23 February 2021
Politico, 22 February 2021.
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"The European Commission on Monday outlined plans to find common projects for its defense and aerospace industries to drive innovation in sectors ranging from quantum computing to artificial intelligence.
“The global technology race is accelerating,” said Commission Executive Vice President Margrethe Vestager. “The point of this action plan is exactly to strengthen Europe’s technological competitive edge and support the industrial base.”
The strategy includes developing a drone program, a communications satellite system aimed at cutting out internet blackspots and a space traffic management framework to reduce the risk of collisions between debris and satellites in space. "We’re becoming serious about technological sovereignty," said an EU official involved in drafting the plan.
With no new financing available, projects will be eligible for money from the €8 billion European Defense Fund agreed as part of the 2021-2027 budget negotiations concluded last year. While other EU funding streams could be tapped, that alone won’t be sufficient.
Asked to spell out the funding options, Internal Market Commissioner Thierry Breton said the European Space Agency could help pay for the communications satellite project, while noting some EU countries such as France had already backed the scheme. A consortium led by Airbus will deliver a feasibility study later this year with further details on the satellite scheme."
Source: Politico, 22 February 2021
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