Poland's Sejm passes law to receive EUR 43.7 billion in SAFE defence loans
Poland's Sejm passed, 236 to 199, legislation creating a state bank BGK financial instrument to receive and channel EUR 43.7 billion in EU SAFE defence loans, with over 80 percent earmarked for domestic industry.
Commission and EuroHPC JU launch Frontier AI Grand Challenge for a European model
The Commission and EuroHPC JU launched the Frontier AI Grand Challenge on 13 February 2026, inviting a European team to build a frontier AI model of at least 400 billion parameters; the winner gets up to 2.5 percent of EuroHPC's compute capacity for a year, applications close 13 April 2026.
Onodrim Industries raises EUR 40 million seed for European defence tech
Amsterdam based Onodrim Industries raised EUR 40 million in seed funding, led by Founders Fund, Lakestar and General Catalyst, to build defence manufacturing, sensing and networked systems for European border protection.
Germany's BSI and Schwarz Digits agree sovereign cloud cooperation
Germany's federal cyber agency BSI and Schwarz Digits agreed a strategic cooperation to jointly develop sovereign cloud solutions for federal and state administration, including a zero trust architecture built on open source technology.
Macron tells EU leaders joint borrowing is the only way to fund sovereignty push
Ahead of the EU leaders' retreat at Alden Biesen, President Macron said the EU is under-indebted next to the US and China and called for common eurobond borrowing to fund roughly EUR 1,200 billion a year in green, digital, defence and security investment.
EDA runs nine nation Arctic drone trial in Norway ahead of Italy demonstration
EDA's Combat Unmanned Ground Systems project ran a ten day Arctic trial in Rena, Norway from 2 to 12 February, testing autonomous drone swarms with Kongsberg and Estonian firm Milrem Robotics equipment, with nine states involved before a final demonstration in Italy this autumn.
SWP Berlin's Cyber Activity Balance 2025 finds no joint EU attribution in 2025
SWP Berlin's Bendiek, Hemmelskamp and Rottinger report that EU directed cyberattacks fell in number through 2025 yet struck more organisations, and that member states made not a single joint attribution, exposing a coordination gap.
ECIPE paper: cloud resilience needs exit rights and portability, not isolation
ECIPE's Matthias Bauer and Dyuti Pandya argue cloud resilience rests on preserving exit, portability and multi cloud choice across the lifecycle, and that portable licensing beats localisation mandates as EU policy.
CEPA's Murphy: Europe pursues autonomy without severing US tech ties
CEPA's Ronan Murphy writes that hardening European opinion on the US, friction over the DSA and DMA, and diversification toward India and Mercosur show Europe seeking reduced dependence on US tech without a full break, ahead of the Munich Security Conference.
Quantum Systems secures EUR 150 million financing from European banks
German drone maker Quantum Systems secured EUR 150 million in long-term debt financing from the European Investment Bank (EUR 70 million), Commerzbank, Deutsche Bank and KfW, to fund industrial scaling in Europe, months after acquiring Fernride.
EuroHPC and Germany switch on 54-qubit Euro-Q-Exa quantum computer at LRZ Garching
EuroHPC JU and Germany started operation of Euro-Q-Exa, a 54-qubit IQM quantum computer at LRZ Garching, funded with EUR 10 million from EuroHPC JU and EUR 15 million from the German federal and Bavarian state governments.
First four-booster Ariane 64 launches 32 Amazon Leo satellites from Kourou
Arianespace flew the four-booster Ariane 64 for the first time (mission VA267/LE-01), lifting 32 Amazon Leo satellites to about 465 km. The variant carries some 20 tonnes, twice the two-booster Ariane 62, the first of 18 Ariane 6 launches booked for Amazon's constellation.
GMV's EU GOVSATCOM Hub goes operational, linking five member states' satellites
GMV said its EUR 107 million EU GOVSATCOM Hub, run with Indra and Hisdesat, is now operational, giving member states encrypted satellite communications under European control from eight satellites across five states, ready to integrate IRIS2.
European Parliament approves EUR90 billion Ukraine loan, EUR60 billion for EU industry
Parliament approved a EUR90 billion loan package for Ukraine for 2026 and 2027, reserving EUR60 billion of defence procurement funding for Ukrainian, EU and EEA/EFTA industry, with derogations only when equipment is unavailable there; Council adoption is still required.
Commission unveils EUR 400 million plan to counter drones, eyes 5G detection
The Commission published its Action Plan on Drone and Counter-Drone Security, mobilising EUR 400 million for member states to buy detection and counter-drone technology, and proposed turning next-generation 5G antennas into radar-like drone sensors.
EDPB and EDPS warn Digital Omnibus would narrow GDPR's personal data definition
The EDPB and EDPS adopted a joint opinion warning that the Digital Omnibus's entity relative redefinition of personal data goes beyond a technical GDPR amendment and would narrow protection across the GDPR, ePrivacy Directive, Data Act and NIS2.
