EDA R&T activities
R&D collaborative projects and initiatives within the EDA framework can be divided into three categories:
- Category A programmes: These programs are open to the participation of all EDA nations. Each programme defines its own management rules. Three of the programs set up at the present time have applied a management mechanism called JIP (Joint Investment Programme), whereby the budget provided by the different countries set up a central budget. In these three programs, once the execution started, projects evaluated and selected in a free competition, were financed from the central budget. Under this mechanism, the industrial return to the countries does not have to equal the financial contribution they made to the central budget. The results of the projects are shared by all the contributing countries.
Another mechanism, called “type UMS”, which owes its name to the program that set it up, combines a series of similar B category projects (see below) under an A category framework, providing several advantages such as cohesion, common architecture and interoperability. Unlike the JIP mechanism, there is no central fund.
- Category B projects: Set by one or more countries involving R&D issues of common interest and they are carried out by themselves. They are generally made within CapTechs and there is no competition. There is no central budget, but national governments finance or co-finance the works of the national members of the international consortium. The results are only shared by the contributing countries.
- OB-funded studies: Studies on different issues of general interest for the EDA nations. They are financed through the EDA common budget and are usually assigned in processes of free competition. Therefore, they represent an opportunity for the free participation of industry, research centers, academic institutions, consultancy firms, etc. Results are shared by all EDA Member States. The average dimension for these studies amounts to 200,000 €.
Calls for studies financed by EDA and projects related to certain types of Category A programmes are published in the EDA Website (http://www.eda.europa.eu/Procurements).
Participation on Category B projects are limited to those initiatives supported by the Ministry of Defence. Such initiatives must be channeled through the national representatives (CNC) in the related EDA’s CapTech.
If you wish to contact the national representatives at the EDA’s CapTechs or wish to consult any issue related to participation in such an organization, write to the following address: edaconsultasit@oc.mde.es.