Collaboration between LIST and the Luxembourg Directorate of Defence on research and innovation

On 21 March 2018, the Secretary of State for Defence, Francine Closener, and the Luxembourg Institute for Science and Technology (LIST) signed a cooperation agreement between LIST and the Luxembourg Directorate of Defence on research and innovation in the field of defence. Favouring the implementation of defence guidelines, the aim of this agreement is to conduct joint research and development projects focusing on so-called "dual-use" technologies with civil and military applications.

With a total budget of 5 million Euros allocated over five years, the agreement facilitates research and development (R&D) projects and programmes which may focus on varied technologies, in particular:

• Environmental technologies with a view to optimising the use of mapping tools, geospatial data analysis used for decision-making support in emergency situations, and also to optimise the production, storage and distribution of drinking water for external field operations;
• Information and data processing, necessary in the event of natural disasters or for field operations, as well as in the fight against cyber attacks, and the development of digital solutions for the safe transport of hazardous goods;
• Materials, and specifically the development of composite materials, advanced materials and so-called "smart" materials.

These research and innovation projects contribute towards the recent initiatives launched by the European Union to encourage Member States to further support R&D in the defence sector.

In 2017, the Luxembourg Directorate of Defence invested 3 million Euros in R&D with the ultimate aim of allocating 2% of the Luxembourg National Defence effort for this purpose.

Communiqué by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs / the Luxembourg Directorate of Defence

Photo from left to right: Photo: from left to right: Fernand Reinig, LIST CEO a.i., Georges Bourscheid, Chairman of the Board of Directors at LIST, Francine Closener, Secretary of State for Defence, Patrick Heck, Director of Defence Luxembourg.