DigitalEurope: 75 European CEOs urge urgent EU tech investment and procurement
Ahead of the EU leaders' retreat, DigitalEurope publishes a call endorsed by over 75 European CEOs for a stronger EU mandate on investment, joint procurement and market integration, and completion of the Capital Markets Union.
EU Council clears EUR 38 billion in first SAFE defence loans for eight states
Council of the EU cleared EUR 38 billion in SAFE loans for Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Spain, Croatia, Cyprus, Portugal and Romania; loans require at least 65% EU/EEA-EFTA/Ukraine content in purchased equipment. Bulgaria's share: EUR 490 million.
Orbex enters administration, ending UK's Prime small-launch rocket programme
UK rocket developer Orbex filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators on 11 February 2026, after Series D fundraising and takeover talks failed, halting development of its Prime small-launch vehicle and cutting around 150 jobs.
Mistral AI to invest EUR 1.2 billion in EcoDataCenter's Sweden AI data centre
Mistral AI agreed to invest EUR 1.2 billion in an AI focused data centre at EcoDataCenter's Borlange site, its first outside France, for 23 megawatts of Nvidia Vera Rubin compute; expected operational by 2027.
German cabinet approves law naming Bundesnetzagentur as AI Act regulator
Germany's federal cabinet approved the draft KI-MIG law implementing the EU AI Act domestically, naming the Bundesnetzagentur as market surveillance authority, coordination point and EU contact point, ahead of the August 2026 compliance deadline.
Norway's KSAT signs SpaceX launch contract for Hyperion relay satellites
Norway's KSAT signed a launch contract with SpaceX for two 300kg class Hyperion satellites, its first in-orbit test of the HYPER relay constellation concept, targeting a rideshare launch in late 2027.
ECIPE's Pandya: Europe conflates tech sovereignty with self-sufficiency
ECIPE's Dyuti Pandya argues EU policymakers conflate technological sovereignty with self-sufficiency, warning that localisation mandates such as the proposed Industrial Accelerator Act echo failed schemes like France's Plan Calcul rather than building real capability.
SatService (Calian) awarded Bundeswehr Q/V-band satellite ground station contract
SatService GmbH, the German satcom engineering arm of Canada-listed Calian Group, was awarded a contract by Germany's Federal Ministry of Defence, via Bundeswehr University Munich, to build a 4 metre Q/V-band ground station for GEO SATCOM training. Value undisclosed.
SWP Berlin paper says EU lacks delivery capacity on African raw materials
SWP Berlin's Meike Schulze argues the EU's 15 critical raw material partnerships and Global Gateway lack delivery capacity against China and Gulf rivals, urging joint project pipelines, dedicated MFF funding and EIB offtake deals worth EUR 2 billion a year.
ECIPE urges EU to model DMA review on Japan's narrower platform law
ECIPE's Fredrik Erixon, Andrea Dugo and Dyuti Pandya argue the Commission's ongoing Digital Markets Act review should borrow Japan's narrower, effects-based Mobile Software Competition Act rather than keep the EU's broad, categorical rulebook.
Slovenia launches SLAIF, its EUR 135 million EuroHPC AI Factory project
Slovenia formally launched SLAIF, its EuroHPC AI Factory, with Prime Minister Golob attending; the EUR 135 million project, co-financed with the EU, will replace the Vega supercomputer with a new AI system by 2027 and open access to industry.
Germany discloses EUR 481.1 million paid to Microsoft for licences in 2025
Answering a written question from Green MP Rebecca Lenhard, the German government confirmed the federal administration paid Microsoft EUR 481.1 million for licences in 2025, up from EUR 347.4 million in 2024 and EUR 274.1 million in 2023.
France opens tender to move Health Data Hub off Microsoft Azure
France's health, digital and civil service ministries opened a UGAP Public Cloud tender for a SecNumCloud qualified host to replace Microsoft Azure for the Health Data Hub, with award due by end of March 2026 and full migration targeted for end of 2026.
Commission and imec open NanoIC, EU Chips Act's largest pilot line, in Leuven
The Commission and imec opened NanoIC, the Chips Act's largest pilot line, in Leuven: EUR 2.5 billion total, EUR 700 million EU funds, EUR 700 million from national governments and EUR 1.1 billion from ASML and industry.
EIC selects 40 Transition projects to move EU research toward market
The European Innovation Council selected 40 Transition projects, from 611 applications, for grants of up to EUR 2.5 million each, helping EU funded Pathfinder and ERC research reach market readiness across 17 countries.
Commission finds TikTok's addictive design preliminarily breaches the DSA
The Commission preliminarily found TikTok's infinite scroll, autoplay and recommender design breach the DSA's risk mitigation duties for minors. Commissioner Virkkunen said the DSA "makes platforms responsible for the effects they can have on their users."
