In this year’s European Defence Fund (EDF) project competition, nine new R&D projects have been approved with the participation of four Latvian companies and two Latvian research institutions. LMT is the only Latvian company to participate in six projects, either as a partner or co-ordinator, thus establishing the company’s leading role in Latvia’s defence innovation ecosystem as well as in Baltic region defence projects.
“One company experiencing success in six EDF projects at a time is an unprecedented event in Latvia’s technology industry. This accomplishment is strategically meaningful for strengthening Latvia’s defence and innovation capabilities, and it secures the nation’s position in Europe’s defence technology environment. Meanwhile, LMT is not only adapting to global technology trends, but is active in defining the direction of development at a European scale, and with its experience and innovation potential helps craft a safer future. New technologies have an increasing role in nation and allied security, and we readily take on this supporting role and uncover new opportunities.” – Ingmārs Pūķis, Vice President of LMT
The EDF projects that LMT is involved in are geared towards the development of practical and usable products through ameliorating key defence capabilities. Those include secure and uninterrupted communication networks, 5G integration and compatibility to facilitate military missions in a variety of environments, 5G extended reality (XR) solutions for defence technology needs, command & control and autonomous pilot systems.
In addition to participation in other projects, LMT will be the head of the VANTAGE consortium, collaborating with companies from Belgium, France, Spain, Estonia, and Romania. The project’s goal is to develop an effective next-generation tactical drone prototype, integrating the latest technologies. Within the scope of the project, a modular long-distance vertical take off and landing (VTOL) platform will be developed, which can perform various tasks, such as surveillance, reconnaissance, kinetic attack, all without losing connectivity or ability in situations where GPS is unavailable. The expected duration of the project is 3 years.
LMT will be a partner in five other projects:
- In ORQUESTRA, post-quantum cryptography (PQC) capabilities will be integrated into defence needs.
- AURIGA foresees the development of next-generation armored infantry battlefield vehicle.
- In iMUGS2, autonomous land systems and 5G technologies in autonomous military solutions will be further developed.
- 5G COMPAD 2.0 will offer imroved opportunities such as sensor networks, precise positioning services, automatic network setup, non-terrestrial network and spectrum sharing.
- READYMED EUROPE will develop a military medice education platform for medical personnel, paramedics, as well as other user groups, including military instructors and system administrators.
Altogether, the Latvian companies participating in nine innovation projects stand to gain 7 million EUR in European Commission co-financing.