Bundesheer

The "Austrian Strategy for EU Defence Research" was drawn up on behalf of the Austrian Federal Ministry for Defence in the frame of a one year long development process under lead of JOANNEUM RESEARCH Forschungsgesellschaft mbH and eutema GmbH, with assistance from the Federal Chancellery (BKA), the Federal Ministry of Transport, Innovation and Technology (BMVIT), the Federal Ministry of Digital and Economic Affairs (BMDW), the Federal Ministry of Education, Science and Research (BMBWF), the Federal Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs (BMEIA), the Federal Ministry of Finance (BMF), the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMI), as well as the Austrian Chamber of Commerce (WKO), the Federation of Austrian Industries (IV) and the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG).

This initiative was taken due to various decisions and measures taken by the European Union (EU) to foster the Common Security and Defence Policy (CSDP), which through the European Defence Fund for the first time allocates funding from the EU budget for the whole defence sector, stretching from the area of research to the development of products. This overarching approach with a magnitude of EUR 13bn, according to the European Commission (EC) proposal from 02 05 2018 for the EDF in the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF) 2021 - 2027, has significant potential for Austria. The present national strategy meets these demands, serves security-, technology- and economic-policy goals and creates the proper conditions for the successful participation of Austrian stakeholders in future calls in the framework of the EDF.