Swiss chip startup Chiral raises USD 12 million for post-silicon manufacturing
ETH Zurich and Empa spinoff Chiral raised USD 12 million in seed funding led by Crane Venture Partners, with Quantonation, HCVC and Founderful, to scale its robotic system for integrating nanomaterials into silicon wafers.
France launches new phase of Je choisis la French Tech, aims to double sales by 2027
Ministers Anne Le Henanff and David Amiel launched a new phase of "Je choisis la French Tech," naming procurement ambassadors in every ministry, aiming to double the roughly EUR 1 billion in public and private purchases pledged from French startups since 2023, by 2027.
European Commission pilots Matrix protocol as sovereign backup to Microsoft Teams
The European Commission confirmed it is piloting an internal communication tool built on the open source Matrix protocol as a "complement and backup" to Microsoft Teams, part of efforts to use more sovereign digital solutions.
European DIGITAL SME Alliance: Cybersecurity Act revision needs sovereignty ambition
European DIGITAL SME Alliance says the Cybersecurity Act revision helps SMEs via EU wide certification aligned with NIS2 and the CRA, but argues certification stays narrowly technical and should add sovereignty and dependency criteria.
ECIPE's Dugo maps EU's EUR 740 billion cumulative R&D gap against the US
ECIPE's Andrea Dugo finds the EU's cumulative corporate R&D shortfall against the US reached around EUR 740 billion by 2024, EUR 114 billion in that year alone, and argues Europe lacks mechanisms to scale innovative firms into leaders.
French PM circular directs state bodies to prioritise sovereign digital solutions
Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu signed circular n°6519/SG telling state bodies to favour pooled internal tools, then French, then European private solutions before non-European ones, and to weigh sovereignty and security in digital purchases.
Commission allocates EUR 347 million for European submarine cable security
The Commission allocated EUR 347 million under the Connecting Europe Facility for submarine cable security: EUR 60 million for repair equipment, EUR 20 million for monitoring tools and EUR 267 million reserved for 13 priority cable projects.
Commission amends EDF Work Programme, adds STEP defence pillar and Ukraine path
The Commission amended the EDF Work Programme for 2026, adding a fourth STEP investment area for Defence Technologies, simplifying procedures for SMEs, and formally paving the way for Ukraine to become an EDF-associated country; STEP has channelled near EUR 24 billion since March 2024.
EDRi: Commission's Digital Networks Act guts EU net neutrality rules
EDRi member epicenter.works argues the Commission's Digital Networks Act, proposed 21 January 2026, would strip net neutrality legal safeguards, let providers charge for fast lanes and fold independent regulator BEREC into a Commission-controlled office.
CEPA's Riedenstein: joint government pressure beats solo tech enforcement
CEPA's Clara Riedenstein argues coordinated pressure from the EU, UK, Brazil, Malaysia, Indonesia and California forced Grok to restrict its image generation faster than isolated DSA or antitrust enforcement has managed against other platforms.
CEPA's Nolan urges EU to scale Pay by Bank against Visa and Mastercard
CEPA's Padraig Nolan argues Europe should build on existing Pay by Bank infrastructure, linking over 400 million accounts, rather than build new rails, noting Visa and Mastercard processed roughly 61 per cent of euro area card transactions in 2022.
Kembara reaches EUR 750 million first close for European deep tech
Kembara announced a EUR 750 million first close toward a EUR 1 billion target for what it calls Europe’s largest dedicated deep tech growth fund, backing Series B and C companies in robotics, clean energy, space and dual use technology.
Deutsche Telekom opens Germany's first industrial AI factory in Munich
Deutsche Telekom put Germany's first industrial AI factory into operation in Munich, built in six months with Nvidia and Polarise, offering up to 0.5 exaflops on roughly 10,000 Blackwell GPUs; customers Agile Robots and PhysicsX already live.
Sanchez unveils plan to ban under 16s from social media, curb platforms
At the World Governments Summit in Dubai, PM Pedro Sanchez announced plans to ban under 16s from social networks, hold platform managers legally liable, criminalise algorithmic amplification, and track a "Hate and Polarisation Footprint," alongside five other states.
Norway launches INSURE project to build AI early warning system for subsea cables
Norway's INSURE consortium (UiT Arctic University, Telenor, Statnett, the Coastal Administration and Coast Guard) held its Research Council funded kickoff meeting in Tromso on 3 February to build an AI early warning system for undersea cables and pipelines.
CEPA authors urge Europe to stand up its own military operations centre
CEPA fellows G. Alexander Crowther and Jahara Matisek argued Europe should build a Multidomain Operations Center in Ukraine, starting with an Airpower Allied Command, to gain operational autonomy from NATO's consensus-based structure and a shifting US focus.
Sweden opens mandatory NIS2 registration portal for its cybersecurity law
Sweden's Myndigheten for civilt forsvar opened the mandatory registration portal for the Cybersakerhetslagen, its NIS2 transposition in force since 15 January 2026, starting the registration clock for essential and important entities.
