Drones in technology competition

The European Commission on Monday announced three flagship projects, in the fields of drone technologies, space communications and space traffic management, aimed at securing the European Union’s competitive advantage in these sectors. The Civil, Defense and Space Cooperation Action Plan is designed to promote technologies at the interface between defense, space and civilian applications, such as cloud computing, processors, cyber technology, quantum and artificial intelligence. research and innovation.

According to Margrethe Vestager, EU Commissioner for Competition, the drone project will strengthen the EU’s competitiveness in this key sector, while the space communications program would promote more resilient and high-speed connectivity based on quantum encryption. The third project, related to space traffic management, is necessary to avoid collisions due to satellites and the proliferation of space junk, while ensuring autonomous access to space. The remit of the committee’s action plan extends to EU programs and instruments, but it can also promote cooperation in these areas at national level by co-financing EU projects in the Member States.