Sign up for The Insider

EARTO Comments on Call for Evidence on AGILE Programme

Policy Paper

A summary report capturing the key discussions, findings and follow-up actions from the INESC Brussels HUB’s 2026 Summer Meeting on European research infrastructure priorities.

Executive summary

In its comments on the Commission’s Call for Evidence, the EARTO Working Group on Security & Defence Research welcomes the AGILE Programme’s aim of helping new defence players emerge across the EU and reducing administrative burden. It objects, however, to the proposed focus on supporting single entities, mainly SMEs and start-ups, because this overlooks the enabling role of Research and Technology Organisations (RTOs). Pointing to Denmark’s CenSec Challenges Programme, where 40% of SME-led project budgets go to knowledge institutions, EARTO recommends that AGILE include RTOs as mandatory participants in a supporting role to new defence entrants.

Key takeaways

  • EARTO supports AGILE's goal of bringing new players into the defence sector and speeding up procedures, since RTOs face the same administrative burdens as SMEs.
  • Funding only single entities risks overlooking RTOs, which help new entrants with standards, accreditation, export control and moving from research results to products.
  • RTOs connect civilian and defence ecosystems, reduce the risk of innovation, and give access to testing, validation and demonstration capacities that new entrants cannot build alone.
  • EARTO recommends making RTOs mandatory participants in AGILE, supporting new defence entrants in reaching credible, defence-relevant solutions.

Authors & download

Authors: EARTO’s Security & Defence Working Group and Antonio Gaspar from INESC TEC
Download PDF

Last reviewed / validation

17/08/2026