EDA contracts French consortium to build sovereign EU defence data platform
The European Defence Agency has contracted CEA, Cloud Data Engine and Sopra Steria to build DAIDS, a federated EU defence data space and sovereign military cloud meant to end reliance on foreign technology for military data exchange by 2029 to 2030, Euractiv reported.
Deutsche Telekom says T Cloud Public reaches 80 percent hyperscaler parity
Deutsche Telekom's T-Systems said its sovereign T Cloud Public now matches 80 percent of hyperscalers' core functionality, serves over 4,000 enterprise and public sector customers, and targets full feature parity by the end of 2026.
Swiss foreign ministry says cloud safeguard works only partially as 2025 audit surfaces
RTS published a previously unreported summer 2025 audit at the Swiss foreign ministry: documents classified as internal sat in Microsoft’s cloud, and the ministry says the safeguard against classified uploads works only partially. Parliament has voted CHF 250 million for a Swiss Government Cloud.
Poland signs System SAN anti-drone wall contract with Kongsberg and PGZ
Poland's Ministry of National Defence signed a contract for the System SAN anti-drone wall with Polska Grupa Zbrojeniowa and Norway's Kongsberg.
ECIPE paper argues Europe should copy Taiwan's chip ecosystem model, not subsidies
ECIPE's Andrea Dugo and Dyuti Pandya argue Europe should copy Taiwan's ecosystem building rather than subsidies alone, urging clustered R&D, systemic talent policy and state enabled, not state led, semiconductor industrial strategy to build sovereign capability.
EIB Group's security and defence financing quadruples to over EUR 4 billion
The EIB Group said its security and defence investments quadrupled to more than EUR 4 billion in 2025, close to 5% of its EU financing, within a record EUR 100 billion in total annual commitments, and it aims to hold that share in 2026.
Telefonica brings ten of planned 17 sovereign edge nodes online
Telefonica said ten of its planned 17 sovereign edge computing nodes across Spain, including Madrid, Barcelona and Bilbao, were commercially live, calling it Europe's leading edge network, with the rest due later in 2026.
EU-funded SECURE project opens EUR 5 million call to help SMEs meet CRA
The EU funded SECURE consortium, led by Italy's ACN across seven member states, opened its first call on 28 January 2026: EUR 5 million in grants up to EUR 30,000 each to help SMEs meet the Cyber Resilience Act, from a EUR 22 million Digital Europe Programme budget.
ESMC holds topping-out ceremony at Dresden chip fab office building
ESMC, the TSMC, Bosch, Infineon and NXP joint venture, held a topping-out ceremony at its Dresden site, completing the structural frame of its office building as work continues on the EUR 10 billion, 40,000-wafer-a-month fab.
European Defence Fund opens first cascade funding call for SMEs
The EDF-backed MaJoR project opened its first cascade call for SMEs and newcomers on maintenance, joining and repair technology for defence platform durability, offering up to EUR 60,000 each to up to 30 winners plus a business development programme.
SWP's Eric Ballbach argues Germany should deepen defence industrial ties with South Korea
SWP's Eric Ballbach urges Germany to deepen defence industrial ties with South Korea, its second largest arms supplier after the US, citing Hanwha Aerospace's planned ammunition and missile plants in eastern Germany and calling for NATO equivalent export status.
UK launches GBP 20 million fund to help SMEs win MoD contracts
The UK Ministry of Defence launched a GBP 20 million fund, run via UK Defence Innovation, giving small UK owned firms with little prior defence work accelerated access to MOD contracts in areas including AI, robotics and precision weapons.
Dutch privacy regulator warns minister on digital sovereignty risk
The Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens sent a letter dated 28 January 2026 to the economic affairs minister warning that reliance on non-European cloud providers threatens continuity of vital processes like benefit payments.
Virkkunen tells Euronews all tech firms, including US ones, must follow EU digital rules
Tech sovereignty commissioner Henna Virkkunen told Euronews that American, Asian and European firms alike "have to follow the rules" in the EU, as Brussels pursued its Digital Services Act probe into X's Grok chatbot.
Germany contracts POLARIS Spaceplanes to build reusable hypersonic testbed
Germany's BAAINBw equipment office contracted POLARIS Spaceplanes to build and flight test HYTEV, a fully reusable, fighter jet sized, two stage hypersonic vehicle for defence research, with a small satellite launch variant, targeting flight readiness by late 2027.
Poland says its SAFE allocation reaches nearly PLN 200 billion, the EU's largest
Poland's government said its approved SAFE allocation reaches nearly PLN 200 billion, the largest of any member state, with 80 percent of contracts going to Polish firms and 36 percent to satellites, cyber, drones and anti-drone technology.
Commission withholds Hungary's SAFE defence loan over procurement risk
The Commission left Hungary's EUR 17.4 billion SAFE defence loan plan out of its approved list, with Commissioner Piotr Serafin saying disbursement cannot start while procurement and conflict-of-interest conditions are unmet.
