On 18 March 2026, 125 experts from across Greece’s defence industry, research centres, and universities gathered at the Institut français de Grèce (IFG) in Athens for the sixth edition of Naval Group’s R&D Partners Days. EUDIMA attended what has become one of the most structured bilateral defence innovation events in Europe. Organised in coordination with the Institut français de Grèce and with the support of the General Directorate for Defence Investments and Armaments (GDDIA), SEKPY (Hellenic Manufacturers of Defence and Security Material Association), and HASDIG (Hellenic Aerospace Security and Defence Industries Group), the full-day programme brought together Naval Group leadership, Greek industry CEOs, academic researchers, representatives of the Hellenic Centre for Defence Innovation (HCDI/ELKAK), and the French Embassy.
François-Régis Boulvert, Senior Vice President for International R&D Cooperation Development at Naval Group and the person who launched the R&D Partners Days initiative in 2021, opened the proceedings. A welcoming address followed from Maria Wadjinny, Director of the Institut français de Grèce and Cultural Counsellor at the French Embassy. The opening session was completed by Major General Ioannis Bouras, General Director of the GDDIA, who delivered the inaugural speech. His presence for the third consecutive year reflects the Greek Ministry of National Defence’s sustained institutional support for the initiative.
The trajectory of the partnership speaks for itself. When the first edition took place in June 2021, it was essentially an exploratory exercise. Five years later, Naval Group has collaborated with 33 Greek R&D and academic partners across more than 40 projects, the vast majority developed within the framework of the European Defence Fund (EDF). The network now spans institutions such as the National Technical University of Athens (NTUA), the University of Patras, the Hellenic Naval Academy (HNA), the National Centre for Scientific Research “Demokritos,” and the Centre for Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH), covering domains from cybersecurity and artificial intelligence to advanced materials, autonomous systems, and energy efficiency.
A dedicated morning session showcased concrete project outcomes. Antonios Peppas, CEO of ETME, presented alongside Patrick Mauffrey of Naval Group and Georgios Koros, CEO of Salamis Shipyards, on the USSPS programme. Dr. Nikolaos Dimitriou from CERTH presented the Battleverse project, an EDF-funded initiative focused on AI-driven simulation for mission planning, while Dr. Athanasios Stubos, Research Director at Demokritos, presented CALIPSO, an innovative propulsion project targeting emission reduction. Several EU-funded projects have already been completed successfully, including PANDORA, ECHO, EFFECTOR, MIRICLE, and SEA NICE, while others remain ongoing, such as DTHOR for next-generation ship monitoring and AINCEPTION for AI-based cyber defence. In 2025, three further projects were selected by the European Commission: Citadel (cyber defence), Nereus (smart naval systems), and Battleverse.
The late-morning session turned to the evolving European defence funding landscape. Stanislas Gourlez de la Motte, Naval Group’s Naval Counsellor, presented the company’s vision on upcoming developments, followed by a round table with Anastasios Rozolis, Chairman of SEKPY, examining the practical implications for Greek industry. The timing was particularly relevant: the European Commission adopted the EDF’s 2026 Work Programme in December 2025, allocating approximately €1 billion across 31 call topics, while the EDF Info Days had taken place in Brussels just days earlier, on 10–11 March. The afternoon reinforced this forward-looking perspective, with Naval Group presenting a global review of 2025, its positioning on the 2026 calls, and an outlook on 2027 and beyond, followed by an open exchange with the assembly.
Benoît Chapalain, CEO of Naval Group Hellas, presented on the arrival of HS Kimon (F-601), the first FDI HN frigate delivered in December 2025, and the development of Naval Group’s Greek subsidiary. With a fourth frigate, HS Themistocles, ordered in November 2025 under a €982 million contract committing Naval Group to 25% Greek local content, the R&D cooperation is firmly anchored in one of the most significant naval procurement programmes in the Eastern Mediterranean.
Commander Michail Pothitos, Technology Strategy Head at the Hellenic Centre for Defence Innovation (HCDI/ELKAK), presented on accelerating mission-driven innovation. The HCDI, established in 2024, is Greece’s dedicated defence innovation hub, and its active participation signalled the growing institutional architecture supporting defence research in the country. The final session brought together leading Greek academic voices in a round table on science and innovation: Dr. John Prousalidis from NTUA, Dr. Vassilis Kostopoulos from the University of Patras, Commander Pothitos, and Dr. Nikolaos Melanitis from the Hellenic Naval Academy. The day concluded with a “Choose France” address by Matthieu Abgrall, Vice Director of the IFG and Scientific Attaché at the French Embassy.
The discussions took place against a backdrop of unprecedented momentum in European defence industrial policy. The European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), adopted in December 2025 with €1.5 billion in grants, introduces European preference criteria and supports common procurement and defence projects of common interest. The SAFE instrument under the ReArm Europe plan provides up to €150 billion in EU-backed loans for defence investments. For Greek entities that have built a track record through EDF projects alongside Naval Group, this evolving framework presents significant opportunities for scaling up.
EUDIMA attended the R&D Partners Days alongside companies it collaborates with, and the event provided a valuable opportunity to establish new contacts with defence industry companies, research organisations, and institutional stakeholders present in Athens. The format of the event, combining structured presentations with round tables and networking sessions, facilitated direct exchanges that are essential for identifying future areas of cooperation.
The themes discussed resonate directly with EUDIMA’s advisory work in EU and NATO funding. As the EDF enters its sixth work programme and the EDIP opens new avenues for collaborative procurement, the demand for strategic guidance on consortium building, proposal development, and alignment with European capability priorities continues to grow. The R&D Partners Days model demonstrates how sustained engagement between primes and national innovation ecosystems can translate policy ambition into funded, operational projects.
The sixth edition of the R&D Partners Days marks a clear inflection point in Franco-Greek defence cooperation. What began as an exploratory initiative in 2021 has matured into a structured partnership involving 33 Greek entities across more than 40 projects, with a pipeline shaped by the EDF’s growing ambitions and the industrial anchor of the FDI frigate programme. As Europe’s defence industrial landscape continues to evolve, partnerships of this kind will become increasingly important. The next major milestone for the naval defence community will be EURONAVAL 2026, taking place on 3–6 November in Paris.
EUDIMA extends its thanks to Naval Group and all the co-organisers for a substantive and well-structured event.
