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EU programmes · European Defence Agency (EDA)

Hub for EU Defence Innovation

GrantsPrizes & challengesInnovation procurementAcceleratorsDefenceDual-useDeep tech

About the programme

HEDI is an EU-level defence innovation platform established within EDA in May 2022 as a key deliverable of the EU Strategic Compass for Security and Defence.

  • It operates across four integrated services — technology scouting (Defence Frontier Insights), structured innovation development (Innovators Forge), real-world operational experimentation (OPEX), and ecosystem-building (EDIN/EDID) — to accelerate the transition of emerging technologies into deployable military capabilities.
  • It engages innovators ranging from start-ups and SMEs to prime contractors, working in close cooperation with EU Member States, associated countries, the European Commission (notably EUDIS), and NATO innovation initiatives.
  • HEDI has no dedicated ring-fenced budget of its own and draws on EDA resources and complementary EU funding streams.

Why it matters

HEDI offers defence-tech companies and SMEs a structured, multi-stage pathway from idea to operational validation — including funded proof-of-concept activities, innovation prizes, and live field experimentation campaigns (OPEX) with military end-users — that can materially de-risk and accelerate route-to-market.

  • Its 'Innovators Forge' and procurement innovation workstream create direct links between innovators and Member State capability requirements, improving the odds of eventual public procurement uptake.
  • Companies engaging with HEDI also gain visibility within the broader EU defence innovation ecosystem (EUDIS, EDF, NATO DIANA), making it a strategic entry point for the European defence market.

Calls & cycles

none tracked
No call cycle on record. Check the official programme page.

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