European Commission and Parliament award EUR 5 million launch innovation prize
At the European Space Conference the Commission and Parliament paid five European firms, including SENER, ArianeGroup, Pangea, Alpha Impulsion and DeltaOrbit, EUR 950,000 each under a Parliament-funded prize for game-changing launch innovation.
EU brings sovereign GOVSATCOM satellite communications system online
Commissioner Andrius Kubilius told the European Space Conference that GOVSATCOM operations had started, pooling capacity from eight satellites of five member states to give all EU states secure, encrypted satellite communication built and operated in Europe.
Romania publishes EUR 9.53 billion SAFE procurement list for 21 projects
Defence Minister Radu Miruta unveiled 21 SAFE-funded projects worth EUR 9.53 billion of Romania's EUR 16.6 billion loan, ten joint with other states and eleven national, covering helicopters, missiles, armoured carriers and air defence.
Hamburg summit pledges NATO linked protection for North Sea cables
At the Hamburg North Sea Summit on 26 January 2026, ten North Sea states, the European Commission and NATO agreed under the Hamburg Declaration to strengthen protection of subsea cables, including internet cables, with NATO linked patrols.
ESA to reimburse retooling costs for IRIS2 Low-LEO industrial suppliers
ESA expanded IRIS2's low Low Earth Orbit segment and agreed to reimburse suppliers' non-recurring engineering costs for retooling to constellation-scale production, widening the pool of industrial contributors beyond the prime contractors.
EDRi calls for swift EU action as Commission probes X's Grok chatbot
EDRi welcomed the European Commission's DSA investigation into X's Grok chatbot over non-consensual sexualised images, urging a swift probe, a dissuasive fine, and for EU institutions to reduce their presence on X in favour of alternative platforms.
CCIA Europe publishes position paper on the EU's AI Omnibus
CCIA Europe's position paper on the AI Omnibus called for flexibility in choosing conformity assessment bodies and said the planned August 2026 AI generated content marking deadline is too narrow for implementation challenges.
EU Commission approves second SAFE defence loan wave for eight states, EUR 74 billion
The European Commission approved a second wave of SAFE loans for Estonia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia and Finland, worth up to EUR 74 billion, opening the way for first disbursements once loan agreements are signed.
SPD proposes digital tax on US platforms to fund German media
The SPD presidium, led by finance minister Lars Klingbeil, resolved on 26 January 2026 to push for a digital tax on high-reach online platforms and a local investment duty on streaming services, to fund German journalism.
France to replace Teams and Zoom with sovereign tool Visio by 2027
Minister David Amiel announced on 26 January 2026 that state services will generalise the sovereign videoconferencing tool Visio, already used by 40,000 agents and rolling out to 200,000, replacing Teams and Zoom by 2027.
France launches Observatoire de la souverainete numerique
High Commissioner Clement Beaune and digital minister Anne Le Henanff launched an Observatoire de la souverainete numerique on 26 January 2026 to map France's critical digital dependencies, with first findings due spring 2026.
Finland to build maritime centre to monitor undersea cable threats
Finland's Border Guard said it will build a maritime surveillance centre, using seabed sensors and AI traffic analysis, with other Baltic states and the European Commission, to catch ships that damage undersea cables, and will seek EU funding for it.
EuroHPC signs EUR 129 million contract to add AI power to MareNostrum 5
EuroHPC JU signed a EUR 129 million procurement contract with a consortium led by Fsas Technologies and Telefonica to add GPUs, AI accelerators, faster interconnects and storage to MareNostrum 5 in Barcelona, half funded through the Digital Europe Programme.
UK Ministry of Defence extends Palantir data contract worth GBP 240.6 million
The MoD signed a three-year, GBP 240.6 million enterprise agreement with Palantir UK, more than three times its predecessor deal, for data analytics across classifications, awarded without competition under a defence exemption.
DigitalEurope calls for EU unity and urgent sovereignty investment
DigitalEurope, quoting Director-General Cecilia Bonefeld Dahl, urges the EU and member states to stay united, invest urgently in technological sovereignty and simplify digital regulation, pointing to the 70 CEOs who signed its European AI and critical tech declaration.
Czechoslovak Group raises EUR 3.8 billion in Euronext Amsterdam listing
Czech defence manufacturer Czechoslovak Group began trading on Euronext Amsterdam, raising EUR 3.8 billion, 15.2% of its share capital, at a EUR 25 billion valuation, in what Euronext described as the largest defence sector listing to date.
Virkkunen tells Davos Europe's tech dependence can be weaponised
At Davos, Commission Executive Vice-President Henna Virkkunen said Europe's low start-up to scale-up rate, 8 percent against 60 percent in the US, feeds dependence on foreign technology, and argued sovereignty needs one market, not 27 rulebooks.
