Brussels Edition

Europe Confronts Its Scale-Up Challenges in Defense

A pilot program to spur technological innovation in defense underscores the EU’s defense challenges

A P1-SUN inceptor drone from Ukrainian startup Skyfall. The EU is now trying to ramp up its own defense innovation capabilities.Photographer: Simon Wohlfahrt/Bloomberg

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By Suzanne Lynch

March 25, 2026 at 2:00 PM UTC

Welcome to the Brussels Edition. I’m Suzanne Lynch, Bloomberg’s Brussels bureau chief, bringing you the latest from the EU each weekday. Make sure you’re signed up.

Europe’s efforts to scale up its defense spending took a small step today as the EU announced a pilot grant program for startups developing new defense technologies.