Drones pose a growing threat to critical infrastructure in the Nordic region, with incidents already affecting airports and ports. D-RESPOND aims to strengthen small and medium-sized enterprises’ ability to develop drone technology solutions and become suppliers to the defence industry.
The D-RESPOND project addresses specific challenges observed in Scandinavian countries in the wake of the war in Ukraine. On several occasions, Swedish and Danish critical infrastructure has been seriously disrupted by unauthorised drones, which have caused airspace closures at several Nordic airports and affected ports with limited logistics infrastructure.
In addition to creating public concern, these closures result in significant socioeconomic losses, and effective solutions have yet to be identified. The D-RESPOND preparatory project aims to develop a full-scale INTERREG ÖKS project focused on innovation in the defence industry, particularly in drone technology.
The project will also develop targeted skills development programmes for Nordic small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) working in the defence industry across Scandinavia. These programmes will target the most capable SMEs working with drone technology and development, with the clear aim of enabling them to become suppliers to the defence industry. As part of this skills development, participating companies are expected to take part in various hackathons, accelerator programmes and other EU initiatives throughout the project.
The project will also produce policy recommendations highlighting opportunities for competitive SMEs specialising in drones and identifying the specific challenges the sector currently faces. The recommendations will also address the constraints the industry is likely to encounter.
The project is based on a Triple Helix model, bringing together businesses, universities and the public sector. As it addresses a shared societal challenge affecting publicly owned institutions—airports and ports—these organisations should be closely and actively involved in the collaboration. Drone technology is also a rapidly growing field, making the inclusion of the latest research particularly relevant.
The work builds on experience from an earlier, smaller Interreg Baltic Sea Region project. The Nordic partners from that project will continue their collaboration and transfer their knowledge to a new Nordic context, strengthening the overall knowledge base.
Key Facts
- Countries: Sweden, Denmark
- Regions: Skåne (SE), Capital Region of Denmark (DK), North Denmark Region (DK)
- Priority area: Innovation and entrepreneurship
- Specific objective: Strengthen innovation capacity with a focus on smart specialisation.
- Duration: 1 September 2026 – 30 June 2029
- Budget: EUR 1,352,604
- EU funding awarded: EUR 811,560
- Lead partner: North Denmark EU Office
- Contact:
North Denmark EU Office
aka@ndeu.dk
+45 50 10 38 52 - Partners: Port of Hirtshals, Lund University, Technical University of Denmark, Ideon Science Park AB, Aalborg Municipality