CEPA analysis: Europe's new cyber rules target China and the US
CEPA's Ieva Ilves argued the EU's Cybersecurity Act revision, aimed at cutting reliance on Chinese and American vendors, will likely fail on both counts given member state resistance to central authority and no funding for European alternatives.
UK signs GBP 453.5 million contract with BAE and Leonardo for Typhoon ECRS Mk2 radar
The UK Ministry of Defence signed a GBP 453.5 million production contract with BAE Systems, Leonardo UK and Parker Meggitt to build the ECRS Mk2 AESA radar for RAF Typhoons, sustaining about 1,300 jobs, part of a package MoD billed as half a billion pounds with a second Typhoon contract.
European Parliament adopts resolution to cut dependence on US tech giants
MEPs adopted a non-binding resolution on European technological sovereignty by 471 votes to 68, with 71 abstentions, citing over 80 percent reliance on non-EU digital products and calling for a Cloud and AI Development Act.
Fortum and DayOne agree to develop up to 560 MW data centre in Finland
Fortum signed a site development agreement with data centre operator DayOne to support zoning and grid connection for a phased development of up to 560 megawatts in Nurmijarvi, Finland, a project also requiring a Finnish defence ministry permit.
Orbex signs letter of intent for possible sale to The Exploration Company
UK small launch vehicle maker Orbex signed a non-binding letter of intent with Munich based The Exploration Company to explore an acquisition, opening exclusive talks after Orbex's Series D fundraising stalled.
European Commission funds three studies into mobile responsive launch
The European Commission awarded three ten-month feasibility studies, led by PwC France, GMV Aerospace and Defence, and Sirius Space Services, worth a combined EUR 1.89 million, into a mobile responsive launch system for rapid satellite replenishment.
Commission proposes Digital Networks Act to replace EU telecoms rulebook
On 21 January 2026 the Commission proposed the Digital Networks Act, replacing the European Electronic Communications Code and other telecoms rules to cut fragmentation and limit dependency on non-European network suppliers.
CNES picks Loft Orbital to lead France's sovereign radar demo satellite
CNES, on behalf of France's DGA, selected Loft Orbital as prime contractor for DESIR, a sovereign radar imaging demonstrator, with Thales Alenia Space building the payload and TEKEVER France the antenna; entry into service is targeted for 2029. No value was disclosed.
France clears sale of EDF's Exaion computing unit to US miner Mara Holdings
France's DG Tresor sent Mara Holdings a letter of engagement on 20 January backing the sale of 64% of EDF's HPC and blockchain unit Exaion for USD 168 million, exposing its EDF Transfer platform to the US Cloud Act.
DigitalEurope backs Cybersecurity Act certification reform, warns on timelines
DIGITALEUROPE's Cecilia Bonefeld-Dahl welcomed the Commission's Cybersecurity Act revision making certification "a more practical tool", but called for voluntary schemes aligned with international standards and harmonised timelines across CRA, NIS2 and GDPR.
CCIA Europe warns against exclusionary amendments to EU Cybersecurity Act
CCIA Europe's Mitchell Rutledge welcomed the Commission's anchoring of Cybersecurity Act certification in technical criteria, but warned member states and MEPs may add protectionist "sovereignty" amendments excluding non-EU certifiers.
EU launches EUR 50 million Photonics for Quantum chip pilot line
The Photonics for Quantum pilot line launched with EUR 50 million, split evenly between EU Chips Joint Undertaking funding and national co-funding from 12 countries, to scale 29 partners' capacity to manufacture quantum photonic chips.
EuroHPC JU mandate expanded to cover AI gigafactories and quantum tech
A regulation amendment published 20 January 2026 widens EuroHPC JU's mandate to fund AI Gigafactories and a new quantum technologies pillar, building on 12 supercomputers procured and 19 AI Factories already operating.
Commission proposes Cybersecurity Act revision with 5G high-risk supplier phase-out
The Commission proposed a Cybersecurity Act revision and NIS2 amendment on 20 January 2026, requiring high-risk suppliers to be phased out of 5G networks within three years and raising ENISA's budget by more than 75%.
SpaceRise secures Europe's military Ka-band filing for IRIS2 constellation
SpaceRISE, the SES, Eutelsat and Hispasat consortium building IRIS2, brought its military Ka-band capability into use through a dedicated Eutelsat low Earth orbit satellite, securing Europe's Ka spectrum filing on the constellation's orbit.
UK awards QinetiQ led consortium GBP 205 million Typhoon engineering support contract
The UK Ministry of Defence awarded a five year, GBP 205 million Engineering Delivery Partnership contract led by QinetiQ's Aurora consortium to sustain RAF Typhoon engineering support, underpinning about 250 jobs at sites including Farnborough and Boscombe Down.
Austria adopts Industriestrategie 2035, commits EUR 2.6 billion to key tech
Austria's government adopted its Industriestrategie 2035, committing EUR 2.6 billion for 2026 to 2029 across nine key technologies including AI, chips, quantum and robotics, with new apprenticeships to train the workforce.
