation and stimulates cross-border participation of SMEs. Projects are defined on the basis of defence capability priorities agreed by Member States in the framework of the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), in particular in the context of the Capability Development Plan (CDP).
Possible collaborations with the European defence industry through EDF funded projects
The Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, through the Defence Industry Development Directorate, has been intensively promoting lately the requests received from other European Union countries regarding the mediation of economic entities from those countries interested in having collaborations with economic partners from other countries, including Romania, taking into account the fact that access to funds is conditional on projects involving at least three industrial and R&D entities from three EU Member States.
So far, Spain has expressed interest in collaborating with Romania, and other EDF representatives from Belgium, the Czech Republic, Greece, Luxembourg, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Slovenia, Turkey and Hungary have announced that entities from their own national defence industries are interested in collaborating with European defence companies, including those from Romania.
Cpt. Cdor Marian Vătavu from MApN – Directorate General for Armaments stressed at the end of his presentation the importance of the involvement of Romanian defence industry companies in the development of Permanent Structural Cooperation (PESCO) projects. This provides a legal framework to jointly plan, develop and invest in shared capability projects and to enhance the operational readiness and contribution of the armed forces. PESCO projects are eligible for co-financing from the EU budget – through the European Defence Fund (EDF), which serves as an incentive for cooperation.
Mr. Răzvan Botiș, as Director of Cabinet in the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitisation, assured the participants that he will give all support to those interested in participating in the consortia that will be set up to address projects to be carried out both on EDF and PESCO.
This workshop inaugurates the series of several niche meetings dedicated to the defence industry, which aim to support, inform and promote the interests of OPIA members.
