Researchers from Wrocław University of Science and Technology will take part in two international projects funded by the European Defence Fund (EDF). This is the second-best result among Polish research institutions participating in the programme.

The European Commission has just announced the results of the fifth call under the European Defence Fund. Out of 410 submitted proposals, only 57 projects, with total funding of more than EUR 1 billion, were selected for support. Polish research institutions are involved in eleven of them.

Research teams from our university are members of two international consortia and will work on the U-HARRIER and DIALOG-AI projects. Their combined budget amounts to nearly EUR 11 million.

This is the second-best result among Polish research institutions participating in the programme. Only specialists from the Military University of Technology are involved in a larger number of projects, with three grants awarded.

What is the European Defence Fund (EDF)?

The European Defence Fund is one of the European Union’s key programmes supporting the development of advanced defence technologies and international cooperation in research and innovation. A total of EUR 7.3 billion has been allocated to the programme for the years 2021–2027.

Projects carried out under the fund address Europe’s most pressing security challenges, from artificial intelligence and cyber defence to unmanned systems and space technologies.

Advanced drones for demanding missions

The U-HARRIER project (Unmanned Heavy-lift Aerial Reconnaissance and Resilient Integrated European Response) will be carried out with the participation of Prof. Tomasz Kurzynowski and Dr Wojciech Stopyra from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering.

Together with partners from the international consortium, they will work on an innovative unmanned aerial vehicle capable of carrying payloads of up to 300 kg, including in difficult operational conditions. The design will incorporate solutions aimed at increasing resistance to damage, such as ballistic protection and safeguards against electromagnetic interference.

An important part of the project will also be the use of artificial intelligence to monitor the machine’s technical condition in real time, increasing its safety and operational reliability.

Alongside Wrocław Tech, the consortium includes partners from Spain, Ireland, Greece, Croatia and Romania. The project coordinator is Edair Technologies SL from Spain. The project will last 36 months, with a budget of nearly EUR 4 million.

Generative AI in defence systems

The second project, DIALOG-AI (Defence Innovative Assessments and Live-tests of Operational Generative AI), will be carried out by a team comprising Prof. Maciej Piasecki, DSc, and Prof. Tomasz Kajdanowicz, DSc (both from the Department of Artificial Intelligence at the Faculty of Information and Communication Technology), as well as Brigadier General (ret.) Prof. Dariusz Skorupka from the Faculty of Civil Engineering.

Within their consortium, they will focus on the development and testing of systems based on generative artificial intelligence, including large language models and dialogue systems, for defence applications. Although these technologies are developing rapidly, their use in operational environments still faces major limitations.

DIALOG-AI aims to develop new methods for assessing and testing such systems in conditions close to real-life scenarios. The project will also produce innovative evaluation protocols tailored to the specific nature of defence applications, helping to improve the reliability and safety of deployed solutions.

The project brings together seven institutions from France, Germany, Slovenia and Finland. It is coordinated by Airbus Defence and Space SAS. The research will continue for 48 months, with a budget of nearly EUR 7 million.

Science for security: a strategic direction for Wrocław Tech

Wrocław University of Science and Technology is consistently developing technologies of key importance to security, combining scientific potential with practical applications in the defence sector. The university actively participates in international projects, expands its research infrastructure and works with military partners, including the General Tadeusz Kościuszko Military University of Land Forces.

“Participation in the European Defence Fund is another example of Wrocław University of Science and Technology’s activity in international research programmes and of our contribution to the development of advanced technologies of key importance to society,” says Rector Arkadiusz Wójs. “In the area of defence, we are strategically developing research in fields such as artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and cybersecurity.”

Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Commission. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.