Eutelsat signs multi-launch deal with ArianeGroup's new MaiaSpace
Eutelsat signed a multi-launch agreement with MaiaSpace, ArianeGroup's reusable micro launcher venture, to deploy and replenish its LEO constellation from 2027, adding a European launch option. No launch count or value was disclosed.
IBM launches Sovereign Core platform with European delivery partners
IBM launched Sovereign Core, a Red Hat based software platform letting customers run AI and cloud workloads under local sovereign control, naming Belgium's Cegeka and Germany's Computacenter as its first European delivery partners.
EDA gathers seven states and shipbuilders to shape European Combat Vessel frigates
EDA convened Belgium, Cyprus, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Portugal and Spain with shipbuilders to finalise requirements for the European Combat Vessel, a joint frigate family for the 2040s under their 2024 letter of intent, since no single state can build it alone.
CEPA op-ed argues Europe underrates its own tech leverage over the US
CEPA analyst Clara Riedenstein argues Europe holds more tech leverage than assumed, citing ASML's lithography monopoly, Merck's chip chemicals, Imec's research and SAP's reach into US government software, and urges reinforcing these strengths via a coming Chips Act 2.0 rather than protectionism.
EU Commission approves first wave of SAFE defence loans for eight states, EUR 38 billion
The European Commission proposed to the Council that Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Spain, Croatia, Cyprus, Portugal and Romania receive a combined EUR 38 billion in SAFE loans, the first wave of the EU's EUR 150 billion defence borrowing instrument, to fund joint procurement.
EIB lends EUR 25 million to Optics11 for undersea cable sensors
The European Investment Bank signed a EUR 25 million venture debt loan with Dutch firm Optics11, backed by the EU's InvestEU programme, to expand fibre-optic sensors that detect damage to undersea cables and high-voltage grids.
EIB backs Europe's first gallium production line with EUR 90 million
The European Investment Bank approved EUR 90 million in financing to METLEN for what it called Europe's first EIB-backed gallium production line, at its Agios Nikolaos site in Greece, aimed at reducing EU reliance on imported gallium for chips.
AWS launches AWS European Sovereign Cloud, an EU-only region run from Germany
AWS launched the AWS European Sovereign Cloud, a legally separate EU region in Brandenburg run exclusively by EU residents, backed by over EUR 7.8 billion of planned German investment and new Local Zones in Belgium, the Netherlands and Portugal.
Spain adds Madrid site to Catalonia bid for EU AI gigafactory
Spain's digital minister Oscar Lopez said Madrid's San Fernando de Henares will join Catalonia's Mora la Nova site in a joint national bid for an EU AI gigafactory, a push the government said could mobilise over EUR 4 billion.
EU Parliament forces debate on Hungary's EUR 17.4 billion SAFE loan claim
Greens backed MEPs secured a Strasbourg plenary debate, set for 20 January, questioning Hungary's request for EUR 17.4 billion under the SAFE defence loan scheme ahead of its April elections, with no rule of law conditions yet attached.
SWP's Juliana Suss argues Europe must build autonomous military space capability
SWP researcher Juliana Suss argues Europe must build autonomous space capability, citing 40 years of European space spending at 15-20% of US levels and Germany's planned EUR 35 billion five-year military space investment as insufficient alone.
DigitalEurope responds to EU data centre energy reporting scheme review
DIGITALEUROPE responded to EUDCEAR's second technical report on the EU data centre energy efficiency rating scheme, backing a KPI based approach but opposing minimum performance standards while baseline data remains insufficient.
CEPA op-ed says Pax Silica chip alliance too vague to counter China
CEPA's Christopher Cytera argues the US led Pax Silica chip alliance is structurally weak, noting Taiwan, the Netherlands and Germany, whose EUR 5 billion backed TSMC Dresden fab sits outside full membership, despite holding critical chokepoints.
UK Ministry of Defence expands cloud deal with US firm Oracle
The UK Ministry of Defence expanded its collaboration with Oracle, agreeing to use Oracle Cloud Infrastructure for defence workloads. Neither party disclosed a contract value or duration, and no distinct sovereign cloud or data residency terms were announced.
Thales Alenia Space to supply 179 electronic units for 27 Ariane 6 launchers
Thales Alenia Space Belgium won an order to build 179 electronic units for the thrust vector actuation systems of 27 Ariane 6 launchers, supplied as a subcontract to Belgium's SABCA, sustaining its role in Europe's launcher supply chain.
Helsing acquires Spanish ground robotics maker Keybotic
Munich based defence AI group Helsing acquired Keybotic, a Barcelona start-up that builds the Keyper autonomous legged robot for industrial inspection, adding ground robotics to its land, air and maritime portfolio.
Finland releases Fitburg cargo ship after cable sabotage inquiry, remands crew member
Finnish police lifted the seizure of cargo ship Fitburg, held since New Year's Eve over Elisa and Arelion's damaged Baltic Sea cable, remanding one crew member in custody and releasing the vessel under Border Guard escort on 12 January.
