DEFENCE: InvestEU strengthens EU’s strategic autonomy and defence capabilities

The European Investment Bank (EIB), supported by the InvestEU programme, has signed a €25 million financing agreement with Optics11, a Dutch innovator in advanced fibre-optic sensing technologies. The financing supports research and development for applications in energy systems and underwater security. Optics11’s solutions are set to enhance undersea monitoring capabilities and the resilience of high-voltage grids, contributing to Europe’s strategic autonomy and defence capacity. By enabling ultra-sensitive vibration and acoustic monitoring in challenging environments, the technology supports submarine monitoring, border surveillance, and the structural health monitoring of naval assets and electricity networks.