The DIGITAL SME Defence, Security and Resilience Community
SME’s are the engine of Europe’s digital economy and this potential needs to be leveraged to support the defence, security and resilience (DSR) industry. DIGITAL SME has launched a DSR Community to bring together agile innovators in AI, cybersecurity, data protection and advanced technologies to highlight business opportunities, showcase SME technology and embed SMEs in Europe’s industrial and defence strategies. Currently, there are only around 2500 SMEs involved in the European defence industry and a financing gap of over €2billion, which needs to be resolved to unlock the potential of European SMEs.
This Community gives SMEs a stronger collective voice, positioning them as go-to partners for the modern, tech-driven defence industry that Europe needs.
Interested?
Complete the form below to stay up to date on the Community activities!
Benefits of joining the Community
01
Business Opportunities
Mathcmaking and procurement mapping and advice
02
Strategic Visibility
Contribute to the development of Europe's defence industrial strategy
03
Funding Opportunities
Keep informed and advised about EU funding opportunities for defence technologies
Market trends in the defence tech sector
European DSR (defence, security and resilience) startups secured $8.7bn from venture capital in 2025, according to the Nato Innovation Fund.
According to the same survey, approximately 40% of SMEs operating in the DSR sector found access to finance to be either difficult or very difficult.
A recent EU study identified an average equity financing gap of about €2 billion and a debt gap of €1–2 billion for defence SMEs and mid-caps, highlighting major access-to-finance barriers.