EU Commission opens call for evidence on open source digital ecosystems
The Commission opened a call for evidence on European open digital ecosystems, running to 3 February 2026, citing heavy EU dependence on non-EU digital technologies, to feed a strategy due in the first quarter of 2026.
Romania signs over EUR 375 million in PNRR contracts for chip project
Romania's investment and economy ministries said the country signed 23 PNRR financing contracts worth over EUR 375 million with more than 10 entities, backing the IPCEI on low power processors and semiconductor chips, above the plan's EUR 360 million threshold.
Dutch quantum firm Q*Bird wins EUR 7.5 million EIC Accelerator finance
Delft based Q*Bird said it secured EUR 7.5 million in blended finance from the EIC Accelerator, split between a EUR 2.5 million grant and EUR 5 million equity, to scale its MDI QKD hardware under the NEXUS quantum secure networking project.
ICEYE signs multi-year sovereign SAR satellite deal with Sweden's FMV
Finland's ICEYE signed a multi-year contract with Sweden's FMV, on behalf of the Swedish Armed Forces, to supply SAR satellites, data, software and ground systems for an intelligence system Sweden will own and operate. No contract value was disclosed.
Eutelsat orders 340 more OneWeb satellites from Airbus in Toulouse
Eutelsat awarded Airbus Defence and Space a contract for 340 more OneWeb LEO satellites, built on a new Toulouse production line, taking the replacement order to 440 satellites since December 2024. Airbus called it a further step for European sovereignty. No price was disclosed.
Polish president vetoes law implementing the EU Digital Services Act
President Karol Nawrocki vetoed Poland's bill implementing the EU Digital Services Act, citing censorship risk in its content-blocking procedure; the veto leaves Poland the only member state without a functioning Digital Services Coordinator.
Portugal adopts National AI Agenda, pledges over EUR 400 million to 2030
Portugal's Council of Ministers approved Resolution 2/2026, adopting the National AI Agenda and its 2026 to 2030 action plan, which AICEP said is projected to channel over EUR 400 million, mostly EU funds, into AI by 2030. The headline figure of "EUR 400,000" circulating in some outlets is an error.
European Commission publishes summary of Digital Markets Act review
The Commission published a summary of over 450 submissions to its mandatory three year review of the Digital Markets Act, with rivals and SMEs faulting weak enforcement and gatekeepers citing proportionality, ahead of a final report due in May.
DIGITAL SME Alliance opinion: 2026 will make or break Europe's tech sovereignty
DIGITAL SME Alliance publishes Antonio Grasso's piece arguing 2026's first 100 days will decide Europe's tech sovereignty, citing three US firms holding 65 percent of the EU cloud market and urging a simplified "28th regime", clearer procurement preference and easier talent visas.
OVHcloud posts 6% Q1 revenue growth, presses EU for joint AI plan
OVHcloud reported EUR 275.3 million in Q1 FY2026 revenue, up 6.0% organically, and confirmed its annual guidance. CEO Octave Klaba told Reuters the same day that OVHcloud is pushing Brussels toward a pan-European rather than country-by-country approach to AI infrastructure.
France's defence ministry notifies framework deal with Mistral AI
France's Ministry of Armed Forces notified a multiannual framework agreement giving all armed forces, plus CEA, ONERA and SHOM, access to Mistral AI's generative models, hosted on French infrastructure and managed by the AMIAD defence AI agency. No value was disclosed.
UK commits GBP 210 million to a Government Cyber Action Plan
The UK's Department for Science, Innovation and Technology backed a Government Cyber Action Plan with over GBP 210 million, creating a Government Cyber Unit and a Software Security Ambassador Scheme with firms including Cisco and NCC Group.
UK cyber resilience bill clears Second Reading, extending NIS duties to cloud and data centres
The UK's Cyber Security and Resilience (Network and Information Systems) Bill passed Second Reading in the Commons on 6 January 2026, bringing data centres, cloud services and managed service providers under NIS-style duties aligned with the EU's NIS2 model.
Spain awards Indra EUR 45 million PAMOV contract for future battle tank
Spain's Directorate General of Armament and Material awarded Indra Sistemas a EUR 45 million PAMOV contract to research propulsion, protection, firepower and sensor technologies for a Leopard 2E successor tank, aimed at fleet continuity beyond 2040.
EU Defence Fund opens EUR 15 million call for light attack aircraft study
The European Defence Fund opened a EUR 15 million call for proposals to study and design a stealth influenced Future Multirole Light Aircraft to replace European air forces' ageing light combat fleets by the mid 2030s.
Germany opens BSI portal for NIS2 registration of 29,500 entities
BSI opened its new registration portal on 6 January 2026 for roughly 29,500 companies and federal bodies newly obliged under Germany's NIS2 transposition law to register as regulated entities.