The European Cluster for Drone Innovation (ECDI) project is an initiative that aims to empower European SMEs to reach new heights in drone innovation by boosting competitiveness and strategic technological autonomy.
Within the aerospace industry, one of the segments with the highest growth potential is drones. A key driver of innovation and economic development that is a strategic area in Andalusia, being one of the fastest-growing sectors in terms of turnover (59%) according to the latest Andalusian aerospace sector report.
The ECDI project, co-funded by the European Union’s SMP-COSME-2024-CLUSTERS-01 program, seeks to structure and strengthen the European drone innovation ecosystem by promoting collaboration, knowledge exchange, and technological development among SMEs. To this end, it focuses on four key areas of action:
- Innovation & Alliance – Build a European network and shared database through the Innovation Drone Alliance
- SME Support – Provide training on emerging technologies such as AI, IoT, robotics, and cybersecurity
- Market & Visibility – Facilitate events, trade fairs, and international networking opportunities
- Dual-Use Development – Support SMEs in developing dual-use applications and advancing their green and digital transition
Specifically, the role of Andalucía Aerospace within the ECDI project will be to lead the support and assistance provided to SMEs operating in the civil sector to adapt dual-use technologies and products to enter the defense market.
The ECDI project, which will run for three years, has more than €1.9 million in cascade funding dedicated to financing innovative projects by European SMEs for both civil and dual-use technologies. The first calls for proposals are scheduled for the first quarter of 2026.
The ECDI consortium is made up of four European clusters: Andalucía Aerospace (Spain), Silesian Aviation Cluster (Poland), All Ukrainian Association of Innovative Space Clusters (Ukraine), and Aerospace Valley (France), which acts as the project coordinator.
With the ECDI project, European SMEs will have access to funding, specialized knowledge, international visibility, and a strong collaboration network, thus contributing to strengthening the competitiveness and technological autonomy of the European drone ecosystem. All of this is in line with the EU’s Drone Strategy 2.0, which aims to position Europe as a global leader in drone innovation, with a strategic focus on sustainability, digitalization, and dual applications.
ECDI is a project co-funded by the European Union through the EUROCLUSTERS program (SMP-COSME-2024-CLUSTER)
